Can a barbell be the key to abs of steel?

The summer is right around the corner and as such that means getting your beach body in order. When it comes to hitting the beach we’d believe that most people are concerned mostly with one thing: taking off their shirt with confidence. Sure, you don’t want to head out to the beach or walk the street with some underwhelming wheels, but let’s face it, if you have some decent legs but a below average upperbody chances are your negative points will be getting more negative attention.

When it comes to having a built upper body, strong arms and a chiseled chest is paramount. But none of it can come together in the right package without having shredded abs. Besides having the right diet, it’s essential to build adequate muscles for your abs to show after shredding body fat. It’s certainly the hallmark of a ripped physique and as such you want to make sure your abs are in tip top condition. Check out some of these exercises to get the iron abs you crave all with the use of a barbell.

Barbell Rollout

We’re sure you’ve seen the ab wheel before, and it can be damn good tool for your workout, but if your gym is missing one there’s a pretty good alternative you can utilize. The barbell rollout much like the ab wheel rollout focuses attention not only on your core but your arms as well. The big difference is that you have more options with the barbell. You can widen your grip or make it narrow to attack different parts of your midsection.

Barbell Russian Twists

This exercise is a true staple of many strength and conditioning programs. Besides bodybuilding he can build up some explosive strength in your core which could translate to greater strength gains in your lifts. This russian twist is performed standing and depending on your strength level, a decent amount of weight can be loaded onto the bar for greater resistance.

Front Squat

An all time classic exercise that is usually associated with leg day, front squats are multifaceted in their use. The front squat puts even more emphasis on the core than the average back squat and can be an invaluable tool to building bigger, stronger abs.

Straight Leg Barbell Sit Up

We’re all accustomed to the classic situp exercise, so much so that many look at it as a boring form of exercise. But things can get interesting once you add a barbell to the mix. By lift a barbell while sitting up you can not only work on your core and explosive strength, but also give your shoulders and upper chest a pretty good workout as well.

What do you think of these abs exercises? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.