A Professional Trainer Reveals His No-Equipment 6-Pack Abs Workout.

If you want to obtain a six-pack, you'll need to put in a lot of effort and stick to a strict diet—but according to Jeremy Ethier, fitness trainer and CEO of Built with Science, you can efficiently train your abs without lifting a weight. Ethier presents his four-move, no-equipment ab circuit workout in his latest YouTube video, which he claims is tough enough to do at home for actual results.

He begins by addressing three significant concerns that arise frequently in bodyweight ab workouts. To avoid physical imbalances, Ethier recommends hitting all four portions of your abdomen and avoiding a routine that favors one region over the others. He also points out that most bodyweight workouts fail to gradually increase the difficulty of exercises in order to induce abdominal growth. To put it another way, there's no room for gradual overload. Finally, he claims that far too many bodyweight ab workouts focus on the hip flexors and lower back rather than the abs, therefore his routine addresses this issue as well.

Ethier claims that by addressing these three issues, you may make this workout even more effective for bodyweight ab training.

The 6-Pack Workout with No Equipment

Repeat for a total of three rounds, pausing for 15 seconds between each exercise. After each set, take a 2-minute break.

Walkouts: 5 to 10 reps

Reverse Crunches: 10 to 25 reps

Crunches: 10 to 25 reps

Russian Twists: 1 minute continuously

Walkouts

This technique targets the TVA (transverse abdominis), which, according to Ethier, is the most underappreciated ab muscle. While utilizing an ab roller to hit this is a terrific option, this workout doesn't require any equipment. Walkouts, on the other hand, can produce a comparable effect.

To begin, get down on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. To stimulate your TVA, rotate your hips and contract your abs while drawing your belly button into your spine. Slowly walk your hands out, only as far as you can go without arching your back, then slowly walk your hands back.

Reverse Crunches

This exercise, which Ethier refers to as a "bottom-up exercise," targets the lower abs by raising your lower body upwards, similar to a leg raise.

To execute it, lie down on your back with your arms by your sides and your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Squeeze your glutes and contract your abs to begin your lower abs, flattening your back against the floor with a posterior pelvic tilt. Curl your pelvis up toward your belly button instead of elevating your legs. Avoid arching your lower back on the way down, and when you get to the bottom, keep it flat against the ground. Depending on how much you tuck your legs in or out, this might be either easier or more difficult.

Crunches

Crunches work your upper abs, and Ethier calls them a top-down workout because they bring the top half of your body down.

However, you should not simply flop down and bend up, as you may be accustomed to. Ethier recommends using a rolled-up towel to perform crunches that won't overwork your hip flexors. Begin by reclining back in a comfortable position with your knees bent and your hands behind your head. To enhance the range of motion in your abs, place the towel beneath your lower back. By flexing the spine, lift the shoulder blades off the ground and then lower them. To prevent using momentum, don't raise your chest all the way up to your knees, and don't yank your neck. Place your hands over your head to make the reps harder, or use a weight if you're willing to deviate from the no-gear routine.

Russian Twists

These impact the obliques, which are best addressed by motions that rotate the body, according to Ethier.

Ethier also warns that most individuals perform this exercise incorrectly. Angle your back to a 45-degree angle to conduct Russian twists more successfully. As you rotate your body, the goal is to touch either side of the ground with your hands, allowing your shoulders to govern your rotation. Concentrate on aligning your shoulder with your leg. (As you twist to the right, your left shoulder should line up with your left leg.)

To make this action more difficult, lift your feet off the ground slightly and reach out with your arms further and further to make your obliques work harder to support your body.

Ethier suggests doing the workout two to three times a week in addition to your other workouts. Most notably, he advises against sticking to the basic structure. As the actions become simpler, he recommends increasing the reps and incorporating the progressions he displays. You'll be able to apply progressive overload to encourage growth without increasing any weight in this manner.