Three-time Olympia Men’s Physique Champion, Ryan Terry is known for his consistent training and awesome year-round physique, but with under ten weeks to go until the 2026 final in Las Vegas, the British bodybuilding icon has shared how he takes his ab workouts to the next level.
“I’m introducing AM abs workouts,” explained Terry, alongside an Instagram reel that demonstrated the plan for his 2.6 million followers. The reigning Olympia Men’s Physique titlist said that this is traditionally the point at which he knows “things are getting serious,” as he works towards a fourth consecutive championship.
Ryan Terry’s Serious A.M. Ab Workout
- GHD Reverse Leg Crunches — 5 Sets of 10 to 12 Reps
- Side Oblique Crunches — 4 Sets of 10 to 12 Reps (each side)
- Incline Situps — 4 Sets of 15 to 20 Reps
- Jack Knives — 4 Sets of 15 to 20 Reps
- Weighed Cable Crunches — 4 Sets of 15 Reps
Ryan Terry’s Tips for Building a Stage-Ready Midsection
Throughout this workout, Terry taxes himself with multiple sets of 10 to 15 reps, putting himself in the range of hypertrophy with a decent enough weight that he can make “slow and controlled reps” with, rather than losing form.
To begin, Terry utilizes the GHD (Glute Hamstring Developer) machine for his reverse crunches, as this allows him to bring the legs behind his body and force a deep stretch in the negative, while completing a more intense contraction as he seeks out the crunch. Reverse crunches work the rectus abdominis for that six (or eight!) pack appearance and are also great for building core strength and stability.
To work all angles, Terry moved on to side oblique crunches to promote a defined appearance above the hip. Third-up was what Terry called inclined situps but note that incline and decline are often used to describe the same exercise here. The point is that Terry was working his way up the bench rather than down, and in doing so continued the sculpting of his six pack.
Next up came jack knives, otherwise known as V-Situps. The champ demonstrated a variation on this move by utilizing a bench. This method ups the intensity because it requires more stability and core strength than using the floor as a base. In addition to the abs, this exercise works the hip flexors and builds a balanced midsection. If you find the bench a little too advanced, use the floor until you feel comfortable enough to try the bench.
Terry’s multiple set, master ab workout can be adapted for beginners by reducing the number of sets, but the principle of exhausting the core remains the same. But of course, those abs will never show if your food intake is letting you down.
“The real job isn’t training your abs harder. It’s reducing overall body fat,” explained the champ in a previous post. “That means eating slightly less than you burn and being patient with it. Not crash dieting. I’ve seen too many people lose weight fast, (including me in my early career) sacrifice muscle, then end up right back where they started. Slow and steady isn’t exciting, but it works.”
This sustainable approach to nutrition and workouts has brought Ryan Terry tremendous success, and it could do the same for you.
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