Great ab article on Zabo Mr. Abs

[stormshadow]

www.chaosandpain.com/tips/tips-zabo-koszewski-most-interesting-man-in-the-world-and-best-abs-ever-and-hardest-partier-in-muscle-beach/

He was a true character

He was a two meal a day person. He also healed his hernia with training like madman. If I had to guess it was abdominal one not inguinal.

[jonrock]

The chaos and pain blog (now plagueofstrength) is amazing. The guy behind it, Jamie Lewis, is a record holder in powerlifting and broke a squat record that had stood for 40 years, RAW.
660 lb squat at 181 lb.

I have recommended it a few times and linked articles, though no one said a thing.

[Dave Reslo]

jonrock I've been a fairly regular reader, the writing standards have improved a lot this last run but I'm content with what I'm doing training-wise and don't go to a gym or have an interest in bodybuilding anyway.

[stormshadow]

Henry I have that course and really enjoyed. This is obit from 2009. He was 84, nice picture of him

www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-zabo-koszewski2-2009may02-story.html%3foutputType=amp

[stormshadow]

This has a full routine of his

www.google.com/amp/s/physicalculturestudy.com/2017/01/13/the-fabulous-zabo-koszewski/amp/

[fastfor40]

I read "Mr America" magazine back in the '60s when I could find it, and there was often references to Zabo and his ab workouts. I recall a description of his doing 200 reps of the Roman Chair situp, and how 500 situps and leg raises were his warmup.

[stormshadow]

Exactly right Fast. This is the article that really goes into detail on his exact ab program. It might even be part of the magazine you remember.

ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/01/developing-your-abdominals-zabo.html

This is why he became so anal about abs. He turned a weakness into huge strength.

To give you the plain unvarnished truth, my abs are the result of an accident! When I was younger I participated in a lot of sports in my New Jersey home town . . . football being a special favorite. I'm sure you realize that training for football isn't much of an ab developer. If anything, it packs on flesh all over the body . . . and the abdominals get their own fair share.
The real clincher that started my road to prizewinning abs was a hernia. Yes, weakness in my intestinal wall made possible an ailment that doctors told me only surgery could repair. I wouldn't accept this answer, and so I would win out another way, and because at first I had little knowledge of advanced training techniques I had to do it largely in hit-or-miss fashion.
I knew that it would be wise for me to "make haste slowly" so my first ab routine consisted of just two exercises: Situps and Leg Raises. Although I could only manage a few reps that first training day, I soon had worked up to the point where 500 Situps and 500 Leg Raises were just warmups for my more advanced training routines every day.

This part made me never forget it when I read it.

Abdominal training a a great health 'regulator' and no other aspect of training will do so many good things for you. It has maintained a fine physique for me . . . it has rewarded me with great health . . . and it saved me from the scarring indignity of a herniated life.

[fastfor40]

I think you're right about the article.

[mr potatohead]

May 6, 2019 15:30:18 GMT stormshadow said:

Exactly right Fast. This is the article that really goes into detail on his exact ab program. It might even be part of the magazine you remember.

ditillo2.blogspot.com/2018/01/developing-your-abdominals-zabo.html

This is why he became so anal about abs. He turned a weakness into huge strength.

To give you the plain unvarnished truth, my abs are the result of an accident! When I was younger I participated in a lot of sports in my New Jersey home town . . . football being a special favorite. I'm sure you realize that training for football isn't much of an ab developer. If anything, it packs on flesh all over the body . . . and the abdominals get their own fair share.
The real clincher that started my road to prizewinning abs was a hernia. Yes, weakness in my intestinal wall made possible an ailment that doctors told me only surgery could repair. I wouldn't accept this answer, and so I would win out another way, and because at first I had little knowledge of advanced training techniques I had to do it largely in hit-or-miss fashion.
I knew that it would be wise for me to "make haste slowly" so my first ab routine consisted of just two exercises: Situps and Leg Raises. Although I could only manage a few reps that first training day, I soon had worked up to the point where 500 Situps and 500 Leg Raises were just warmups for my more advanced training routines every day.

This part made me never forget it when I read it.

Abdominal training a a great health 'regulator' and no other aspect of training will do so many good things for you. It has maintained a fine physique for me . . . it has rewarded me with great health . . . and it saved me from the scarring indignity of a herniated life.

As a result of the info on this forum, I have self-diagnosed that what I had suspected for some time is likely true. (see THIS post about "hurt myself - DL'ng") I have a hernia on one side. I remember feeling something yank on me so I dropped the weight immediately. This article is very encouraging. I'm going to continue and even increase my effort in that area. Using stomach vacuum is the easiest way for me to see it, as I make it disappear. 
What has seemed to be most effective are the frog crunch leg lifts while hanging (I used to frog crunch in bed), stomach vacuums and wide leg stance sissy squats. I had been neglecting the stomach vacuums and also the sissy squats, maybe because I like to do the sissy squats in sun with other stretching type exercises. Started doing them again because of the ab discussions going on.

So, this is thanks!

EDIT: fixed the link.