The ideal way to train the abs is to get a good combination of low/high rep ranges to maximise mechanical tension and metabolic fatigue (the ‘pump’).
You can do this by having a separate heavy and volume day for the abs or do a drop set at the end of each exercise for high reps.
Here’s how it might look for the heavy/volume workouts:
Heavy workout: 3×8-12
Volume workout: 5×15-20
*Note: Avoid going too heavy with your ab training because you’re more likely to cheat and use the hip flexors to assist you.
That’s why I recommend sticking to 8 repetitions and above.
You also want to make sure you’re adding weight and/or doing more repetitions over time (aka progressive overload) to force your body to adapt.
For example:
Workout 1: 10,10,10 (50 kg)
Workout 2: 8,7,7 (52.5 kg) *added weight
Workout 3: 10,9,8 (52.5 kg) *more repetitions
Also, you need to target the four main areas of the ‘core’, including:
-The upper abs
-The lower abs
-The obliques
-The transverse abdominis
The best exercise for targeting the upper abs are weighted ab crunches. I strongly recommend doing these on a cable machine as it’s much more comfortable to get set up and it’s easier to achieve progressive overload (you don’t have to hold a plate behind your head which can feel awkward).
The best exercise for targeting the lower abs is hanging leg raises.
The best exercise for targeting the obliques is Russian twists. However, you should be careful with oblique training as it can make your waist bigger and throw off your symmetry. I prefer to do high reps with bodyweight for this reason.
The best exercise for targeting the transverse abdominis is zercher holds. However, if you find zercher holds uncomfortable because they hurt your forearms then you can always substitute them for weighted planks.
Here’s a quick ab circuit you can throw in at the end of your workouts (do these back to back with no rest):
