Hollywood Abs: The Best Exercises for a Six Pack

Six Pack Abs. Also accepted as the Holy Grail of fitness. If people could choose one body part on themselves to improve, I bet the majority would say their stomach. Most guys are definitely after those coveted washboard abs, are most girls are in search of a toned flat stomach. A solid midsection is not only a sign of a high level of fitness, it is also a very attractive physical trait. If you think great abs are out of your reach, stop blaming your genetics or whatever else and think again. No, they’re not easy to attain by any means, but it’s not rocket science either. The logistics behind it are actually pretty simple; it’s when discipline and dedication come into play that people falter.

Strong abdominal muscles underneath low bodyfat is the key to a six pack

There are really only two things you need to accomplish to have great abs that show:

1. The abdominal muscles need to have some size so they “pop”
2. Bodyfat must be at a low enough level to display the muscle underneath

Resistance training and exercise will mostly account for number 1. Diet and cardio will mostly account for number 2. Having low bodyfat is critical for getting the abs to show (sub 10% for men, sub 16% for women) . This percentage would put you in the “lean” category, which is generally the minimum requirement for the abs to show. Obviously the lower the BF%, the more distinguished the muscles become, but generally you must be at or below the above marks to see a six pack at all.

Keep in mind that you cannot target fat loss. In you’re losing fat, it will come from all over the body but with a catch. Unfortunately for men, the midsection is where the stubborn fat lies, which is why you will often see guys with defined arms and shoulders, but who don’t have a great six pack. Women tend to store fat in the legs, butt, and arms. If you think doing thousands of crunches will burn fat directly from your stomach, it won’t. Endless crunches will strengthen the abdominal muscles to an extent, but the fat will still be there. Crunches are also not the best exercise to do when trying to develop abdominal strength, and are an overrated movement thanks to the media.

Even with a low BF%, you will still want a strong set of abs to show once you obliterate the fat. I’m going to share with you my favorite exercises for creating strong abdominal muscles.

Developing Abdominal Muscles

If crunches aren’t the best route to solid abs, then what exercises are? Well the style of training is going to be more important than the exercise itself. By that, I mean that since your abdominals are a muscle group, they should be treated so. For example, say you’re trying to make your chest muscles grow. Do you pick up 5lb dumbbells and bust out 50 reps? I don’t think so. You would choose a challenging weight and aim for 6-12 reps/set. So why would the abs be any different? You need to challenge your abdominals using resistance exercises if you want your abs to pop.

Hammer Strength Crunch machine

I’m not a big fan of exercise “machines.” Generally I will choose dumbbell or barbell exercises over fixated machines because they are more similar to real life movements. Fixated machines guide the muscles along a specific plane of movement and don’t force your stabilizer muscles to work as hard. However, when it comes to abs, I did find an effective machine that I like. Abs are a bit tougher to challenge using free weights than other body parts. This machine has become a favorite of mine amongst ab exercises. You have to contract your abs by bringing your legs up while pulling down with the upper body and it creates a lot of good tension focused on the abdominal muscles. I like to do drop sets on this machine. I will choose a weight challenging enough for about 10 reps, then lower to weight to half the original weight and do 10 more reps without resting.

Hanging Leg Raises

These only require something to hang from, like a pullup bar, and your own body weight. They’re pretty self descriptive: You hang down from a bar with a solid grip and bring your legs up full extension, which will contract your abs nice and hard. To vary the movement, you can raise your legs to either side and target the obliques. This is an advanced exercise even though you’re only using your own body weight.

Here’s a video demo of different variations of the hanging leg raise – all with amazing form. More on these and other great lower abdominal exercises here.

Planks/Side Planks

Planks are an isometric exercise, meaning that you’re holding a static position for a period of time. If you’ve ever done planks, you already know that this does not mean it’s easy… far from it. I use planks to determine one’s core strength. The longer you can hold a plank, the more likely you are to have strong abdominal muscles. Basically you brace yourself with your forearms underneath you at a comfortable width and your legs straight, using your core to suspend yourself. The secret to getting the most out of this exercise is pulling your navel towards your spine. When you correctly do this, you engage and retrain the deepest abdominal muscle to support your back.

Side planks are also an excellent exercise to strengthen your obliques without making them bigger, which creates a “love handle” like look… not good. We want strong obliques but not bulky ones. This is a great post on isometric ab exercises and the benefits of planks. There’s even an added bonus exercise in there he calls “Breath of Dragon” which is very effective at pulling in the stomach muscle so they don’t “poof out.” It’s a definite read so check it out. The more consistently you add planks to your routine, the stronger and denser the muscles will become, and you’ll be able to hold the position longer.

Notice how she doesn't let her body sag. Bravo on her form!

Full Contact Twist

Never heard of this exercise before? Neither had I until again, Yavor told me about them (I’ve used 2 of his videos, obviously the guy knows his stuff!)  Learn all about the Full Contact Twist Here. If you want a challenging abdominal workout, he’s got plenty of awesome exercises that are super effective. He’s also got a lot of movie posts which puts a cool spin on things!

Today I did 3 sets of the Full Contact Twist as part of my ab routine. I did around 8 reps each side per set and man did I feel it! I am definitely adding this to my arsenal. I can already feel the soreness in my abs!

Ab Workout Foundation

Abs are a bit unique in a sense. There is much debate over how many times a week you should work them out, but I’ve found that working them out every other day has given me the best results. They also tend to fatigue quicker than other muscles, so a lower volume of exercise is needed to fatigue the muscle.

I recommend you choose two different exercises that target the abs, plus planks and side planks at the end to finish them off. For the first two exercises, perform 3 sets of 6-12 reps/set, using a challenging weight. You can add in drop sets (as described in the Hammer Strength Crunch machine section) to weighted exercises as well for an added challenge.

So that’s 6 sets of dynamic exercises – exercises that make the muscles move. Then finish off with planks and side planks. The length of each plank will vary depending on your fitness level, but try and challenge yourself to where you’re really feeling the contraction of the exercise. A stopwatch is useful. Planks are a phenomenal exercise and will yield noticeable improvements in abdominal strength and definition.

Sample Abdominal Routine

• Hammer Strength Crunch machine – 3 sets, 6-12 reps/set
• Full Contact Twist – 3 sets, 6-12 reps/set per side
• Plank Routine – 1 minute front plank, 1 minute right side plank, 1 minute left side plank – that’s one set – perform 3 sets, 9 minutes total

By the end of this routine your abs should be pretty well spent . Give yourself at least one day of rest before your next ab workout. You should switch up the exercises from workout to workout as well.

Work Your Abs Out First

Have you noticed when people do their abs, it’s almost always at the end of their workout when they’re already fatigued? If abs are the most sought after muscles, then why not begin your workout with them when your energy is at its peak? You don’t have to do this every time, but consider hitting your abs hard before moving onto the rest of your workout. Give your abs the attention they deserve, and you’ll be handsomely rewarded.

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