Yoga-Block Ab Kickouts — Home Six-Pack Move

by @bullet_proofdad · Andrew · Bulletproof Dad · 4 exercises · 8fps GIFs
Source reel
💡 How to follow: Andrew (@bullet_proofdad) lost 85 lb and keeps one move in his home ab rotation: yoga-block kickouts. Squeezing the block forces the core to stay under tension through the whole range instead of letting you throw your legs around — the abs must brace while the hips move through extension. His rule: train core 3–4× a week, build it thicker, and it'll be there when you lean out. This card sequence is one working set: set up → kickout reps → the brace-and-extend finisher. Rep range is his general prescription (3–4 sessions/week), not a fixed rep count from the reel.
1

Setup — Block Squeezed, Knees Bent

Foundation
Setup — Block Squeezed, Knees Bent

Lie on your back, yoga block squeezed firmly between your feet, knees bent. The squeeze is the exercise — it starts before the first rep.

  1. Lie flat, block gripped between the feet/inner thighs
  2. Knees bent to start — this is the reset position between reps
  3. Squeeze the block hard enough that it would not fall if you stood up
  4. Lower back stays anchored to the floor
2

Kickouts — Legs Extend, Tension Holds

Main drill
Kickouts — Legs Extend, Tension Holds

Extend the legs out slowly while squeezing the block, then return. The block stops you throwing your legs around — the core does the moving.

  1. Extend the legs out and slightly overhead, block still squeezed
  2. Move slowly — speed lets the hip flexors steal the work
  3. Stop before the lower back arches off the floor
  4. Return to the bent-knee reset with control
3

Brace Through Extension

Harder
Brace Through Extension

The reason it works: the abs must brace while the body moves through extension. Hold the extended position a beat before returning to light up the whole trunk.

  1. Abs brace isometrically while the hips travel through extension
  2. Pause a beat in the extended position
  3. Whole trunk works — not just the front of the abs
  4. Exhale on the return
4

The Prescription — 3–4× per Week

Prescription
The Prescription — 3–4× per Week

This is a keep-in-rotation move, not a one-off: core work 3–4 times a week, build the abs thicker, and they're waiting when you lean out.

  1. Train core 3–4 times per week
  2. Work in the 8–15 rep range per set (guide's default; the reel prescribes frequency, not reps)
  3. Get lean — then you'll actually have something to show
  4. Consistency over equipment: no gym needed

Why this works

The block is the coach. Squeezing it forces continuous core tension — the failure mode it prevents is throwing your legs around with the hip flexors while the abs guest-star.

Bracing through extension builds a trunk, not just a six-pack. The abs stabilize the spine while the body moves through extension — strength that transfers into everything else you do.

Frequency beats novelty. One move, kept in rotation 3–4× a week, outbuilds a different ab exercise every session.