Barbell Exercises For Abs
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Barbell Exercises For Abs - Fitness & Workouts

Barbell Exercises For Abs

Five Barbell Moves That Will Completely Torch Your Abs

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The calendar has turned to February, and you’re making an honest effort to get your butt to the gym on the regular.

But your favourite Nirvana t-shirt is still so snug, it exposes your holiday belly bulge to the world.

You’re determined to lose the stubborn fat before spring, but Google told you it takes an endless diet of side-bends and sit-ups. You have that Sir Mix-A-Lot song stuck in your head, but your abs aren’t any closer to reality.

Listen up. Ditch the BOSU ball, Ab Cruncher 3000 and ankle weights and pick up a barbell instead.

You’re going to build brutally strong abs with barbell exercises instead.

In a few focused sets, you can be on your way to a stronger core, better posture, and a leaner midsection.

Related: Your 101 Guide For Building Six-Pack Abs

The Landmine Rainbow

If you don’t have a landmine attachment, just place a folded-up towel in the corner of a wall and wedge one end of a barbell there. Avoid leaning right against drywall or you may have a reno project on your hands soon after.

With a landmine rainbow, you attack your core by moving your arms in an arc while keeping your spine and ribcage stable.

Single-Arm Landmine Press

Overhead presses are an underrated exercise that force your abs to work through the duration of the set. When the weight is fully extended overhead, your core must brace hard to stabilize your entire torso. Keep your feet neutral (not staggered) facing the landmine and drive the barbell overhead.

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Barbell Overhead Carry

The overhead carry is a challenging exercise that comes with multiple benefits, with improved conditioning and core strength among them.

Hold a barbell overhead with your elbows locked. Don’t let your lower back arch to any great degree. Push up on the bar the entire time as you walk forward at a pace you set, with your core braced and your posture upright and controlled.

Barbell Rollout

With this exercise, the further you extend, the more tension you place on your abs. It’s comparable to an ab wheel but the tension tends to be heightened with the weights further away from the core of your body, off to the sides.

Get on your knees and grab a barbell with 25-lb or 45-lb plates attached on either end. Smaller plates increase the level of difficulty as you’ll need to drop lower at full extension, but using more weight also challenges you further. Push your hips forward, keep your arms straight, and extend the weight as far as you can without letting your ribcage flare out or your lower back dip. Squeeze your butt and back tight so there’s no “sag” throughout.

Barbell Straight Leg Sit-Up

This is a next level sit-up that keeps your spine in a healthy position throughout.

Lie on your back with your legs straight, holding a barbell overhead with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Use it without weight until you get the hang of it (or stick to a higher rep range and avoid adding weight entirely).

Keep your arms straight, keep your chest out, and lift your torso until you’re sitting straight up. Keep your legs extended throughout and do not let your back round forward.

Related: 13 Foods You Need For Washboard Abs

Related: Considering A Pre-Workout Supplement? Read This First.

Barbell Ab Circuit

Instructions: Do each exercise timed for one minute and then move to the next,.

Barbell Landmine Rainbow

(Called Tight Twists in the video) This exercise requires that you maintain a tight core as you twist your arms close to your body from left to right. As the video shows, you want to resist following the momentum of the bar throughout and brace your core hard against that momentum.  

Plank Lateral Rollout

This is unique from conventional barbell roll outs. Instead of out in front of you, try rolling the bar out as far as you can to one side while holding a plank position. Perform this exercise alternating back and forth from right to left.

Plank Heave

This exercise is much tougher than it looks. In order to pull the barbell off the ground, you have to really stabilize your abs and generate enough force. During the transfer, your core must stabilize in a three-point plank position, which will put extra demand on those already fried abs of yours as the minute seems to last forever.

Push Away Press

Much like the single arm landmine press defined above, this is a shoulder focused exercise that really blasts your core… with an additional twist. Literally. As the video shows, if you twist your torso on the concentric portion of the press, you immediately place a high demand on your side obliques.

Bonus: Rack Pulls

Rack Pulls aren't your traditional ab exercise– they're designed to hit the back hard. But, your abs will take a beating if you're using heavy weight, preventing you from falling forward and losing momentum on the way up.

Bonus 2: Breathing Tip

Inhale deeply before starting any exercise, and then, as you perform the rep, exhale hard. This forces your abs to contract when it matters most.

Mitch Calvert is a transformation coach for men like his former self, with worse genetics than Chris Farley. Yes, the chubby dude from Tommy Boy. Get Mitch’s free Mansformation Cheat Sheet to simplify your diet and start shedding that stubborn belly fat. Warning: You may need to invest in a new belt as your waist shrinks.