Video credit: these exercise demos are not mine — shared with thanks to the creators who made them.
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Goal of this session
This workout targets the deep stabilizers and obliques — the muscles directly under trunk fat. Move with intention, not speed. Slow reps with full control burn more and build more than fast, sloppy ones.
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Rest between sets — 30–45 seconds
Core muscles recover quickly. Short rest keeps intensity high and heart rate elevated, which helps with trunk fat mobilization. If an exercise is truly hard, take 60 seconds.
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Rep range & progression — 5–10 reps, 5 sets
Work each exercise for 5 sets in the 5–10 rep range. Once you can complete all 5 sets at 10 reps with good form, it's time to raise the weight. The last set of each exercise should be a true system fail — push it until you can't complete another rep with good form.
Cardio Warm-Up
Treadmill
10 min cardio warm-up — raises heart rate and loosens hips and calves before core work
10 min
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Warm-Up
Cam Dance (Boxing Footwork)
Full-body warm-up — calves, quads, shoulders, core; raises heart rate and primes footwork coordination before lifting
Set cable HIGH (above shoulder height). Stand sideways, feet wider than shoulders
Grab the handle with both hands, arms extended — start position is up and across your body
Pull the cable DOWN and ACROSS your body toward your opposite hip in a chopping motion
Pivot your back foot as you rotate — the movement is through the trunk, not just the arms
Control the return — don't let the cable yank you back. The eccentric counts too
Do all reps on one side first, then switch the cable to the other side
Kneeling Cable Reverse Woodchop (Low to High)
Internal and external obliques, transverse abdominis — kneeling removes glute and leg drive so the abs do all the work; two-sided exercise, turn around and repeat on the other side
Lie on back, hands lightly behind head — fingers don't pull the neck
Bring one knee in while rotating the opposite elbow toward it — hold the twist 1 second
Switch sides slowly and deliberately. Each full rotation is one rep
Keep the lower back pressed into the floor throughout — same as dead bug
If your neck strains, look at the ceiling, not your knees. The work is in the trunk
Upper & Lower Abs
Crunch on Lat Pull Down
Rectus abdominis (upper) — seated crunch against cable resistance on the lat pulldown; weighted crunch creates progressive overload just like any other muscle, abs grow under load
Lie flat, hands palms-down under your glutes for low back support
Raise legs to 90° keeping them straight (or slightly bent if hamstrings are tight)
Lower slowly — STOP before your low back arches off the floor. That's your range
The lower abs are working hardest in the bottom half of the movement
If full leg raises are too hard, bend the knees — it shortens the lever and reduces demand
Decline Reverse Crunch
Rectus abdominis (lower) — the decline angle adds gravity resistance throughout the full range, making this a harder and more effective lower ab exercise than a flat-floor version
Set the decline bench to 30°–45°. Lie on your back with your head at the HIGH end, feet/legs toward the lower end
Grip the handles or top structure of the bench firmly — your upper body stays anchored the whole time
Start with legs extended or slightly bent, hanging at the low end
Curl your knees in toward your chest by contracting the lower abs — your hips should lift slightly off the bench at the top
Lower your legs back down slowly and with control — don't let them drop or swing
The decline angle keeps your abs under tension even at the bottom, unlike the flat-floor version
Cable Kneeling Crunch
Rectus abdominis — rope on the high cable, kneeling crunch; loaded progressive overload on the abs with a different angle than the seated lat pulldown version
Stand holding one dumbbell at your side. Your free hand can rest on your hip or head
Bend directly sideways toward the dumbbell side, sliding it down your leg — no forward or backward lean
Then bend the opposite direction, letting the oblique on the weighted side do the work to pull you back up and beyond
Keep it slow and controlled — momentum defeats the purpose
Complete all reps on one side, then switch the dumbbell to the other hand and repeat
Dumbbell Suitcase Carry
Obliques, deep stabilizers (QL, transverse abdominis) — anti-lateral-flexion carry; the abs work hardest by resisting the lean, not causing it. Two-sided — carry on the right, walk back carrying on the left