Stop Doing Crunches. Start Training Like You Want Abs.

Stop wasting time chasing abs with high-rep crunches and cable twists. If you're serious about building a six-pack that actually shows—and works—the secret isn’t on the floor. It’s under the bar, and it’s on the pull-up rig.

Main Content:
My core training isn’t separate from my leg day—it is my leg day. The foundation? Three essential lifts: front squats, back squats, and hex bar deadlifts. These aren’t just leg builders. They’re total-body movements that force your abs to brace hard under serious load.

Let’s break them down:

• Front Squats
  Front squats hit your quads, sure—but they’re also brutal on your core. Holding the bar up front demands an upright torso. Your abs are working overtime just to keep you from collapsing forward. You want deep core activation? This is it.

• Back Squats
  Heavy back squats train everything from glutes to traps, but your core is the hinge that holds it together. A loose midsection means sloppy form and higher injury risk. That tight brace under load? That’s core work done right.

• Hex Bar Deadlifts
  The trap bar deadlift is a full-body powerhouse. It’s more joint-friendly than conventional deadlifts, but still hits the posterior chain hard—and your core even harder. You have to lock in from the ground up. No slack, no leaks, just raw tension.

These three lifts are non-negotiable in my program. They build strength. They reveal muscle. They burn fat. But I don’t stop there.

Finisher: Hanging Leg Raises to the Bar
After squats and pulls, I finish every session with hanging leg raises to the bar. Controlled, strict, and brutally effective. Unlike floor-based ab work, this movement challenges your entire trunk—especially the lower abs—through a full range of motion. It also forces your grip, shoulders, and lats to stay engaged, making it a total-body movement with a core focus.

You can’t cheat your way through these. Every rep demands control, stability, and tension. Done right, they torch your abs and build serious body control.

Wrap-Up:
This combo—heavy compound lifts plus controlled hanging core work—builds abs that aren’t just for show. They’re built for strength, posture, and performance. You’re not training to look fit. You’re training to be strong.

Ditch the fluff. Cut the circuits. Build your core under the bar and finish hanging from it.

Train hard. Train smart. Squat, pull, and raise.