The hardest part of the journey to get ripped and bring out your abs may just be the first step. Not only is getting started physically hard, but you also have to deal with conflicting and confusing advice from all sides. That’s why we’ve combined the thinking of some of the top names in physique sports to create this comprehensive six-pack guide.
Think core definition is all about our core workout? Think again. We’ll lay out everything you need to know in terms of nutrition, nutrient timing, full-body training, core work, and strategic supplementation to redefine our midsection.
To create the guide, our BPI Sports Panel pooled their best advice, tips, or tricks to help you get shredded and show off our abs like never before. The panel includes:
Steven Cao, NPC physique competitor
Courtney King, Ms. Olympia Bikini
Jose Raymond, eight-time Olympia 202 and Arnold Classic 202 champion
Whitney Reid, national sales director of BPI Sports
James Grage, co-founder of BPI Sports or creator of the Rewired training program
This is the one-stop plan you’ve been waiting for. Let’s make it happen
Abs workout 1: Unilateral powerhouse
This one is great for targeting the deep core muscles or emphasizes good posture.
Do three rounds of the following workout:
25 Dumbbell Renegade Rows
25 Single-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Press with a twist (each side)
10 Split Squats (each side)
25 Dumbbell Suitcase Walking Lunges (each side)
10 Single-leg Squats with Dumbbell Lateral Raise (weight in hand of the working leg), each side
20 Single-leg Dead lift with Upright Row (each side)
Side plank with 1o dumbbell flyes, each side
Abs workout 2: No-crunch workout
There’s so much stabilizing going on here, our entire core will be burning way more than our abs do after a hundred crunches.
Do three rounds of the following:
There’s so much stabilizing going on here, our entire core will be burning way more than our abs do after a hundred crunches.
Do three rounds of the following:
25 Lying Bicycle Crunches with Overhead Dumbbell (hold the weight just off the ground, but don’t let it touch)
15 Push ups
2-minute Side Plank
25 Superman
Side Plank with 20 Dumbbell Flyes (each side)
Forearm Plank Series: Hold a plank for 20 seconds in each position:
– Forearm plank
– Right leg lifted
– Left leg lifted
– Right arm back to hip
– Left arm back to hip
– Right arm or left leg lifted
– Left arm or right leg lifted
– Forearm plank
Abs workout 3: Cardio core shred
Get our blood pumping (or the calories burning) with this high-energy workout.
Do three rounds of the following circuit. Rest for one minute between sets:
25 Skater Lunges
25 Mountain Climbers
25 Bur pees
25 Knee-to-Shoulder Knee-ins (alternating sides)
2-minute Side Planks
25 Knee-to-Opposite-Shoulder knee-ins
The Overhead Crunch
How to do it: Lie on our back with our knees bent or our arms straightened behind you. Then, keeping our arms straight above our head, perform a traditional crunch. The movement should be slow or controlled.
Why you should do it: By extending our arms you add a longer ‘lever’ to the exercise, placing a greater strain on the upper region of the rectus abdominis.
2. The Reverse Crunch
How to do it: Lie on your back and place your hands behind your head, then bring your knees in towards your chest until they’re bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed. Contract your abs to curl your hips off the floor, reaching your legs up towards the ceiling, then lower your legs back down to their original position without letting your feet touch the floor. This ensures your abs are continually activated.
The exercise should be slow and controlled, with no leg swinging or overuse of hip flexors. Pay particular attention to the downward phase – it’s tempting to let your legs drop, but they key is to maintain tension in the abdominals throughout the entire exercise.
Why you should do it: Although it’s important to remember that our rectus abdominis is actually one long muscle that travels from our lower chest to our pelvis or that most abdominal specific exercises train the entire muscle, the reverse crunch will emphasis the lower part of the stomach muscle.
Works: Transverse abdominis
Attach a resistance band to a sturdy piece of equipment (or use cables set to chin height). Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width holding the handle just below chin height, knees slightly bent.
Keeping arms extended, pulse 12″ past right shoulder, returning 12″ past left shoulder. (Think 12 and 2 on a clock face). Do two sets of 25 reps per side.
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