[WOTM, 03/2015] Carve Up Your Core For Beach Season With The Summer Shredder Ab Workout
Ooh la la. This is about to get oh-so-fun. We’re going to make your abdominal life a living, burning hell for the next 3 months pre-summer. You’ll thank us on the other side.
March’s WOTM—The Summer Shredder Ab Workout—is like a cheese grater for the core. It’s THE single most powerful ab workout that we’ve concocted to-date.
We linked together a chain of advanced, uber-effective ab exercises, sandwiched them together into 4 strategic supersets—anchored by two excruciating power moves—and laid out a workout tour de force that meanders methodically across the core and tears it up in the process.
Once you hit GO it escalates quickly into a relentless hellbeast. The Summer Shredder moves vigorously to pound the lower abs, upper abs, obliques, and serratus, aggressively carve up each individual group of muscle fibers, and stimulate impressive new growth.
Simultaneously, it focuses heavily on building killer core strength. That functions to actively vacuum the core into one compact package of grade A, USDA prime, abdominal musculature — and one that doesn’t protrude.
Just when the burn starts to dwindle, it digs in, heats up, and tosses on an extra layer of kerosine. Yum.
Get ready to blow up your abs and go to battle for the beach-certified core you’ve always swooned over. And then share your conquests with us over at Lean It UP 360º.
[WOTM 03/2015] The Summer Shredder Ab Workout
Bang out The Summer Shredder Ab Workout 2-3x per week, and take at least 2 days off in between each ab workout. Three quick things before jumping in:
- Try to keep rest to 60 seconds in between sets. To increase the intensity, decrease rest.
- Ideally, follow the ab workout routine consistently for 8-12 weeks. It should supplement your normal training and workout schedule.
- A printable recap of the full workout is available here.
*Click on each applicable exercise name for a full pop-out video demo.
1. Hanging Leg Raises
How To:
Protocol: 3 sets — 12 reps
Target Muscle(s): Lower Abs, Abs (All)
- (1) Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands at shoulder-width.
- (2) While keeping your back straight, contract your lower abs and slowly raise your legs until they form a 90º angle with your torso. Do not swing, rock, or use momentum and keep your legs straight.
- (3) Slowly lower down to the bottom.
If Hanging Leg Raises are too difficult at first, replace with Hanging Knee Raises. You can also do knee raises on a captain’s chair.
2. [SUPERSET] Planks + Side Planks
How To:
Protocol: 2 supersets — 90 seconds + 45 seconds/side
Target Muscle(s): Abs (All), Obliques
- (A) Hold an Ab Plank for 90 seconds. Keep your abs tight.
- (B) Immediately roll over and hold a Side Plank for 45 seconds. Flip over and repeat for the opposite side.
3. [SUPERSET] Bicycle Crunches + Ab Rollouts
How To:
Protocol: 2 supersets — 45 reps + 20 reps
Target Muscle(s): Abs (All)
- (A) Do 45 Bicycle Crunches. Continue to alternate sides for each rep — try to tap your elbow to the opposite knee.
- (B) Immediately flip over and do 20 Ab Rollouts. If you don’t have an ab wheel, use a Swiss ball instead. Extend out until your back is flat (but no further), contract your core and lats, and pull the wheel back in.
4. [SUPERSET] Ab V-Ups + Reverse Crunches
How To:
Protocol: 2 supersets — 15 reps + 15 reps
Target Muscle(s): Abs (All), Lower Abs
- (A) Do 15 Ab V-Ups. Lie flat on the floor and raise your legs/arms straight up to form a V. Touch your toes if possible.
- (B) Immediately bend your knees and do 15 Reverse Crunches. Squeeze your lower abs at the top of every rep.
5. [SUPERSET] Cross Knee Tucks + 1/2 Turkish Get-Ups
How To:
Protocol: 2 supersets — 10 reps/side + 15 reps/side
Target Muscles: Obliques, Rectus Abdominis
- (A) Get into push up position and do 10 Cross Knee Tucks per side. Brace your upper body, pull your right knee in, and bring it across your body to your left elbow.
- (B) Lie flat on the floor, grab a dumbbell, and do 15 1/2 Turkish Get-Ups per side. On the way up, use your bottom hand to prop yourself up.
6. Ab In & Outs
How To:
Protocol: 1 set — 30 reps OR failure
Target Muscle(s): Abs (All), Lower Abs
- (1) Lie flat on a bench or the floor. If possible, hold a medicine ball in between your knees and SQUEEZE with your inner thighs.
- (2) Balance on your butt, bring your knees in, and raise your torso up to form a V. Squeeze the contraction for 1 second and release flat down to the floor.
- (3) Continue to repeat for 30 reps, or until your abs explode and you can’t do any more reps. DONE.
Pages: Workout Description | Printable Workout Recap
Bryan DiSanto
I also contribute to Men's Health Magazine.
When I'm not working on my abs (or somebody else’s), whipping up avocado roses and avocado toast, or running a Tough Mudder, I'm probably yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.
Come be friends with me on Instagram (@BRYDISANTO) & Snapchat (BRYDISANTO).
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