Ryan Reynolds' Trainer Reveals How to Get V-Cut Abs, the Most Coveted Fitness Benchmark

Any trained athlete knows if you want capped shoulders, a big chest, and massive arms, you have to train your upper body. If you want Ronnie Coleman-sized legs and glutes, you must train your lower body. But if you want the coveted V-cut abs, you'll have to not only build your abdominal muscles but lower your body fat percentage with a mix of cardio, HIIT workouts, and a clean diet.

We asked Don Saladino, C.P.T., owner of Drive 495—who's best known for being a personal trainer to none other than Ryan Reynolds—to share his favorite moves, plus a workout routine that's proven to define V-cut abs.

Even better: These abs exercises won't hurt your back while lighting up your lower abdominals. Do the first three moves as one workout or at the end of your regular full-body routine. Do the last three moves on a separate day, again as one cohesive workout or as a finisher to your regular routine.

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'V Lines' Workout: Day 1

1. Hanging Leg Raise

How to Do It

1. Hang from a pullup bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and palms facing forward, to start.

2. Raise your knees to your chest.

3. That's 1 rep.

4. Complete 3 AMRAP sets before reaching technical failure (bad form).

Pro Tip

To make it harder, keep your legs straight out in front of you as you raise them.

2. Cable Woodchop

How to Do It

1. Set an adjustable cable pulley to shoulder level (or attach a band to a sturdy object) and grasp the handle with both hands, to start.

2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended, far enough away from the machine so there’s tension on the cable.

3. Twist away from the machine as if you were chopping into a tree.

4. Keep your feet stationary.

5. Complete 3 sets of 15 reps, resting 20-30 seconds in between each set.

3. Barbell Russian Twist

How to Do It

1. Grab the barbell in front of you with both hands, feet shoulder-width apart, to start.

2. Swing the bar to your left, and then swing to the right.

3. That’s 1 rep.

4. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps, resting 20-30 seconds in between.

'V Lines' Workout: Day 2

1. Reverse Crunches

How to Do It

1. Lie on your back with arms, shoulders, and legs extended out off the floor, to start.

2. Bend your hips and knees toward your chest, and then crunch your torso up and off the floor.

3. Pause, then return to start.

4. That's 1 rep.

5. Complete 3 AMRAP sets before hitting technical failure (bad form).

2. Russian Twist

How to Do It

1. Start seated with legs straight in front and a medicine ball on your left side.

2. Brace your core, activate your glutes, and lean back slightly, bending knees and lifting legs off the floor to balance on your butt.

3. With your core tight, rotate entire torso counterclockwise to lift the medicine ball, then rotate clockwise and tap medicine ball on the floor next to your right hip. Continue rotating and tapping, right to left.

4. Do 12 reps per side.

3. Cable Crunches

How to Do It

1. Position yourself facing the machine, a few feet away, on both knees, to start.

2. Now grip the rope in front of you, and crunch your body in so your forearms come to your knees and your head meets the floor.

3. That's 1 rep.

4. Complete 3 sets of 15 reps, resting 20-30 seconds in between each set.

What Are V-Cut Abs?

If one thing action figures, Hollywood superheroes, and bodybuilders have in common it's their abs of steel, specifically the highly sought-after V lines that can be seen tapering down from their abs. That abdominal V line is one of the hardest parts of your abs to sculpt.

Even if you have six-pack abs, though, the V itself is very hard to sculpt for one simple reason—it’s not a muscle. “The V is formed by the inguinal ligaments,” says New York-based personal trainer Ryan George, “and that’s hard to build.” We all have inguinal ligaments, which originate from the hip and run into the pubic region, but most of us have a layer of fat covering it. “If you really want the V-cut to be prominent,” George says, “more important than anything is eating clean so you can achieve really low body fat.” Plus, you'll have to perform specific exercises that target your lower abs.

How to Get V-Cut Abs

Think a few sets of crunches will give you that desired V shape? Think again. While regularly training your abs can help you gain the muscle you need to obtain the desired shape, Saladino says: “You could be doing the greatest abs workout ever, and they'll never be seen because of the layer of fat over them." Like people always say "abs start in the kitchen."