Abs have always been my thing. I was in middle school people when started asking me what I did to get a strong core and while I wish I could say it was genetics (because ain’t nobody want to work this hard for something they rarely show off) it’s really consistent work and a somewhat balanced diet (more on that later). Notice I said ‘consistent’ and not ‘hard’? I believe you should push yourself during your workouts, but ab exercises should rarely be so difficult it hurts to laugh for days, otherwise you will just stop doing them because chances are, you won’t like the feeling. When I was teaching ab focused group-exercise classes at Northern Arizona University my goal was to leave people feeling strong and happy, not sore and defeated and I still workout like that today — despite that being many, many years ago.
Ideally, I do core workouts 2-3 times a week, but never have a dedicated ‘core day’. Instead, I do strength-training workouts that don’t focus solely on but incorporate core. I do minimal amounts of cardio and prefer to lift heavier weights because the fastest way to burn fat is to build muscle. I target the largest muscle groups in the body (quads, hamstrings and glutes) and sprinkle in a minimal amount of core-specific exercises. Since I’ve had two kids my ab-specific exercises are designed to help combat diastasis recti (separation of abs during pregnancy) which I had and am still working to correct. That being said, I’ve spoken with multiple bad-ass personal trainers who have their own set of enviable abs and do these exercises themselves and with all their clients whether they’ve had children or not.
Squats with bar: I use the 45 lb bar alone and work up to plates making it 95 lbs. You can do whatever weight works for you. This exercise has the benefit of working your back, legs and glutes along with your core and it boosts your metabolism so you’ll burn fat making your strong AF core more noticeable. During a squat the muscles of the rectus abdominis and obliques contract in order to make your back properly aligned with the rest of your body during movement. Basically, tightening your ab muscles will help you maintain a straight back while performing a squat. All that engagement produces a killer ab workout.
Bulgarian Split Squats: I do these with a 10kg /22lb kettlebell and as always, you do whatever works for you because you might have to work your way up like I did or may already be super f-ing strong and need a larger kettlebell. These squats work your core without you even realizing it, as your core is automatically engaged as you aim to stabilize with each rep. Plus, the more fat your burn, the more likely you are to shed weight all over and reveal those sculpted ab muscles underneath. Check out this guide if your new to Bulgarian Split Squats.
Deadlifts: I’m up to ~150lbs at the heaviest weight (just for reference) but these honestly work if you just get a 9-15lb body bar out of your barre class. It works the whole body, but mainly the core, along with the legs and upper back and won’t give you a 6-pack alone, but when combined with other exercises, this will help you torch your core muscles and burn the fat you need to see a defined midsection.
Deadbugs: These are probably the easiest to incorporate and if you’re like me, you’ll do these while you watch TV. They not only help with diastasis recti, but work your abs like nnon-other They help you get strong fast. You can do them ANYWHERE and at any time so they’re perfect for someone on the go. Here’s how to perfect your dead bug.
Planks: You can do any variation of these. For beginners, plank with the knees down on the floor, or plank on an inclined surface will all work your core a lot. You can work to move up to spider planks or just longer sessions of forearm planks. Just pick one that is right for you. Just for reference, I do forearm plank for 6 sec / 3x and do side plank with a raised leg for 60 sec / 3x and end it with 12 x 3 side plank hip dips.
Weighted Oblique extension on a decline bench: If I learned one thing about working out this year it’s that oblique crunches are dead. Apparently, they are NOT good for you. I do these oblique extensions now instead and use a 25 lb plate. I saw results really fast with this (combined with everything else and a fairly healthy diet, of course). 
Weighted Crunches or Ball Toss on a decline bench: I do these with a 25 lb plate or with a 10lb ball whenever I can get someone to toss it to me. They’re fun, sometimes embarrassing (I have caught the ball with my face a few times) but they are super-effective. For the ball toss, grab a partner and have them toss you a ball when you are upright and then you bring the ball back, extend it past your head and then toss it back to your partner on your way up. You can find me doing it (and many of these exercises) on my Instagram highlights under ‘fitness.’
Suitcase Carries: Perform them like this. I like to mix up the distance and weight to get more or less of a cardiovascular workout. These carries are great for the core and will really work your whole body.
Cable Pull Down Crunches: I started doing these specifically for diastasis recti and they are a killer. They work your whole core and a little bit of your back. I do them standing use the lat pull machine to hold the bar statically for 60 seconds. You’re crunching in as far as you can go and squeezing your abs the whole time. Switch the side your head is on after 30 seconds to get to 60 sec total – if are doing it for less time just switch in the middle and use caution not to hurt your head or neck with the bar. To be safe, start with very little weight until you know exactly what you are capable of.
I plan on doing a full post about my diet (or lack thereof) so won’t touch too much on that here, but I do fully believe that ‘abs are made in the kitchen’ saying you’ve probably heard before. If I am eating clean, my abs look way stronger and I look, or at least, feel leaner and more muscular. When I eat whatever I want, I am of course, not as lean. For me, having a 6-pack and looking super-lean is not sustainable (I love wine and chips and salsa, hello!) as I find I have to be at less than 18% body fat (which I am above in these pictures) to look supercut. For example, when I took this, I was eating pretty clean (not crazy swimsuit model clean, but clean for an average person) and I had done a juice cleanse for one day earlier in the week. That is to say, I don’t always look like that. Don’t worry if you don’t have a 6-pack all year – most people don’t. If you are going on a beach vacation for a week, you can be cut for that vacation, but don’t plan on or try to make that last all year unless you want to be miserable about your diet.
