“What’s really, really amazing about Ab Ripper X is that it gives people the opportunity to get the best, most ripped abdominal area they’ve ever had in their lives…I hate it but I love it.”–Tony Horton

Is Ab Ripper X going to give you the ‘most ripped abdominal area’ you’ve had in your life?  Maybe.

But I’ve never seen your abs, so don’t hold me to that.

Remember Ab Ripper X is one of the routines in Beachbody’s P90X series:

There are no traditional crunches or plank work in Ab Ripper X.

Every exercise is done on the floor (on your backside).

Is this an effective ab workout?

Yes.

Is P90X worth buying because of workouts like Ab Ripper X?  Yep.

*In case you’re wondering, my favorite P90X programs in order:

1.P90X

2.P90x3

3.P90X2

And if you’d love to know exactly how all the Ab Ripper workouts compare then you’ll love this: Ab Rippers P90X, X2 and X3 (A Comparison of all 3 Ab Ripper Workouts)

Let me tell you what you need to know about Ab Ripper X…

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Instructor-Tony Horton

Category-Strength (Abs only)

Equipment–mat

Length-16 minutes

HRM-55 calories

Choreography-Simple

My rating-A

The Important Stuff about Ab Ripper X

Ab Ripper X is the ab routine from the original P90X Series. There are 11 moves done back to back.

There are 25 reps of the first 10 exercises, then 40-50 reps on the last move

There’s no stretch or warm-up in this program.  Tony starts with the first exercise right away.

If you don’t know what your hip flexors are, you will know by the time you get halfway through the second exercise

This routine is meant to be paired with one of the other P90X workouts. It’s a nice choice after a short run or other cardio program, as well.

Remember to read to the end of this post for links to a few places you can compare prices on the P90X series.

Want to know how this Ab Ripper compares to Ab Ripper X2 and X3?  Then check out The Real Differences Between the Ab Ripper Workouts.

Warm-Up

None

Main Workout (The Exercises in Ab Ripper X)

Here are the exercises:

In & Out Abs

Bicycles

25 in both directions (sitting on your bottom)

Crunchy Frog

Cross Leg/Wide Leg Sit-Up

Fifer Scissors

These are hard (You hold your legs in a split scissor position.  Tony calls out ‘Switch’ every few seconds and you scissor your legs so that the opposite leg is up in the air.)

My right hip makes a pop sound every time I switch legs which makes this my least favorite of the 11 exercises.

Make sure your lower back is pressed into the floor during this entire set.

Hip Rock & Raise

Pulse Ups (Heels to the Heavens)

V-up/Roll-up Combo

I can’t keep up with Tony and his team on this move.  This is the second hardest exercise in this program.

Tony demos exactly how to do this before you get started but I still feel like I’m always doing it wrong.

Oblique V-Ups

I think the oblique v-ups are the hardest exercise in Ab Ripper.  

Be happy if you can do 20 of these.

Leg Climbs

12 each leg

Mason Twist

40+ reps

Audra is a beast.  I usually quit way before my legs start trembling.  But she gets in every last rep.  My goal is to keep up with her.

Cool Down/Stretch

There’s a one minute cool down/stretch.

If you’re doing this workout after a run make sure you keep stretching beyond what’s done on this video.

Now What?

Ab Ripper X is a great ab workout to have as an add-on to any exercise program.

You can find Ab Ripper X by Beachbody (as part of the P90X series).  

This workout is also in the Member Library of a Beachbody on Demand (BOD) membership (it’s free for 30 days and the way I access all of the incredible Beachbody routines these days).

Read more about the BOD program in this article, Beachbody on Demand–5 Reasons to Give it a Try.