Written by Jamie Bantleman
Rock Solid Abs
My Top 3 Tips For Building Great Abs
- Change the variation of abdominal movements in your workouts, if you are going to isolate your abdominals in a workout, doing this once per week is perfect by using movements such as hanging leg raises and roll outs.
- Use Olympic lifting as a part of your training routine. These large compound movements are massively effective for fat burning and help build an incredibly strong core.
- Reduce cortisol exposure by limiting time spent on actual training. Although training is a vital part of building a strong core, it is important to know when to slow it down and take a day of rest. Cortisol is thought to increase adipose tissue around the umbilical section of the stomach. Spend the time resting from weights doing more holistic sessions such as yoga or meditation as a way of relaxation.
Your workout routine should look like the following:
Day 1: Big Compound Movements
Day 2: Upper Body Hypertrophy Session (Isolated Core Workout to follow)
Day 3: Lower Body Hypertrophy Session (Core Stability Workout to follow)
Day 4: REST / YOGA
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| A1 | Front Squat Into Overhead Press | 6 | 6 | 90s |
| B1 | Snatch Grip Podium Deadlift | 6 | 6 | 90s |
| C1 | Wide Grip Chin Up | 6 | 6 | 90s |
| D1 | Barbell Back Squat | 1 | 20 | 90s |
| E1 | Strict Barbell Overhead Press | 1 | 20 | x |
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| A1 | Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 10 | 10s |
| A2 | Semi Supinated Grip Pull Downs | 4 | 10 | 60s |
| B1 | Seated Cable Flies | 4 | 12 | 10s |
| B2 | Seated Low Row | 4 | 12 | 60s |
| C1 | Machine Bench Press | 4 | 15 | 10s |
| C2 | Seated Unilateral Row | 4 | 15 | 60s |
| D1 | Seated Dumbbell Laterals | 4 | 20 | 10s |
| D2 | High Face Pull | 4 | 20 | 60s |
| E1 | Ab Roll Outs | 3 | 12 | 10s |
| E2 | Hanging Leg Raises | 3 | 12 | 10s |
| E3 | Reverse Crunch | 3 | 12 | 60s |
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| A1 | Reverse Hack Squat | 4 | 10 | 10s |
| A2 | Lying Leg Curl | 4 | 10 | 60s |
| B1 | Dumbbell RDL | 4 | 12 | 10s |
| B2 | Dumbbell 1 & 1/4 Squat | 4 | 12 | 60s |
| C1 | Leg Press | 4 | 15 | 10s |
| C2 | Leg Extension | 4 | 15 | 60s |
| D1 | Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 20 | 30s |
| E1 | Renegade Row | 3 | 12 | 10s |
| E2 | Plank (on hands) | 3 | 12 | 10s |
| E3 | Plank position knee to elbows | 3 | 12 | 60s |
Top 5 Recipes for losing body fat and building awesome abs:
- Peanut Butter & Prawn Satay Skewers
- Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Quick Nutribullet Smoothies & Juices
- Chicken, Bacon & Avacado Salad
- Herb & Walnut Crust Cod
Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you're concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or introducing any major changes to your diet.
Dan Speakman is our editor and level 3 qualified Personal Trainer. Having spent time in Australia, he has experience in planning and delivering exercise plans to beginners and advanced athletes — both in the UK and down under.
Dan has also run successful weight-loss camps across the UK, alongside regular training seminars, covering all areas of gym-based training. He also runs weekly fitness boot camps and spin classes.
When he’s not working, or in the gym, Dan enjoys travelling to sunnier destinations, eating out, and trying exciting new foods.
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