I am going to show you an example today of one of my favorite abdominal workouts that does not include any direct "abdominal exercises" at all. It’s in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises, similar to a mini-circuit).

Here it is:

1a. Mountain Climbers on Floor
1b. Front Squats with Barbell
1c. Renegade Dumbbell Rows

A good repetition scheme to use with this could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less repetitions, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 20-30 seconds) instead of for reps.

Mountain climbers are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.

Front squats are performed similar to back squats, however using the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body. This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you’ll feel this one in the abdominals big time!

Renegade dumbbell rows are performed starting in a pushup position with the hands on two dumbbells. You then row 1 dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during these types of rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area. Trust me… you’ll feel it in the abdominals!

After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise in the sequence. Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before repeating the sequence.

This will give you one of the best abdominal workouts you’ve ever had without even doing any direct abdominal exercises. You’ll see what I mean after you try it!

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