Everyone wants a six-pack and, thankfully, there are more effective ways to build one than endless reps of overfamiliar moves. The gladiator get-up is one of them – a core exercise that also builds total-body strength.

It’s an evolution of the Turkish get-up, in which you stand from a lying position with a weight overhead. Here, however, you shift into a straight-arm side plank, then lift your top leg. ‘You’re building abs that look great, but you’re building lateral stability too,’ says PT Andy Speer. That carries over to your bigger lifts.

Pause at each step to increase time under tension. Set a timer for 10 minutes and alternate sides until time’s up – a 10kg dumbbell should do the job. Done regularly, this move will build functional strength alongside stronger, more defined abs. To paraphrase Maximus: what we do in the gym echoes in eternity.

How to Do the Gladiator Get-Up

1/ Press to Start

Lie on the floor, holding a dumbbell in your left hand above your chest, with your left leg bent. Press the weight up while propping your torso onto your right elbow.

2/ Sit-Up Straight

Lift yourself higher, straightening your right arm so your palm is flat on the floor. Keep your eyes fixed on the weight throughout.

3/ Engage Thrusters

Lift your hips off the ground, squeezing your glutes. Push through your right arm, keeping it at 90 degrees to the floor. Drive the weight up, then rotate your hips and torso until you’re in a right-side plank.

4/ Star Man

Your arms should be in line, perpendicular to the floor, balancing the dumbbell. Slowly lift your left leg, keeping it straight. Hold for 10 seconds, then reverse the movement and switch sides.