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🏋️ blast your abs with these 10 kettlebell core exercises

🏋️ blast your abs with these 10 kettlebell core exercises

Jason Serafino
October 24, 2022

The city of Philadelphia greased up light poles to prevent Phillies fans from climbing them after the team clinched a World Series berth. It didn't work. What does work? The motivational fitness stories and workout tips below.

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CrossFit star Tia-Clair Toomey has kept us all in suspense about her future in the sport. Well, we finally have a firm answer on her 2023 CrossFit Games status.

Don’t know the name Zen McCollum? You’ll probably never forget it after watching the 22-year-old’s incredible 860-pound squat PR.

Are your ab workouts feeling a bit stodgy? Breathe new life into your core routine with the help of these kettlebell moves.

CrossFit

Tia Makes It Official

GIF: @CrossFit on Giphy

When the dust settled at the 2022 CrossFit Games in Madison, WI, there was a sense of déjà vu. Tia-Clair Toomey was standing atop the podium yet again — and not for the second or third time. No, it was her sixth consecutive victory at the Games, officially cementing her as the all-time winningest individual athlete to ever compete at the event.

Then came the inevitable next question: Would she try to make it seven in a row in 2023?

Well, after months of waiting, Toomey finally took to her YouTube channel to confirm that, yes, she will be back at the CrossFit Games next year to put her all-time wins record just a bit further out of reach for whatever poor soul tries to match it.

Read: Tia-Clair Toomey Confirms She Will Attempt to Win Her Seventh Consecutive CrossFit Games in 2023

Powerlifting

A Plate-Rattling PR for a 22-Year-Old

Image: @zen.the.piston on Instagram

At just 22 years old, powerlifter Zen McCollum may not be able to legally rent a car in the U.S. yet — but if he keeps up this pace in the gym, he might able to squat one pretty soon. Last week, McCollum posted a video on his Instagram showing off his latest PR: a 390-kilogram (860-pound) single-ply squat double during a training session.

After watching him hit his latest PR, it should come as no surprise that McCollum has already amassed quite a resume in his young career. He’s the reigning equipped Powerlifting America (AMP) National Champion in the 120-kilogram-plus weight class, and he’s also taken first in a number of USAPL meets since 2017. Here’s a quick look at his single-ply all-time competition bests:

Squat — 385 kilograms (848.7 pounds)
Bench Press — 275 kilograms (606.2 pounds)
Deadlift — 317.5 kilograms (699.9 pounds)
Total — 962.5 kilograms (2121.9 pounds)

From the looks of it, this young man is just gearing up for bigger and better things.

Read: 22-Year-Old Powerlifter Zen McCollum Destroys an 860-Pound Squat Double PR

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Training Tips

Add Some Kettle to Your Core

Image: Oleksboiko / Shutterstock

Kettlebells are among the most versatile equipment in any gym, but you might not realize how invaluable they can be to your ab routine. And a lot of their effectiveness has to do with their unique shape, which helps provide your core with certain stabilization challenges when doing specific movements.

To simplify the whole thing, we’re breaking down 10 exercises that build strength, stability, and definition in your abs (along with your other muscle groups). From Turkish getups to kettlebell situps, these moves will breathe new life into your routine.

Read: Blast Your Abs With the 10 Best Kettlebell Core Exercises