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The Workout Music Friday Five-Pack, V30 — Drake, Audien, Lady Antebellum, and Tove Lo[G]et amped. Every Friday we're dropping a five-pack of heart-thumping, blood-pumping workout songs to build out your playlist, hardwire a little energy into your workouts, and kickstart the... -
[WOTM, 08/2015] Chisel Out Your Abs With The Oblique Obliterator Workout Gauntlet[C]hip, chip, chip away. When people think of gorgeous, tight, lickable abs, the six-pack muscles (aka the rectus abdominis) immediately jump into mind. They're glamorized by every Hollywood... -
Olivia Munn Is An Absolute BEAST In Combat Training Video For X-Men: Apocalypse [Video]A video posted by Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) on Aug 1, 2015 at 11:15am PDT [Y]ou should be VERY, very scared of Olivia Munn. At least while she's training for her role as Psylocke—a... -
The Coke Effect: What Happens In Your Body After Chugging A Can Of Coke [Infographic][P]ssssssssh, how bad can an itty, bitty 140 calories really be? Not that it's mind-blowing whatsoever—we've been hating on soda hardcore for years—but if that 140 comes straight from a... -
The Workout Music Friday Five-Pack, V29 — Kaskade, Meek Mill, Major Lazer, & Martin Garrix[G]et amped. Every Friday we're dropping a five-pack of heart-thumping, blood-pumping workout songs to build out your playlist, hardwire a little energy into your workouts, and kickstart the... -
Upgrade Your Lettuce Game — Boost Your Nutrient Intake 3000% With This Two Second Salad HackImage: Epicurious [W]hat if we told you one mindless—and laughably easy—nutrition hack could boost your vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C intake by over 3000%, and your potassium, calcium,... -
The Degree #GetMoving Challenge Week 4 — Push Yourself To Exhaustion With Crunch-Jump Rope Uber Supersets*This article originally appeared in Men's Health and was adapted for Lean It UP. [D]IPSET, DIPSET, DIPSET. We're halfway there. If you've been moving vigorously and maxing out over the... -
10 Naked World Class Athletes Dish On Body Image & Feeling Awesome In Your Own Skin [PHOTOS][O]ne size doesn't fit all. Want a little explosive inspiration to light up your week? Look no further than the lineup of world class athletes gracing the pages—completely au naturel—of... -
The Degree #GetMoving Challenge Week 2 — MAX OUT Your Body With Explosive Lunges, Push Ups, & Squats*This article originally appeared in Men's Health and was adapted for Lean It UP. [A]aaaaaaaaaaaand we're off. After a relatively simple week one—walk 12,500 steps/day—the Degree... -
[WOTM, 07/2015] SHRED UP Your Body Outdoors With The Bodyweight Hyperburner Workout Circuit[G]ET OUTSIDE. We adore the gym and love crushing weights just as much as anyone. It's basically a second home. But let's get serious for a second — it's July and it's GORGEOUS outside.... -
Washington Nationals' OF Bryce Harper Is Straight SHREDDED In ESPN's 2015 Body IssueImage: ESPN “You’re growing up and you go, ‘I want to be on the front of a Wheaties box, I want to be on the front of a Topps card, you want to be on the Body Issue” —... -
The Workout Music Friday Five-Pack, V28 — Flo Rida, Drake, Afrojack, & Dillon Francis[G]et amped. Every Friday we're dropping a five-pack of heart-thumping, blood-pumping workout songs to build out your playlist, hardwire a little energy into your workouts, and kickstart the...
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[Workout Plans] Hammer Away At Your Core And Chisel Out Definition With The Jackhammer Abs Workout
Image: Muscle and Fitness
SMASH. SMASH. SMASH.
Hulk smash your core, and carve out definition in the process, with the Jackhammer Abs Workout. It’s a high-powered gauntlet that moves vigorously and relentlessly assaults the abs from a variety of different angles. Using a number of weighted exercises and compounding supersets, it works synergistically to spark hypertrophy (size growth), draw out individual core muscles, and strengthen the entire region.
You’ll hit your core hard and fast, and light up your abs just as they start to sizzle with the slow, caustic burn of 1000 hells. And then you’ll push further into that burn. Because that’s how we roll. We like playing with fire.
Gradually, you’ll chisel out a sheath of dense, defined core musculature; as if you’re slowly sculpting out a rock-solid slab of Italian marble.
A few rules before you launch the workout:
- Weights are integral. Once your abs get stronger, add weight to up the difficulty. Challenge = growth and change.
- Rest 30s in between sets. Keep the pace up.
- Do the Jackhammer Abs Workout once every 3 days, max.
Blow up your belly. Legggggggggo.
*Click on each applicable exercise name for a full pop-out video demo. A printable recap is available here.
1. Weighted Cable Crunches
How To:
Protocol: 3 sets — 20 middle/10 left/10 right
Target Muscle(s): Rectus Abdominis
- (1) Attach a triceps rope to a cable stack and set it to a high position. Set it to a weight that’s challenging, but lets you complete a full set.
- (2) Grab the rope and get on your knees. Sit back into your hips and pull the rope beside your head.
- (3) Powerfully contract your core, crunch your abs down towards the floor, and SQUEEZE the contraction. Your butt doesn’t move.
- (4) Slowly release and fully extend up. Repeat for 20 reps down the center, 15 left, and then 15 right. If you don’t have access to cables, use a resistance band instead.
2. Hanging Leg Raises
How To:
Protocol: 2 sets — 15 reps
Target Muscle(s): Lower Abs, Rectus Abdominis
- (1) Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands at shoulder-width.
- (2) While keeping your back straight, contract your lower abs and slowly raise your legs until they’re parallel with the floor. Do not swing, rock, or use momentum and keep your legs straight.
- (3) Slowly lower down to the bottom and repeat for 15 reps
If Hanging Leg Raises are too difficult at first, replace with
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3. [SUPERSET] Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches + Swiss Ball Jackknives
How To:
Protocol: 2 supersets — 25 reps + 15 reps
Target Muscle(s): Rectus Abdominis, Lower Abs
- (1) Do 25 Swiss Ball Weighted Crunches. Place your lower back on top of a ball and hold a light weight behind your head. Powerfully crunch up and squeeze the contraction at the top.
- (2) Immediately do 15 Swiss Ball Jackknives. Place your feet on a ball and extend into push up position. Without arching your back, powerfully contract your lower abs and pull the ball into your stomach.
4. [SUPERSET] Ab V-Ups + Ab Flutter Kicks
How To:
Protocol: 2 supersets — 25 reps + 60 seconds
Target Muscle(s): Lower Abs, Rectus Abdominis
- (1) Do 25 Ab V-Ups. Maintain a straight back and legs, and try to touch your toes at the top. Lower all the way down to the floor.
- (2) Immediately lie flat and do Ab Flutter Kicks for 60 seconds. Place your hands under your butt for support, squeeze your abs, and slowly raise your feet up and down. Raise roughly 6″ - 1 foot off the ground — the movement should be short and controlled.
5. [SUPERSET] 1-Arm Planks + Plank Cross Knee Tucks
How To:
Protocol: 2 supersets — 30 seconds/arm + 10/side
Target Muscle(s): Transverse Abdominis, Rectus Abdominis, Obliques
- (1) Do 1-Arm Planks for 30 seconds/arm. Stay as flat as possible and extend your arm out.
- (2) Immediately move into push up position and do 10 Plank Cross Knee Tucks per side. Bring your knee across your body and try to touch the opposite elbow. SQEEEEEZE the contraction on the way in.
6. [SUPERSET] Cable Woodchoppers + Russian Twists
How To:
Protocol: 2 sets — 15 side + 40 reps
Target Muscles: Obliques
- (1) Do 15 Cable Woodchoppers per side. Place the cable so that it’s in-line with the top of your stomach (lower than pictured).
- (2) Immediately sit on your butt, grab a weight, and do 40 Russian Twists. Maintain a flat back, twist, and tap the weight against the ground on either side.
Pages: Workout Instructions | Printable Recap
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Bryan DiSanto
Owner & Editor-in-Chief at Lean It UP
Bryan DiSanto is the Owner & Editor-in-Chief of Lean It UP, a culinary student at Le Cordon Bleu – Paris, an ACE-CPT & CSN, NYU graduate, ex-fat kid, and all-around fitness/nutrition nutjob.
He also contributes to Men's Health Magazine.
When he’s not working on his (or somebody else’s) abs, whipping up Eggocados, or running a Tough Mudder, he’s probably off yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.
He also contributes to Men's Health Magazine.
When he’s not working on his (or somebody else’s) abs, whipping up Eggocados, or running a Tough Mudder, he’s probably off yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.
Latest posts by Bryan DiSanto (see all)
- The Workout Music Friday Five-Pack, V30 — Drake, Audien, Lady Antebellum, and Tove Lo - August 14, 2015
- [WOTM, 08/2015] Chisel Out Your Abs With The Oblique Obliterator Workout Gauntlet - August 13, 2015
- Olivia Munn Is An Absolute BEAST In Combat Training Video For X-Men: Apocalypse [Video] - August 3, 2015
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