Ahh…the elusive 6 pack. Having those washboard abs is probably the most highly coveted attribute on the planet. What most people don't realize is that having a six pack has very little to do with abdominal strength and everything to do with your body fat percentage. So to truly have that flat defined stomach you need to shed almost every last pound of fat tissue your body has. Sorry to disappoint but not only is it incredibly difficult to lower your fat content that much but it is also incredibly unhealthy to stay that low on a regular basis. There I said it, what no other fitness professional on the face of the planet is willing to say; having 6 pack abs has very little to do with actual health or fitness and if you want to have them you need to level with yourself and resign to the fact that this goal is purely out of a desire to look like what mainstream media tells you you should look like!

With that said, if it is still a goal of yours, then this 6 pack abs workout in conjunction with an intense weight or fat loss exercise routine and restrictive calorie diet will get you the abs of your dreams. Like I said before, having those abs show up is more about the amount of fat you have covering them and no amount of abdominal exercises will give you a chiseled stomach if you don't reduce the amount of fat you have covering them up. However, the larger and stronger your abdominal muscles are the sooner they will show up as you start losing weight. That is where this workout routine comes in; it is intended to build and tone your abdominal muscles quickly and effectively, giving you the ability to easily increase the difficulty of each exercise without having to switch to an entirely different exercise.

Each motion is designed to focus on the abdominals and each tries to target those abs in a different way or from a different angle. This workout also hits those muscles with variations of static holds to active motions to work the abdominal muscles in a truly comprehensive way.

Routine Structure
Short Warm Up
Plank Progression, Part 1
Core Progression (2 Rounds)
Plank Progression, Part 2 (longer intervals, in reverse order from part 1)

Printable Workout
Warm Up (30 Seconds each)
-Standing Crisscross Crunches
-High Knee Torso Rotations
-Full Body Torso Circles
-Toe Touches

Plank Progression, Part 1 (30 Seconds each)
-Plank
-Side Plank (L)
-Side Plank (R)
-Supine Plank

Core Progression (10 Reps)
-Super Slow Crunches with Pulses at top of range of motion
-Russian Twists
-Reverse Crunches
-Side Plank Crisscross Crunches (L)
-Side Plank Crisscross Crunches (R)
-Ball Crossover Crunches
-Windshield Wipers

Plank Progression, Part 2 (60 Seconds each)
-Supine Plank
-Side Plank (R)
-Side Plank (L)
-Plank


Calories Burned
We estimate that this routine burns roughly 5-8 calories per minute, or approximately 100-160 calories total.

How often can I do this workout?
We recommend doing this workout up to three times per week, giving those ab muscles at least one day of rest in between. Remember, for best results you will need to combine six pack workouts like this one with Fitness Blender's cardio and total body strength workouts, so be sure to incorporate those throughout the week as well.