Copyright © 2012 Power by Pavel, Inc. A Dragon Door Publications, Inc production All rights under International and Pan-American Copyright conventions. Published in the United States by: Dragon Door Publications, Inc 5 East County Rd B, #3 • Little Canada, MN 55117 Tel: (651) 487-2180 • Fax: (651) 487-3954 Credit card orders: 1-800-899-5111 Email: [email protected] • Website: www.dragondoor.com ISBN 10: 0-938045-50-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-938045-50-2 This edition first published in September, 2012 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews. Printed in China Book design, and cover by Derek Brigham Website http//www.dbrigham.com • Tel/Fax: (763) 208-3069 • Email: [email protected] DISCLAIMER The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them. The author would like to thank the following individuals for their suggestions for this manuscript: Dr. Mark Cheng Bret Contreras Jon Engum Prof. Tom Fahey Steve Freides Brad Johnson Brett Jones Jeremy Layport Prof. Stuart McGill Gary Music Jeff O’Connor Mark Reifkind m.c. schraefel Chad Waterbury WARNING This book is not for you if you have any of the following: • High blood pressure • Heart condition • Flexion intolerant lower back I HARDSTYLE ABS T C — ABLE OF ONTENTS — Introduction: The Mission 01 Rigor mortis, or why high reps have failed you 03 Hardstyle Breathing: how to shrink-wrap your waist with an ancient martial arts technique 11 The Hardstyle Sit-up: how to defeat your hip flexors and make your abs rule 29 Internal Isometrics: the secret of old time physical culturalists’ exceptional abdominal strength and development 59 The Hardstyle Hanging Leg Raise: no sissies need to apply 67 The Hardstyle Abs program design 95 Appendix: A few words about “functional core training” 101 Appendix: Full contact abs 107 II HARDSTYLE ABS Introduction: The Mission his book has one goal—an extraordinarily strong and developed “six-pack”—and no other. On these pages you will not find planks and other accoutrements of “functional training”. Not because they are useless—far from it—but because they are unable to produce real “body armor”. Don’t blame a fork for being a poor knife. Hardstyle Absunapologetically applies to ab development the proven strength training method- ologies of the world’s best lifters, from the lighter weight classes. To be exact, to three exceptional exercises—reverse engineered from the body language of elite gymnasts. Failing to train your abdominals for strength has been one of your downfalls. Getting distracted by what Mark Reifkind calls “random acts of variety” is another. Instead of spreading yourself thin over dozens of ineffective moves you shall laser focus on three killer drills. If you follow the instructions to the letter, I guarantee results. Noticeable within weeks. Extraordinary within months. Hit hard. Lift heavy. Look the part. Rigor mortis, or why high reps have failed you You like burn? Light a match. —Dr. Fred Hatfield ou tried high reps. You went for the “burn”. It did not work. Why do you insist on doing the same thing and expect a different outcome? The “burn” you feel from high reps is from lactate buildup and does absolutely nothing for ton- ing up your muscles. I remember picking up a copy of The Guinness Book of World Recordsand seeing a picture of the gent who held the record for the number of consecutive sit-ups—many, many thousands. This martyr must have “felt the burn” more than anyone else on this planet, yet he did not even have a six-pack to show for it, in spite of his low level of body fat. To know why high reps have failed this Comrade and many others, one must understand what makes abs hard and strong. It is a combination of increased resting tension or tonus and “real” muscle growth. Muscle tone is simply residual tension in a relaxed muscle. And tension is the means by which a muscle generates force. The more tiny strands of contractile proteins hook on to each other, the more tension and force the muscle produces, the more tone it exhibits. Contrary to popular belief, a resting muscle is not totally relaxed—your body would have collapsed into a bag of bones if it were—but partially tensed, preloaded to spring into action. The English words “tone” and “tune” were derived from the same Old French word: ton. It is no surprise that muscle tone has been poetically likened to the tautness of a guitar string. Think of “toned” muscles as “tuned for action”.