Ready to carve your midsection into the best damn eight-pack in the gym? Hit the deck with this punishing circuit workout that’ll have your abdominal muscles screaming in seconds.
That’s why some guys end up with a washboard without focusing much on the abs. A full-body routine, coupled with a solid nutrition plan for more muscle, provides the perfect environment for abs to flourish. On the other hand, a guy who hasn’t dropped below 10% body fat is unlikely to see his abs regardless of how many abs-specific sets he knocks out. (You can read more about the nutrition-for-abs discussion here.)
It’s worth noting here that producing abs should be an around-the-clock effort that goes beyond training and nutrition. When you’re stuck in a meeting or in traffic, take an opportunity to work your abs by drawing your belly button in away from your belt buckle. This is not the same as sucking in your gut and holding your breath. Simply pull your belly button in. Do a set of 10 every 30 minutes over the course of your day.
This simple exercise not only works your abs but also promotes better posture. The abs stabilize the spine, after all, and you want to maintain a neutral spine in all lifts, not a rounded one.
Assuming you’ve dialed in your nutrition and developed an abs mindset, this ultimate workout will produce results.
Directions
You’ll do this workout as a circuit. Perform 10 reps of the following six exercises (unless otherwise noted), back to back, without resting between exercises.
Do three circuits total. You may take a one-minute rest between circuits as needed.
Pete Williams is a N.A.S.M.-certified personal trainer, and the author or co-author of a number of books on performance and training.
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Edgar Artiga
Plank
A full-body movement that creates stability and strength throughout your shoulders, core, and hips—all essential for strong abs.
How to do it: Lie in a prone pushup position with forearms resting on the floor, elbows under shoulders and bent 90°. Push up off the elbows, tucking your chin so your head is in line with your body. Keep head inline with spine and belly button drawn in. Hold for one minute.
How to do it: Get in a pushup position with shins on a physio ball. Pull your knees to the chest until the toes are on top of the ball. Return to the starting position and repeat for a set of 10. Be sure to keep your belly button in and shoulders pushed away from the ball.
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Thomas Barwick / Getty
V-Sit Crunch
You’ve done crunches—now it’s time to really test your abs strength.
How to do it: Begin on your back with hands extended over your head. Lift your legs and crunch up at the same time, forming your body into the shape of a “V.” (By doing one ahead of the other you lose a lot of the effectiveness of the movement.) Exhale as you lift your legs and crunch and inhale as you return to the starting position. Do these for 30 seconds minimum, working your way to 60 seconds.
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Matthew Leete / Getty
Hanging Legs Raises
These target the lower abs and the hip flexors, while challenging your upper body and core to stay tight as you move your legs.
How to do it: Grab a pullup bar with an overhead grip. Your arms should be straight and feet off the ground. Keeping your legs straight, use your abs to raise your feet toward your shoulders, pausing when your thighs reach your chest. Return to the starting position and repeat for set of 10.
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Per Bernal
Mountain Climbers
These are classics for a reason—they’re an effective cardio-burner, and an ideal challenge to test your core stability all the way through your body.
How to do it: Think of the ground as your mountain. Start in pushup position, with the balls of your feet on the ground. Alternate driving your knees forward to their corresponding arms for 30 seconds. This exercise not only hits the abs but develops the hip flexors. Keep your hips down for the entire motion.
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Edgar Artiga
Burpees
Sure, burpee is a full-body, pushup-like exercise that also challenges your cardiovascular system—but it’s also an underrated abs exercise. (And despite their difficulty, they’ve become even more popular in recent years thanks to the Spartan Race, which doles out 30 reps as a penalty for failure to execute obstacles.)
How to do it: From a standing position, squat, place you hands on the ground, and “jump” your feet out into a pushup position. Perform a pushup, and then jump your feet to your hands. Then jump as high as you can, throwing your hands over your head. Repeat for a set of 10.
