From The Archive :
6/3/18
High rep side bends, I have the ability to do them heavier and for higher reps than most, doing so in a nonchalant manner.
Now the question of what came first comes here:
Did I have mad oblique strength from the occasional ab work, or from the beltless compound lifts?
I lean towards it coming from the compounds, but really the side effect of hypertrophying up my core does come from both.
The thickness of my core is what causes the crazy strength and stability and the thickness is caused by my beltless compounds, partials, overhead work, and the aforementioned high rep heavy side bends.
Farmers Handles : “Can I hit 95lb x 25 a side”, yep.
One of the first times I loaded them up was with a former D1 linebacker lifting partner. He topped out at around a 75 dumbbell and was flabbergasted that I matched him in reps every set using the 100.
“Man, aren’t you going to start lighter? There’s no way you can use the 100.”
6×10-15 later he had this shocked look on his face.
By never using a belt and not caring for aesthetics ie a waifish waist I inadvertently got my core very thick and very strong.
Incidentally I found I can do ugly standing ab wheel rollouts now, inspired to try having seen some likely hockey player (aside : I later found out he plays professional hockey in Europe) do 4 or 5 sets of 3 a few days ago. Inspired to try via seeing someone either do them or fail to do them being the manner I found out I can do one arm pushups one night after my buddy has a visible light bulb go off over his head and preceded to bang his nose off the floor.