I hope the all caps "not" didn't come off to abrasive lol.
Influencers and trainers always say it though, "Abs are made in the kitchen." But that's just not true. All of us are born with abdominal muscles and just like any other muscle they require training. Generally, we put fat on in the midsection first, which is where diet comes into play.
So here, is what I believe to be the correct approach: "Abs are built by training. Revealed by diet." If you're just here for the ab workout you can skip ahead to two of my faves: Runners and Metronomes!
A few disclaimers:
Using big, complex exercises such as bent rows, deadlifts, and overhead presses as well as sprints are the best core exercises. Add in various forms of single arm farmers carries and you're in business.
Doing tons of crunches is a losing battle. Focus on getting stronger and eating a nutritious diet where the calories reflect your goal. Want to lose weight, eat less calories. Want to gain weight, eat more calories.
A lot of trainers now demonize direct ab work. I disagree. I do 50-100 reps of focused ab work at the end of each workout. It shouldn't be the focus of your workouts but I believe it still has a place. And lastly, if you enjoy core work, keep doing your thing!
Try these two core exercises below and check out my daily workout program!
Runners
Metronomes