When a guy has a bodypart he wants to bring up, he does everything in his power to get the job done, right? New exercises, extended programs, added sets and workouts, unfamiliar approaches — any strategy he can incorporate to take that bodypart places it’s never been. But when was the last time you heard about a guy taking that approach with abs? Nearly every guy out there is looking to bring out his six-pack, but who’s willing to go the extra mile to get it?

This intense abs program will do just that because it demands more of you, but you’ve got to be willing to do what’s required. This isn’t some flighty, five-minute program guaranteeing abs in three weeks that you might read on the cover of some men’s fitness magazine. Rather, it’s an intermediate-term approach that consists of a 12-week program with two intense ab sessions per week — failure is mandatory and working in the burn zone is expected. And unlike some crunch-’til-you-puke philosophies, we’ll force you to recruit muscle fibers in various areas of your midsection you didn’t even know you had. This program is also decidedly more than an afterthought or an add-on at the end of your chest or back workout. You will train abs separately, focusing every bit of attention on these muscles and leaving nothing to chance. Each week will become progressively tougher as your strength improves as you add sets, weight and intensity to every set.

If there was ever a time to realize your abs’ full genetic potential, this is it. And as you progress through this program, take every caution to avoid the common pitfalls of get-lean dieting, which are also laid out for you — along with a sample meal plan — in the companion article, “Abs Nutrition.” If you’re serious about building your midsection, you’ve come to the right place.

ABS BOOTCAMP
This program is for bodybuilders who are serious about bringing up their abs, one reason it’s simply not tacked on to the end of another bodypart workout. You’ll focus on just abs twice a week, and really concentrate on making them stronger early in your ab workout then burning them toward the end. Twice a week for 12 weeks — just 24 workouts total (see “Focus on Abs Sample Workout Split”), but it’s higher in volume than you’re probably used to, with up to nine exercises each workout. But each ab workout, taken to the limit, will set a building block for the one that comes after. A lackluster effort in any given workout, not surprisingly, will produce lackluster results. So bring your A-game.

>> Exercises
 In this program you won’t find any movements you haven’t tried before. Various versions of crunches and twists are part and parcel of any abs-training regimen. But you’ll notice that the exercises prescribed are among the most challenging for each abdominal region in order to prevent lazy, robotic reps — abs detail on this program will be the result of max effort on tough exercises. Save the crunch marathon for the YMCA fitness class. The addition of core-specific strength moves, designed to trigger the various muscle fibers of your abs and obliques, introduce a pre-exhaust element that you’re probably unfamiliar with. This sets the stage for an even deeper, more productive burn when you move to your isolation work.

>> Order
 Once you get to your isolation moves, you’ll begin — always — with a lower-abs exercise. The reason is simple: it’s the most difficult region of the abs to train and is, consequently, most guys’ problem area. Targeting this region first will allow you to pour max effort into these exercises, helping you build a strong midsection from the bottom up. Next will be your upper abs (technically still a part of the rectus abdominis, just the upper region), where you’ll use added resistance to break out of comfort zones and challenge these muscles in different ways. Your obliques come last, not because they’re less important, but because the upper- and lower-abs moves require so much more effort.

>> Effort
 Each set, following a handful of core-specific strengthening exercises (see “Ripped to the Core”) is to be taken to failure. In some cases, this will mean adding weight or giving a deliberate, burn-inducing contraction at the top in order to make the exercise tougher to complete. By forcing your abs to work with more than your bodyweight, you’ll recruit more muscle fibers and make them work harder, the first step toward helping you to build those cavernous separations you desire.

NEXT: Shock and abs continued.

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