The “Hour a Week” Ab Workout
Summary
Jeff Cavaliere of ATHLEANX presents a structured ab training protocol designed around frequency over duration. The routine runs 10 minutes per session, 6 days a week, totaling just one hour of ab work weekly. Two difficulty levels are provided so both beginners and advanced trainees can participate.
Key Points
- Frequency is more important than duration for ab training — abs respond best to regular, consistent stimulation rather than occasional long sessions
- The protocol is 6 days per week, 10 minutes per session, totaling one hour of weekly ab work
- Trainees choose any 5 exercises from a provided list of 8 each session, allowing variety throughout the week
- The timing structure is built-in progressive fatigue: Round 1 is 50 seconds on / 10 seconds off, Round 2 is 40 seconds on / 20 seconds off
- The extra rest in the second round is intentional — by that point, fatigue has accumulated and the reduced work interval maintains quality effort
- Two exercise tracks are available: an advanced set (follow Jeff) and a beginner-friendly set (follow Jessie), allowing anyone to scale appropriately
- The core philosophy is train hard OR train long — not both; high intensity in short sessions beats low-effort marathon workouts
Exercise Details
Advanced Track (8 exercises, choose 5)
- Figure 8
- Side Step Through
- Starfish Crunch
- Serratus Side Crunch
- Chainsaws
- Twisting Pistons
- V-Up Russian Twists
- Triple Crunch
Beginner Track (8 exercises, choose 5)
- Canoes
- Reverse Corkscrews
- Upper Circle Crunch
- Side Crunch
- X-Man Plank
- Heels to the Heavens
- Frog Crunches
- Pendulum Planks
Workout Structure
- Selection: Pick any 5 exercises per session
- Round 1: 50 seconds work / 10 seconds rest × 5 exercises
- Round 2: 40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest × 5 exercises
- Total time: ~10 minutes
- Goal: Complete all prescribed work intervals without stopping
Note: Exercise variety is encouraged — you do not need to use the same 5 exercises each day.