How can I get more mass on my Abs? PDF Print E-mail
 
Muscles are consisted of 2 types of muscle fibers. Fast twitched muscle fibers, which are responsible for strength and slow twitched muscle fibers, which are responsible for endurance. Check out the relevant article “Learning the muscle fiber types” from the Muscle building section.
Fast muscle fibers are the type most capable of enlargement. Abdominal muscles are mainly consisted of slow twitched muscle fibers and thus do not have the capability for Hypertrophy.
So in most persons it is very difficult to gain mass in abdominal muscles.
The idea that you can gain mass on your Abs most probably comes from the bodybuilders that we see on the magazines. We should know that most of those professional bodybuilders are using Steroids and this allows them to gain mass outside the normal limits.
Despite the fact that Abs are unlikely to become massive, they should be trained in the same rep range like the rest of our muscles. There is no reason doing hundreds of crunches.
You can use external load to make the exercise more difficult for better results.
Also we should know that the Abs work in a much larger range of motion that the normal crunch allows.
Check out the following superb variation of crunch that is done on the stability ball.
It will work your Abs in a wider range of motion, it is safer and you can add external load using a medicine ball or a kettle bell for maximum results.

See Video below:

With medicine ball




With medicine ball explosive




With kettle bell