This advanced ab workout is designed to increase the size of your abdominal muscles to make them more defined and visible.
Workout Summary
  • Main Goal
    Build Muscle
  • Workout Type
    Single Muscle Group
  • Training Level
    Advanced
  • Program Duration6 weeks
  • Days Per Week
    2
  • Time Per Workout15-30 minutes
  • Equipment Required
    Bodyweight, Cables, Exercise Ball
  • Target Gender Male & Female
  • Workout PDF Download Workout

Workout Description

This advanced ab workout is designed to increase the size of your abdominal muscles, making them more defined, and more visible. The routine is done twice a week, with at least 2 days rest in between sessions. Traditionally, ab exercises are usually done at around 20 reps, but this workout works in a rep range of 10-12 with loads increasing to build the size of the abdominals.

Workout Schedule:

Workout 1 - Abdominals
Abdominals
Exercise Sets Reps
Cable crunch 3 12
Weighted leg raise 3 10
Weighted exercise ball crunch 3 12
Notes
All exercises should be done slowly! Focus on crunching the ab muscles, not rotating at the hips. You should use enough weight so that you can just complete the set with good technique. If you feel like you can do a few more reps, add more weight.
Workout 2 - Abdominals
Abdominals
Exercise Sets Reps
Hanging knee raise, twisting 3 12
Decline sit ups (weighted) 3 10-12
Decline abdominal reach (weighted) 4 10
Notes
Hanging knee raises - twist left AND right on each rep.
138 Comments
Jux
Posted on: Mon, 06/21/2021 - 13:30

Exercise Ball Crunch can i replace it with another exercise ? And wish 1 plz

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Abigail
Posted on: Wed, 06/23/2021 - 09:02

Hey Jux - you can replace those with regular weighted crunches.

COWBOY DAVE
Posted on: Tue, 10/07/2014 - 16:22

MY MMA CAN BEAT YOUR MMA :0

ELLIOTT
Posted on: Wed, 07/16/2014 - 18:05

are these workouts intended to be done back to back?

CHARLES
Posted on: Wed, 06/24/2015 - 05:24

Can you please send me graphic pictures of abs styles and exercises.

Thanks.

Zak
Posted on: Mon, 06/30/2014 - 07:43

Shall we choose one of these programs routines or do them both in the abs day ? Thx in advance

joseph
Posted on: Sat, 05/24/2014 - 12:26

hi Steve

how do these exercises compare to not weighted mat exercises (plank, crunches....)
i usually do something like this 3 times a week and and core not weighted work twice a week.
would you advise removing the core work from my routine and replacing them with more of this weighted work to make my abs look better?

ayub
Posted on: Mon, 01/20/2014 - 02:34

Do u do workout 1 and workout 2 the same day or 2 different days

steve wanna be
Posted on: Fri, 11/29/2013 - 19:40

hey I have a question for steve. first off I wanna say I love your work and think you are absolutely just amazing. keep up the good work! now for my question is it ok to smoke meth as a preworkout ? I know u probably think I am crazy but I have been doing so for about a month now and have seen amazing results and no preworkout gets me this freaking PUMPEDDDDD DUDEEE !!!! let me know asap

DG
Posted on: Sat, 10/12/2013 - 16:47

will adding an extra exercise for obliques make my waist wider ? I want to get that V taper , but my waist is already wide enough . Thanks in advance !

Soroush
Posted on: Wed, 07/03/2013 - 00:31

hi.tnx for WO.i have a Question.can i do other workouts(not for the abs!)duration of This Workout?or i should stop all others WOs till this WO be fineshed?and an other Q.how long should i do this WO?

loi
Posted on: Mon, 07/01/2013 - 17:02

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyygoshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

ash
Posted on: Sat, 05/25/2013 - 23:58

im 14 and want to improve on my diet and gain the last two abs but ive been woking but no change

Ric
Posted on: Wed, 05/22/2013 - 09:19

Does depletion of testosterone make it more difficult to have popping abs? Would it be suggestible to get testosterone injections to combat this?

Aman Singh
Posted on: Wed, 05/08/2013 - 13:43

steven my man. i went thorugh ur routine i jus wanna know should i do both the routines on the same day or 1st routine 1 day n the 2nd routine after 2 days??

Ryan Davis
Posted on: Sun, 03/17/2013 - 17:45

my abs are really strong but no mater what i do i cant get them to show through. i eat healthy and workout everyday at the gym doing intense muscle building and strength training, ive lost 80lbs and still people can barley see them even though mine are stronger than most people with an 8 pack.. any ideas?

S G
Posted on: Sat, 06/20/2020 - 16:40

If you lost 80 pounds, there's a good chance you'll have to lose more. Stomach tends to be the last place your body burns fat. Visible Abs are made in the kitchen.

Andrew
Posted on: Tue, 03/05/2013 - 23:31

I Want To Decrease My Weight, Increase My Muscle Size, And Increase My Stamina (Even If I Run 2 Laps I Will Be Very Exhausted), Any Suggestions?

Jonathan
Posted on: Tue, 03/05/2013 - 20:39

Hey there,

I weight train pretty often and can see my ab-outline, but i want them to become bigger muscle. is that what this workout is designed for? in other words, should I aim for 10-12 reps like I am training a bigger muscle group? also, can i do it more often than 2 days a week in order to retrieve these results?

Thanks so much.

JJ
Posted on: Tue, 03/05/2013 - 14:17

Just to be clear, workout 1 is done one day and workout 2 is done another? Also, what is the recommended rest period in between sets.

Joshua
Posted on: Wed, 02/27/2013 - 15:07

Does this workout hit the core hard enough? Or should I do a core workout as well

Kayle Owan
Posted on: Sun, 02/17/2013 - 16:36

What would you suggest to use for the weighted leg raise as a weight last time i tried using an 8lb medicine ball and it was very awkward

Danato
Posted on: Wed, 01/23/2013 - 00:25

Hi,
I am a fairly lean person but I am trying to get very lean while still retaining my muscle mass and strength. I am just having trouble with deciding what I should be eating in order to keep my strength but at the same time become ripped/lean. Also, any suggestions of a good, intense Ab workout?
Thanks, Danato

Danato
Posted on: Wed, 01/23/2013 - 00:24

Hi,
I am a fairly lean person but I am trying to get very lean while still retaining my muscle mass and strength. I am just having trouble with deciding what I should be eating in order to keep my strength but at the same time become ripped/lean. Also, any suggestions of a good, intense Ab workout?
Thanks, Danato

Saurabh P
Posted on: Thu, 12/20/2012 - 03:53

In addition to this,
Do hanging leg raise when u do pull ups each day........ try to touch pullup bar with your legs.

Adnan Rafih
Posted on: Mon, 11/12/2012 - 23:44

What does it mean if it's weighted?

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mnsjason
Posted on: Fri, 11/30/2012 - 18:01

Hey Adnan!

You can use ankle weights or a weighted vest for the leg raise. For crunches, hold a dumbbell on your chest or under your chin.

John W. Self
Posted on: Sat, 10/06/2012 - 21:54

I've recently started back in a workout mintoring group and im really dedicated to workingout now my goal is to be like arnold swarzenegger any suggestions?

Nemke91SRB
Posted on: Tue, 08/07/2012 - 21:15

Hey Steve, I have a quesion.
I kinda have 4 pack abs for some reason (I think I'm missing the top ones - smaller ones, those 2 that are closest to my chest). I have a feeling like my middle abs (well they are top in my case lol) are bigger (or shall I say extended) instead me having 2 extra smaller ones. I was doing abs frequently in last 10 months, so I am not missing those 2pack due to lack of workouts. What so ever, I think I was doing upper abs the most. I know genetic can have an influence too, so I was wondering can you tell me what to do? Is it possible to get those 2 that are missing? And what are possible reasons for missing those 2pack except genetics and lack of workout?

Thanks in advance!

Jeremy
Posted on: Sat, 06/16/2012 - 22:38

Are you suppose to do workout 1 and workout 2 both in one day? And do I super set the excersises? Thanks

Nick Graham
Posted on: Wed, 06/06/2012 - 19:19

Question, i am 13 years old and i usually fo abs every otherday, i have an 8 pack when i flex and kind of a six when i don't, do i do more work to get it more visable or what do i do? Thanks, nick

egesarp
Posted on: Tue, 04/17/2012 - 03:46

do we do thesse 2 workouts at the same training day ?

Mikr
Posted on: Sun, 02/12/2012 - 17:12

Im gettin ready to play college ball and this websites helping me get better

CSCWUN
Posted on: Tue, 01/17/2012 - 21:19

Hey Steve - when I do the cable crunches, I do them slow with correct form but I don't feel like I'm getting a workout. I try to move up weight and rest the rope on my shoulders but the weight tends to lift me off the ground. Any advice?

Cullen
Posted on: Mon, 01/16/2012 - 18:22

Hey Steve -

Someone else had asked this but did not respond to your reply..

When i do the cable crunches, i do it slow with correct form and crunch but the weight i use feels too light. when i raise the weight i put ropes at shoulder like advised but it tends to be a lot of stress on my hands. Also, say im at 90lbs.. which feels to light when im crunching, then i add 10 pounds and i kind of lifts me off the ground haha.

I only weight 140lbs but my abs can take a beating. Any advice?

James
Posted on: Tue, 10/25/2011 - 13:40

Hey, Soo last summer i started doing ab workouts and i gained abs decent ones at that but i just stared noticing that on my right side its uneven...like normal 6 or 8 pack its just like 1 is longer than the rest on the right side of my abs why is this??? have i been doing a uneven exercise for my abs??

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Steven
Posted on: Wed, 10/26/2011 - 10:52

Hi James,

No, that's simple the result of your genetics...the way you were built.

Tyler
Posted on: Thu, 10/03/2013 - 03:06

Hi, I've recently hit my recovery mark from back surgery, and I have rods in my back so I can't do crunches or lift over 50 pounds. Are there any ab exercises I can do?

Anthony
Posted on: Sat, 10/15/2011 - 23:42

Hey, currently I have been doing abs at home and working them 3 times a week. I do a routine that involves 7 or 8 different exercises that target the upper and lower abs and obliques. I do one set of an exercise, rest 30 seconds and then do another set of the next exercise. I do that until I've done 3 sets on all the exercises with usaully 20, 30 or 40 reps depending on how difficult the exercise is. Just wondering if I switch to this routine, because it is done only twice per week with only 3 exercises would it still work for me? I'm trying to build the size in my abs and I really want to try this routine, just curious if what I've been doing will affect the results.

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Steven
Posted on: Tue, 10/18/2011 - 15:06

My advice to give it a try. Hard to say how it stacks up to your current workout.

Ian
Posted on: Fri, 10/07/2011 - 03:42

Hi, I've been doing this workout pretty consistently for the past two months and I haven't seen any drastic results. I have about 10% body fat and I weigh 150lbs. I have been lifting for over a year now, off and on and my abs are the one thing I truly need to improve. Are there any pointers you could give me? Or should I step up the weights on the exercises? I want to lower my body fat to 8% or so and my weight goal is 160 for now, eventually 180. I'm also in college, so having vast control over my diet isn't very easy.

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Steven
Posted on: Fri, 10/07/2011 - 14:47

Abs are all about diet. Here is an article that can help you shed some fat and reveal the abs:

https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/your-go-to-guide-for-cutting-...

kyle
Posted on: Sat, 09/24/2011 - 13:38

Hey, I was wondering if I could do this workout plus the P 90X Ab ripper.I was thinking do this workout one day then the next day do ab ripper then the day after rest then start over again (Day1 workout1, day2 ab ripper, day3 rest, day4 workout2, day5 ab ripper, day 6-7 rest). Is this a good idea or would I be working my abs out too much?

Cheers,
Kyle

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Steven
Posted on: Sun, 10/02/2011 - 16:04

You probably won't overwork your abs, but on the other hand frequent training provides very little in the way of benefits.

AB
Posted on: Sat, 09/24/2011 - 08:51

can the ball crunch exercise be replaced by any other workout??

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Steven
Posted on: Sun, 10/02/2011 - 16:03

I recommend weighted crunches on the floor.

austin
Posted on: Wed, 08/03/2011 - 18:55

on the twisting knee raises should u do 12 reps 6 ech way or 24 reps 12 ech way and thanks for routine cant wait for results..

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Steven
Posted on: Thu, 08/04/2011 - 14:21

Hi Austin,

12 each way.

Brian
Posted on: Sun, 07/10/2011 - 20:31

is there an alternative to cable crunch?

Daniel
Posted on: Wed, 07/06/2011 - 21:54

Hi Steve,

I currently am working on a 5 day split program to gain muscle mass and strength. With that being said my abs have always been a strong point for myself so was wondering if it would be harmful to cycle between the 2 ab workouts (only 1 routine) after each workout?
Thanks for the feedback.