Natural Bodybuilders Agree: This Underrated Core Exercise Is the Secret to Finally Getting a Six-Pack
Natural Bodybuilders Agree: This Underrated Core Exercise Is the Secret to Finally Getting a Six-Pack originally appeared on Men's Fitness.
Direct ab training sometimes gets a bad reputation. Some lifters argue that compound lifts already hit the core hard enough, while others swear by targeted exercises to make their six-pack finally pop.
But in a recent Reddit thread, natural bodybuilders shared the one exercise for direct ab training that they think is superior: weighted decline situps.
"Best ab exercises for long term progressive overload?" the original user asked in the post. "Been wanting to take my ab training more seriously but have been running into an issue regarding exercise selection. My issue comes down to the fact that a lot of ab exercises are difficult to add load and progressively overload over time."
The overwhelming response everyone in the thread seemed to agree on was weighted decline situps, calling them an S-tier exercise.One user shared a helpful progression.
For beginners just starting with the exercise, do the exercise without a weight. For novice level, hold the weight to your chest. If you're at a more intermediate level, hold the weight with straight, vertical arms.
More advanced variations can keep the weight held overhead or held in straight arms behind the body.
Retired bodybuilder Jay Cutler has also sworn by decline situps for making your abs pop.
"With the incline, you're allowing that stretch of the core and really get the contraction on your abs—the whole ab wall," Cutler said in a past video.
Opt for higher repetitions. To do decline situps, lie on a decline bench with your feet secured, then engage your core to sit up until your torso is upright, and slowly lower back down.Natural Bodybuilders Agree: This Underrated Core Exercise Is the Secret to Finally Getting a Six-Pack first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jun 13, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
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