The mastermind behind the new MH Summer Shred program shares his top core moves.
ARE YOU SPENDING your summer crunching away, trying to get visible abs for the remainder of the sunny season? You can pile up all the situp reps you want, but you won’t be much closer to the core muscle you’re training to build using just one type of movement.
You’ll need a smarter workout to achieve your six-pack goals, filled with moves that train some of the other functions of your core muscles. That’s exactly what trainer Korey Rowe, ACE, is offering with this smart series from his new Summer Shred workout program.
This simple workout offers you three exercises that take on different aspects of what your core can do. You’ll brace and flex your abs to build them up—while working against resistance to make them stronger, too. Give this routine a try to get shredded before the end of the summer.
The 3 Summer Shred Abs Exercises
Cable Crunch
Why: You’ll get shapelier (and stronger) abs when you add a load to your core workout. “I like this one because you can really load up and give your core a bit more resistance in spinal flexion,” says Rowe.
How to Do It:
- Kneel down on the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the ground in front of a cable tower. Hold the end of rope attachment on either side of your head at about ear-level.
- Flex your abs to hinge at the hips, pulling your elbows down to your knees.
- Pause briefly at the bottom, squeezing your abs hard.
- Raise back up slowly to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 15 reps
Hanging Leg Raise
Why: Not only is this exercise convenient—you can do it anywhere you can hang from a bar—but it’s also slightly different from grounded movements in that it targets the lower abs, as you flex your trunk to raise your legs.
How to Do It:
- Reach overhead to the bar and get a good grip, with your palms on top of the bar.
- Lift your feet off the floor to hang, squeezing your shoulder blades, abs, and glutes to create full-body tension.
- You can keep your knees slightly bent. Squeeze your abs to raise your legs, curling up and rounding your back to show your butt (this keeps the focus on your abs, not your hips).
- Lower back down under control to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps
Hollow Body Rock
Why: Rowe especially loves the hollow rock, since you’ll add an element of movement to your workout as you focus on bracing your core.
How to Do It:
- Start lying down on your back. Drive your lower back into the floor by flexing your abs, eliminating any space between yourself and the floor.
- Lift your feet about two inches off the floor. Continue squeezing your abs to drive your lower back into the ground.
- Lift your shoulder blades off the floor and extend your arms back behind you. Contract your abs to hold your rib cage in.
- Hold this position, continuing to squeeze your abs and glutes. Rock forward and backward, fighting to keep your posture on point.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
