Whether you are an all-pro or average joe, bodybuilder, CrossFitter, or weekend warrior, no great physique is complete without a strong set of abs. If you're training well, you'll get a good amount of core work within your typical workout—but for a truly exemplary six-pack, you'll need to put in more focused work.
Lots of guys don't know anything besides the old school approach of hundred-rep sets of situps to achieve the shredded, lean look. But according to MH Advisory Board member and celebrity trainer Don Saladino and MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., more volume does not necessarily equate to more success. You wouldn’t approach training other muscle groups by pumping out triple-digit working sets, why should an abs workout be any different?
Saladino notes that nutrition is a key factor to achieving a lean six pack—but for the training component, the plan should be to implement challenging abdominal exercises that use a load within the typical hypertrophy rep range. If you need more guidance, these five quintessential core moves from Saladino and Samuel will help you on your way to achieving that elite six-pack status in as little as eight to 15 reps per set.
“Don't be afraid to load your abs because your abs needs to be strong so that you can squat better, so you can deadlift better, so you can hit all your other exercises better,” Samuel says. “None of [these exercises] will you be doing 100 reps. You're going to load up, they're going to be challenging, and they're going to push you to get you the six pack visually that you want.”
5 Must-Do Exercises for Six-Pack Abs
Plank Row
Planks force you to maintain constant tension throughout the movement (or non-movement)—this means not dropping your hips mid-exercise. For planks to work properly, you need to your hips up and glutes and lats tight while creating tension throughout the whole body.
By adding a dumbbell row to your plank, you increase the focus and intensity of maintaining that tight core—thereby adding an anti-rotation element to the move.
To maintain core integrity, think of the move as if you're placing a glass of water on your back. If it spills, that means you're losing that core tension. “With a plank, it's so easy to slip out of those tension techniques and slip into that bad place where you're not really getting the most out of the exercise,” Samuel says. “That's why when you add that row in, you got that anti-rotation while you're using the plank position… that's why I love this exercise so much.”
Cable Crunch
This old school ab-attacking classic is making a resurgence, namely because of its ability to allow you to load weight and push through a wide range of motion as you work through spinal flexion.
“I've probably done crunches twice in my life cable crunches—this is something that's been in my training for I'd say 25 years,” Saladino says. “I haven't removed it because I do like doing something that's loaded. We need to treat the abs as we would treat any other muscle group—we’re going to need some resistance, and this just happens to be one of my go-tos.
Throughout this movement, concentrate on flexing your hands hard as you bring your elbows to your knees after each rep, all the while keeping your head relaxed.
And don’t be afraid to go heavy with this exercise. “The great thing about this is when you drive up you get a nice stretch on your abs at the top and then really get to contract all those six-pack muscles as you lower,” Samuel says.
Ab Wheel Rollout
This another classic core move that’s gaining steam in modern fitness circles. It’s one of the most effective moves you can do for your core—when done properly. Too many people lose tension when they perform ab wheel rollouts for a variety of reasons, from not owning the move in its entirety to creating too much lumbar tension. Other times a lack of shoulder mobility or strength affect proper positioning. A key to a perfect rollout: Don’t rush the move. Take each rep slow and controlled. For this, two or three perfect rollouts are far more beneficial than 10 to 12 lousy rollouts.
“We're getting a lot of core work, aesthetically we are working the abdominals—you are going to feel this,” Saladino says. “But if you don't have ownership over this range of motion safely, and the correct way, maybe go to something like a plank or some other type of variation.”
Hanging Leg Raise
Think of hanging leg raises like a vertical hollow hold, Samuel says. Just by hanging, you’re putting yourself in a position of heavy work. Not only are you working your core, you’re also bringing in grip strength, as well as lat and shoulder mobility as you fight off the urge to swing from this position.
With leg raises, you can also manipulate the difficulty level by leg positioning. Shortening the lever by making it a knee raise can ease up the work, or extending the lever to a straight-leg raise can max out the challenge. For added hang time, you can incorporate elbow sleeves to take your grip out of the work, although that's not always recommended.
“If you were someone was asked me what is the ab exercise that you just feel the most, this is it,” Saladino says. “I just get an incredible burn without doing a high level of repetition.”
Farmer’s Carry
The farmer's carry is more than just an aesthetic movement; it’s a functional fitness building block that helps you in so many other areas besides core strength.
Carries allow you to work with heavy weight as you move from Point A to B. Besides core work, you’re building strength, improving posture along with cardiovascular and fat-burning benefits.
“When I got interviewed about every superhero, I training for Hollywood, I would always get asked what is that one movement for the abs?" Saladino says. "I would always go to this one."
