🏋️ 16 best ab exercises for strength and definition

For anyone wary of indulging in their favorite Halloween candy this year, just know that a pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups has almost as much protein as an egg. In short: trick or treating + bulking season = scary gains.

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Jamal Browner is one of the world's best deadlifters, and now he can lay claim to a feat that only a few people on Earth have ever matched.

Though she's not competing on the stage right now, bodybuilder Dana Linn Bailey is still killing it in the gym with this blistering shoulder workout.

Want to build a stronger core? We're cutting to the chase with this list of the 16 best ab exercises.

Powerlifting

Jamal Browner Makes Deadlift History

Jamal Browner has built a reputation for being one of strength sports' most proficient deadlifters, and his latest achievement is certainly one for the books.

During a training session late last week, Browner locked out a 500-kilogram (1,102-pound) raw deadlift. The successful pull makes Browner only the fourth known person to deadlift at least 500 kilograms raw from the floor while being recorded. For context, the others are former World's Strongest Man champions Eddie Hall and Hafthor Björnsson, along with Polish powerhouse Krzysztof Wierzbicki.

After a lift like this, Browner has earned his place among the all-time greats.

Bodybuilding

Dana Linn Bailey Chisels Her Shoulders

There's no denying Dana Linn Bailey's place in the pantheon of modern bodybuilding. And while the 2013 Women's Classic Physique Olympia winner isn't competing on stage at the moment, her training routine certainly hasn't slowed down.

Last month, Bailey shared a workout where coach Joe Bennett walked her through a rigorous shoulder and chest routine. From reverse cable flyes to incline hammer presses, it's everything you'd expect from a world-class bodybuilder.

Bailey hasn't alluded to any upcoming plans to return to the stage. But when we see her power through exercises like this, it's clear she still has what it takes to compete.

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Training Tips

A Playbook for Shredded Abs

There are a lot of ways to train your abs, but having so many different options can make it hard to find the right exercises to focus on. Well, we love breaking things down here at BarBend, so we're here to help you craft your core with a list of 16 of the best ab exercises for strength and definition.

In this list, you’ll find moves targeting all of your major core muscles: the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. From weighted planks and suitcase carries to sit-ups and ab rollouts, we're only highlighting the best of the best.

Everything Else

Eythór Ingólfsson Melsted's Time to Shine

• Icelandic strongman Eythór Ingólfsson Melsted will replace Evan Singleton as a member of the 2022 Rogue Invitational roster.

• Four-time Men's Physique Olympia champ Jeremy Buendia wants to compete again in 2023. Here's how the bodybuilder is bulking with his off-season diet.

• We all want a stronger, bigger back. To give you a foundation, we diagrammed 11 different lat pulldown variations.

Sound Off!

Core Questions

The Results Are In!

The Back Squat Reigns Supreme

In the September 23 edition of the BarBend newsletter, we asked about your favorite squat variation. Here are the results:

1. Back Squat (46%)

2. Front Squat (16%)

3. Sissy Squat (11%)

4. Zercher Squat (9%)

5. Goblet Squat (8%)

6. Hack Squat Machine (5%)

7. Other (5%)