[Workout Plans] The Plunging, Deep V, Lower Abs Workout

Breathe out and reset any preconceived beliefs about core training — hands down, lower abs day is about to takeover as the most daunting day of your workout week.

The Plunging, Deep V, Lower Abs Workout is a relentless juggernaut that produces hellacious results — specifically geared towards chiseling out a flat, razor-sharp, rippled set of lower abs; accompanied by a deep, plunging V-cut across the hips.

It’s a 6 exercise, 12 set gauntlet that runs about 20 minutes, progressively increasing in difficulty as your lower abs and obliques get pounded into oblivion. By the end your stomach will be pumped with blood and O2, and searing with lactic acid; leaving your lower abs sizzling in glorious pain.

It’s not mutually exclusive, though. By association, you’ll still use the upper half of your torso to carry you through each movement, especially as the difficulty escalates and the burn compounds.

And if the routine seems like a little bit of overkill, tough shit — it’s tough for a reason. Make it a priority. Building lower abs and completing a gorgeous stomach is an act of love that requires precise training and even more dedication. Push beyond normal. Normal workouts produce normal results; and normal is always horrible.

As with any other ab workout, I’ll throw in the usual caveat. You’ll NEVER build the stomach you want with ab workouts alone — that hard-earned muscle will sit dormant under a layer of blub. Core-centric exercises carve out the requisite musculature; diet, cardio, sleep, and the rest of your workout schedule ultimately trim back the fat. 

Ready, Tiger? Go get that pancake-flat midsection you’ve always wanted. RAWR.

[Workout Plans] The Plunging, Deep V, Lower Abs Workout

Complete The Plunging, Deep V, Lower Abs Workout in order, with minimal rest. Rest when needed — 30-60s between sets — but aim to gut it out as quickly as possible. Less rest equals HIGHER intensity, quicker pace, and more calories shredded.

This is designed to be DIFFICULT. If it’s too much at first, scale back the reps based on your own fitness level and gradually increase the workload. Challenge yourself, but you should also be able to finish the entire workout within 20 minutes. If you’re going over 25 minutes, chop it off and shoot to improve over time.

Complete the routine 2-3x per week, with at least 2 days off in between ab workouts. This serves as a replacement for any ab training you’re already doing. A full printable recap is available here.

*Click exercise names for video demos, where applicable.

1. Hanging Leg Raises

Protocol: 3 sets, 12 reps

Primary Muscles: Lower Abs, Obliques

Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands at shoulder-width. While keeping your back straight, contract your lower abs and slowly raise your legs until they’re parallel with the floor. Don’t swing, rock, or use momentum.

Pause for .5 seconds at the top and return to the bottom.

If Hanging Leg Raises are too difficult at first, substitute with Hanging Knee Raises or the Captain's Chair. Repeat the same motion, except with your knees bent.