Best Ab Workout for the Summer

Summer is just around the corner, and that means it’s almost beach season!

As such, it’s time to start shedding the winter blubber, chiseling away the fat, and tightening the midsection.

And, you’re in luck as we’ve got the just the thing you need to get ripped and ready for the sun -- the best ab workout for the summer!

Use these exercises in combination with a tight diet, exercise, and supplementation regimen, and you’ll be looking leaner and more muscular than ever!

The Best Ab Exercises for Summer

Hanging Leg Raises

One of the best ab exercises for summer is also one of the hardest ab exercises...at least if you perform them correctly, and not like so many of the fitness “influencers” you see on social media.

Make sure to concentrate on using your abs and hip flexors to raise and lower your legs. Avoid swinging, swaying, or using momentum. Additionally, keep your shoulders packed to help protect them during this exercise.

If the full hanging leg raise is too difficult, you can perform a bent-leg version and then as you gain core and grip strength, you can progress to the full hanging leg raise.

Cable Crunch

One of the main reasons that individuals struggle to see increased definition in their abs and core is that they rely solely on high-rep bodyweight ab exercises. Make no mistake, bodyweight movements have their place in an ab workout, but (just like every other muscle group) the abs need to be trained with progressive overload.

The cable crunch offers a safe and easy way to increase tension on the abs without stressing the lower back or neck -- the same of which can’t be said for many other ab exercises.

Ab Wheel Roll Out

The ab wheel is one of the cheapest pieces of gym equipment you’ll ever buy, and it’s also one of the most effective tools as well. EMG studies indicate that the ab wheel is equally as effective as hanging leg raises at activating the abs.[1]

Part of what makes the ab wheel roll out so effective is that it accentuates the eccentric phase, which is the portion of the lift that offers the most muscle-building “bang” for your exercise “buck.”

Weighted Russian Twist

Last, but not least, we include an exercise to really hammer the obliques -- the weighted Russian twist.

By adding a medicine ball, not only are you hammering the obliques during the twist, you’re also recruiting the upper abs as they are forced to isometrically contract to keep your truck stable as you rotate from side to side.

The Best Ab Workout For Summer

Perform the following exercises in series with little-to-no rest between exercises.

After completing the series, rest 1-2 minutes and then repeat 2-4 more times for a total of 3-5 ab circuits

Hanging Leg Raises: 10-15 reps
Cable Crunch: 12 reps
Ab Wheel Roll Out: 10 reps
Weighted Russian Twist: 10 reps / side

Can Supplements Help Me Get Abs by Summer?

In line with a proper diet and training program, supplements may help you to lose fat faster and get the tight and toned midsection that you’ve always wanted.

But, make no mistake, without hard training and a dialed-in nutrition plan, no supplement on earth (or anywhere else) is going to help you achieve the physique you want.

All that being said, if you’re looking to accelerate your results (provided everything else is in order), supplements can help burn off that extra goo faster.

Performax Labs has created the ultimate feel-good fat burner in OxyMax.

OxyMax contains a transparently-dosed blend of research-backed ingredients at efficacious doses to help increase energy & motivation, boost metabolism, and suppress appetite.

References

Escamilla RF, Babb E, DeWitt R, Jew P, Kelleher P, Burnham T, Busch J, D'Anna K, Mowbray R, Imamura RT. Electromyographic analysis of traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises: implications for rehabilitation and training. Phys Ther. 2006 May;86(5):656-71. PMID: 16649890.