Three-time Olympia Men’s Physique Champion, Ryan Terry is known for his consistent training and stellar physique year-round, but with less than ten weeks to go until the 2026 finals in Las Vegas, the British bodybuilding icon has shared how he takes his ab workouts to the next level.
“I’m starting an AM abs workout,” Terri explained with an Instagram Reel, demonstrating the plan for her 2.6 million followers. The reigning Olympia Men’s Physique titlist said this is traditionally the point at which he knows “things are getting serious,” as he works toward a fourth consecutive championship.
Ryan Terry’s Serious AM 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 knife – 4 sets of 15 to 20 reps
- Weighted Cable Crunches – 4 sets of 15 reps
Ryan Terry’s Tips for Building a Stage-Ready Midsection
Throughout this workout, Terry tasks himself with multiple sets of 10 to 15 reps, keeping himself in hypertrophy range with enough weight that he can perform “slow and controlled reps” rather than losing form.
To start, Terry uses the GHD (Glute Hamstring Developer) machine for his reverse crunches, as this allows him to bring the legs behind his body and force a deeper stretch in the negative, while completing the more intense contraction he seeks in 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 resorts to side oblique crunches to promote a defined appearance above the hips. The third-up was called the incline situp by Terry, but note that incline and decline are often used to describe the same exercise here. The point is that Terry was working up the bench instead of down, and while doing so he continued to sculpt his six pack.
Next came jack knives, otherwise known as V-situps. The champion demonstrated a variation of this move using a bench. This method increases the intensity as 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 creates a balanced midsection. If you find the bench a little more 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 appear if your food intake is letting you down.
“The real job isn’t to overtrain your abs. It’s to reduce overall body fat.” explained the champion In the previous post. “This means eating a little less than you burn and being patient with it. Not crash dieting. I’ve seen a lot of people lose weight fast, (including me in my early career) sacrifice muscle, then get back to 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 can do the same for you.
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