Cory Gregory's "Make Your Own Brick Soup" Ab Workout

Cory Gregory
Written By: Cory Gregory
July 22nd, 2015
Updated: June 13th, 2020
Categories: Workouts Ab Workouts
107.3K Reads
Cory Gregory's "Make Your Own Brick Soup" Ab Workout
Get the secret ingredients for "Brick Soup" with this killer 4-week program in which MusclePharm's Cory Gregory reveals what he does to build and maintain his rock-solid abs!
Workout Summary
  • Main Goal
    Build Muscle
  • Workout Type
    Single Muscle Group
  • Training Level
    Beginner
  • Program Duration4 weeks
  • Days Per Week
    4
  • Time Per Workout15-30 minutes
  • Equipment Required
    Bodyweight, Other
  • Target Gender Male & Female
  • Workout PDF Download Workout

Workout Description

Often times when I’m dieting and in the midst of getting really lean, people will ask me what I had for a certain meal.

My response? “Brick soup.”

The person will then get that confused look on their face and I’ll lift up my shirt and show them my abs, because when I’m lean that means thick, detailed abs, hence the term “brick soup.”

Now that you’ve had a chance to enjoy my diet humor, I’m here to tell you how to get your own “brick soup abs,” which in essence means achieving a mid-section that will truly stand out when you get ripped.

The 2 Crucial Moves For Shredded Abs

To be honest, the process doesn’t include a variety of strange ab exercises from a bunch of weird angles with a host of methods. It’s actually so simple as far as execution that there’s no reason for you not to do it.

In fact, it comes down to these two moves: Weighted Crunches and Ab Wheels.

That’s right, you can build thick, muscular, ripped abs with just those two moves.

How do I know it can be done? Well, those are the two I relied on whenever I got ready for shoots and shows, and they paid off big-time.

I’ve added some things like toes to bar and other movements over the years, but these are the two exercises I’ve always relied on to get my abs and midsection cover-ready.

The ab wheels really helped get my abs thick, and to be honest I think the weighted crunches almost gave my abs a brick look when I’m lean.

So basically, they're your two moves for bricked-out abs.

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What I presented below is a four-week plan where you’re doing these 4-5 times per week and building up the reps each week, giving you a great opportunity to get stronger and noticeably leaner abs in a month.

Obviously diet also plays a big part, but if that’s in check you can see some impressive results with this simple plan in one month.

As an aside, make sure you’re working your lower back with some sort of back extension, good morning or banded good morning to even out your work. I have a powerlifting background of a lot of squats, deadlifts, GHD and back extensions, so my lower back is constantly getting a lot of work.

If it doesn’t, doing all this ab work can really create a lower back weakness and it will affect you. Eliminate that with squats and deadlifts, and then throw in some back extensions and banded good mornings as well. I put a quick plan for those below in the program.

As for the “brick soup” moves, really concentrate on working your abs. My mindset when doing these is to literally give my abs a massive pump like when I’m trying to pump up my bicep. I want to pump so much blood in there and get those ab grooves so deep my fingers disappear in them. That’s my motivation and it should be yours.

Executing The Exercises Properly

With ab wheels, you need to be set up with the proper angle, like I display in the video.

Keeping your feet up and on something with weighted crunches really helps you isolate your abs much better. Again, check out the video for what I suggest.

But overall, just focus on the movements and getting an incredible pump each time in your abs. Before you know it, you’ll have your own “Brick Soup” recipe.

4-Week Brick Soup Ab Program

Do this 4-5 days per week

WEEK 1 Sets Reps
Ab Wheels or Barbell Rollout 1 50
Weighted Crunch* 1 100
* Note: You can break these up however you like, but 4x25 would be the most ideal. You can also start with lighter weight like 10-lb. but the goal is to work up to 25 lbs. throughout this plan.
WEEK 2 Sets Reps
Ab Wheels or Barbell Rollout 1 75
Weighted Crunch 1 150
WEEK 3 Sets Reps
Ab Wheels or Barbell Rollout 1 100
Weighted Crunch 1 200
WEEK 4 Sets Reps
Ab Wheels or Barbell Rollout 1 100
Weighted Crunch* 1 250
* Note: This is the level where I’m at most of the time when I’m getting ready for shoots. If you can do sets of 50-60 with the weighted crunches, you’re going to see results.

One Final Thing

Note: Make sure to do some lower back movements to equal out all the ab work throughout the week. My suggestion is 4 sets of 20 on back extensions 2-3 times per week. If you can’t do that, even something like supermans or banded good mornings for 4 sets of 15-20 reps a few times per week will make a big difference.

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8 Comments
Bill
Posted on: Mon, 05/08/2023 - 09:30

Does this routine target the lower abs as well specifically the third row of muscles? I am starting week3. The top two rows are popping out nicely. But, the third row doesn’t seem to be developing as well. Am I doing the exercises wrong or do I need to add leg raises or something? Or do I just need to trim more fat off?
I am really controlling the diet as well.

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Roger
Posted on: Thu, 05/11/2023 - 06:48

It does target the lower abs. The entire ab area is actually working regardless of the exercise you're doing. It's just that some areas may be contracting harder than others. That said, if you want to add lying leg raises, go for it.

Another point to share. That last area is usually the first place excess fat is stored. So, that will be the last place it goes. Stay consistent and it will eventually decrease so you can see that third row.

Bill
Posted on: Sat, 05/13/2023 - 11:27

Ah, turns out, I think I have a 4-pack abdominal structure similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger not a 6-pack structure. Guess no amount of ab work is going to get me the quintessential “6-pack” look….

Kerri
Posted on: Sun, 06/07/2020 - 12:42

I don't have a 25lb plate on 10lb plate . Would it just be ok to use just a 10lb plate

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Daniel
Posted on: Mon, 06/08/2020 - 12:44

Sure! Work with what you have.

Charles
Posted on: Sat, 11/07/2015 - 09:39

Hello.I am kind of confuse I see that there is only one set per excercise. Do you perform all the reps at once or do you break up the reps into sets.?

Nathan
Posted on: Thu, 07/23/2015 - 09:26

You say to do and 4-5 a week but shouldn't there be a a day in between working abs. I thought we shouldn't over work a body part. Can you put an example of a week schedule on when to do it?

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MikeWines
Posted on: Fri, 07/24/2015 - 09:27

It depends upon the volume of the workout really. If you're just hitting 3-4 sets for abs then you likely won't be that sore the next day. However, in this case you're doing a good bit of volume so it really will depend on your individual recovery capabilities. Try it out and if you find your ab soreness limits subsequent power production in other workouts then you might need to scale back slightly or just a day of ab work to allow for a bit more recovery.