Men’s Health

50 Best Abs Exercises That Pack a Six-Pack Punch

The finest ab workouts aren’t only for these looking for chiseled physiques. Anyone seeking to enhance their core strength can make the most of compound actions to maximise positive aspects. Learning the right way to interact your core is essential for shielding the backbone throughout on a regular basis actions, in addition to whereas engaged in bodily exercise.

We’ve highlighted 50 abs exercises you could combine and match to create an countless array of core workouts, together with recommended reps and sets.

Related: 15 HIIT Workouts to Get You Shredded Fast

The 50 Best Abs Workouts

1. Ab-Wheel Rollout

1. Ab Wheel RolloutHow to do it

  1. Kneel on the ground and maintain an ab wheel beneath your shoulders.
  2. Brace your abs and roll the wheel ahead till you are feeling you’re about to lose pressure in your core and your hips would possibly sag.
  3. Roll your self again to start.

Reps: Do as many reps as you may with excellent kind.

Sets: End the set whenever you assume you would possibly break kind.

2. Arms-High Partial Situp

How to do it

  1. Lie in your again, knees bent at 90 levels, and lift your arms straight overhead, conserving them pointing up all through the exercise.
  2. Sit up midway, then steadily return to the ground. That’s one rep.

Reps: 12-15

Sets: 3

Rest: 2-3 minutes between sets

3. Barbell Rollout

How to do it

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  1. Load the barbell with 10-pound plates and kneel on the ground behind it.
  2. Your shoulders must be over the bar.
  3. Brace your abs and roll the bar ahead, reaching in entrance of you till you are feeling your hips are about to sag.
  4. Roll your self again.

Reps: 8-10

Sets: 3

Rest: 1 minute between sets

Get the gear: Sunny Threaded Chrome Barbell; CAP Standard Barbell Grip Plate

4. Barbell Russian Twist

How to do it

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  1. Grasp the barbell close to the very finish once more—this time with each arms.
  2. Stand with ft at shoulder width.
  3. Swing the bar to your left, pivoting your ft as wanted, then swing to your proper.

Get the gear: Sunny Threaded Chrome Barbell

5. Swiss Ball Crunch

How to do it

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  1. Lie again on the Swiss ball with ft shoulder-width aside on the ground.
  2. Your decrease again must be supported by the ball.
  3. Place your arms behind your ears and tuck your chin.
  4. Curl your body up off the ball till you’re sitting up.

Get the gear: LuxFit Exercise Ball

6. Dip/Leg Raise Combo

How to do it

  1. Suspend your self over the parallel bars at a dip station.
  2. Bend your knees barely and lift your legs in entrance of you till they’re parallel to the ground.
  3. This will construct you a magazine-worthy six-pack.

7. Flutter Kick

How to do it

  1. Lie in your again with legs straight and arms lengthen out at your sides.
  2. Lift your heels about 6 inches off the ground and quickly kick your ft up and down in a fast, scissor-like movement.

8. Getups

How to do it

  1. From a sitting place, elevate your proper hand within the air and stand utilizing (at most) your left hand. If you’ve got ample core strength, stand up with out using your arms.
  2. Do the prescribed variety of reps on one aspect and change sides.
  3. Work to the purpose the place you stand up with out using your arms.

9. Horizontal Cable Woodchop

(*7*)

How to do it

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  1. Set an adjustable cable pulley to shoulder stage (or connect a band to a sturdy object) and grasp the deal with with each arms.
  2. Stand with ft shoulder width aside, perpendicular to the anchor level, and arms prolonged, far sufficient away from the machine so there’s pressure on the cable.
  3. Twist away from the machine as should you have been chopping right into a tree.
  4. Keep your ft stationary.

Get the gear: Body-Solid Adjustable Nylon Stirrup Handle; Marcy Olympic Multi-purpose Strength Training Cage

10. Leg Raise

How to do it

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  1. Lie on the ground and maintain onto a bench or the legs of a heavy chair for help.
  2. Keep your legs straight and lift them up till they’re vertical.
  3. Lower again down, however cease simply in need of the ground to maintain pressure in your abs earlier than the following rep.

Get the gear: Marcy Flat Utility Weight Bench

11. Medicine Ball Russian Twist

(*4*)

How to do it

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  1. Sit on the ground within the prime place of a situp and, holding a medication ball with each arms, lengthen your arms in entrance of you.
  2. Explosively twist your body to at least one aspect after which twist again.
  3. Alternate sides.

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Get the gear: AmazonBasics Medicine Ball

12. Medicine Ball Mountain Climber

(*2*)

How to do it

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  1. Hold the med ball with each arms and get into pushup place on the ground.
  2. Drive one knee as much as your chest, then shortly drive it again whilst you elevate the other knee.

Get the gear: AmazonBasics Medicine Ball

13. Pike to Superman

How to do it

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  1. Get into pushup place along with your toes on the steadiness ball.
  2. Bend your hips and roll the ball towards you so your torso turns into vertical.
  3. Roll again so your body is straight once more and lengthen your backbone, then roll the ball up your legs so your body kinds a straight line with arms prolonged overhead however arms nonetheless on the ground. You ought to seem like Superman flying downward. That’s one rep.
  4. Pull along with your lats to return to the pushup place and start the following rep.

Here are much more ab strikes that use a stability ball.

Get the gear: URBNfit Exercise Ball

14. Plank

Beth Bischoff

How to do it

  1. Get into pushup place and bend your elbows to decrease your forearms to the ground.
  2. Hold the place with abs braced.

15. Pullup to Knee Raise

How to do it

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  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with arms exterior shoulder width and palms going through away from you.
  2. Pull your self up till your chin is over the bar after which elevate your knees to your chest within the prime place.

Get the gear: Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar

16. Pushup Rocket

How to do it

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  1. Get into pushup place along with your ft within the cradles of a suspension coach.
  2. Perform explosive push-ups in order that your arms go away the ground and you’ll clap in midair. 

Get the gear: TRX Suspension Trainer Kit

17. Resisted Reverse Crunch

How to do it

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  1. Lie in your again on the ground and wrap the resistance band across the arches of your ft.
  2. Cross the ends of the band over one another to make an “X” and grasp the ends with reverse arms.
  3. Bend your hips and knees in order that your knees are close to your chest after which crunch your torso off the ground.
  4. Extend your legs whilst you elevate your arms overhead—maintain your shoulder blades off the ground. That’s one rep.

Get the gear: Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands

18. Swiss Ball Rollout

How to do it

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  1. Rest your forearms on the Swiss ball and lengthen your legs behind you.
  2. Brace your abs and roll the ball ahead as you lengthen your arms and hips.
  3. When you are feeling you’re about to lose pressure in your abs, roll your self again.

Get the gear: LuxFit Exercise Ball

19. Medicinal Ball Seated Knee Tuck

(*1*)

How to do it

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  1. Sit on a bench and squeeze the drugs ball between your ft.
  2. Extend and elevate your legs out in entrance of you and lengthen your torso in order that your body kinds a straight line.
  3. Hold on to the bench for help.
  4. Crunch your torso ahead and produce your knees to your chest.

Get the gear: AmazonBasics Medicine Ball; Marcy Flat Utility Weight Bench

20. Side Plank

How to do it

  1. Lie in your left aspect resting your left forearm on the ground for help.
  2. Raise your hips up so your body kinds a straight line and brace your abs—your weight must be in your left forearm and the sting of your left foot.
  3. Hold the place with abs braced.

21. Sprinter

How to do it

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  1. Place your ft within the foot cradles of the suspension coach and get into pushup place along with your arms on the ground.
  2. Drive one knee to your chest whereas the opposite leg stays prolonged.
  3. Now drive the other leg to your chest whilst you lengthen the opposite again.
  4. Continue so it seems to be such as you’re running in place.

Get the gear: TRX Suspension Trainer Kit

22. Situp and throw

How to do it

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  1. Hold a medication ball with each arms in entrance of your chest and sit on the ground.
  2. Anchor your ft underneath one thing sturdy for help, and lie again on the ground just a few ft away from a brick or concrete wall.
  3. Explosively sit up and throw the ball into the wall after which catch it on the rebound.
  4. If you’ve got a accomplice, you may throw the ball to him/her as a substitute.

Get the gear: AmazonBasics Medicine Ball

23. Star Plank

How to do it

  1. Get into pushup place.
  2. Move your arms and ft aside as extensive as doable—your body will make a star form.
  3. Hold the place along with your torso straight and abs braced for 30 seconds.

24. Straight-Leg Barbell Situp

(*5*)

How to do it

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  1. Lie on the ground holding an empty or frivolously loaded barbell over your chest as within the prime of a bench press.
  2. Your legs must be prolonged on the ground in entrance of you.
  3. Perform a sit-up, elevating your torso till it’s vertical.
  4. Keep the bar over your head, so it drifts again to an overhead press place on the prime of the sit-up.

Get the gear: Sunny Threaded Chrome Barbell

25. Suitcase Deadlift

How to do it

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  1. Load the barbell on the ground and stand to the left of it with ft hip-width aside.
  2. Bend your hips again and decrease your body till you may grasp the barbell in its heart along with your proper hand.
  3. Brace your core and, conserving your decrease again in its pure arch, push via your heels to face up and lock out your hips.
  4. Squeeze the bar laborious to maintain it from teetering.
  5. Focus on conserving your backbone straight your complete set—don’t bend laterally towards the barbell.

Get the gear: Sunny Threaded Chrome Barbell

26. Swiss Ball Plank Circle

How to do it

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  1. Place a Swiss ball on the ground and get into pushup place along with your arms on it.
  2. Now decrease your forearms to relaxation on the ball, conserving your complete body in a straight line with abs braced.
  3. Use your elbows to roll the ball in a round movement, clockwise after which counterclockwise, as should you have been stirring a pot.

Get the gear: URBNfit Exercise Ball

27. Swiss Ball V-Up and Pass

(*8*)

How to do it

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  1. Lie in your again on the ground and maintain the Swiss ball between your ankles.
  2. Extend your arms behind your head.
  3. Sit up whereas elevating your legs concurrently and move the ball out of your legs to your arms.
  4. Go again all the way down to the ground and repeat, passing the ball out of your arms to your legs. Each move is one rep.

Get the gear: URBNfit Exercise Ball

28. Medicine Ball V-Up

How to do it

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  1. Lie in your again on the ground holding the drugs ball with each arms behind your head.
  2. Extend your legs.
  3. Brace your abs and sit all the best way up.
  4. Raise your legs concurrently and attain on your toes with the ball.
  5. Your body ought to kind a V form on the prime.

Get the gear: AmazonBasics Medicine Ball

29. Seated Sprinter

How to do it

  1. Sit, legs prolonged, heels frivolously touching ground.
  2. Keeping your torso tall and shoulders again, lean again till core engages, ensuring your decrease again doesn’t hunch.
  3. Bend elbows at 90 levels, and elevate left knee towards ceiling, permitting left hand to return up and proper hand to return, like a runner, to start.
  4. Switch arm and leg positions backwards and forwards constantly and quick, as if sprinting.
  5. Perform 40-sec. reps.

30. Half Kneeling Chop

How to do it

  1. Get into the underside of a lunge place along with your left leg ahead and attain up over your left shoulder to understand the resistance band.
  2. Pull it diagonally downward throughout your body to the skin of your proper hip.

31. Boat Pose

How to do it

  1. From a sitting place, lengthen your arms out, palms going through one another.
  2. Extend and elevate each legs.
  3. If conserving your legs straight is just too robust at first, bend on the knees, with the insides of your ft touching to do half boat.
  4. Keep your arms prolonged on both aspect of your legs.
  5. Use your abs to maintain your again straight.
  6. Stay on this place for 5 deep breaths, roughly 10 seconds.

32. Oblique Mountain Climbers

(*6*)

How to do it

  1. Start in pushup place, with the balls of your ft on the bottom.
  2. Alternate driving your knees towards the other arm, twisting your body to that aspect, for 30 seconds.
  3. Keep your hips down for your complete movement.

33. Hanging Windshield Wiper

(*9*)

How to do it

  1. While hanging from a bar, pull your toes towards the bar.
  2. Keeping management along with your obliques and toes collectively, rotate your legs aspect to aspect.
  3. If that is too difficult at first, you are able to do a dangling leg elevate.

34. Banded Reverse Crunch

How to do it

  1. Attach a lightweight resistance band to a pole at shin height.
  2. Sit on the ground going through the anchor, knees bent, the free finish of the band throughout thighs.
  3. Scooch again till the band is taut, then lie again and grasp a heavy kettlebell behind your head to anchor the higher body.
  4. Draw stomach in, elevate decrease again off the ground, and roll hips and knees towards shoulders, then reverse.

35. Waiter’s Walk

How to do it

  1. Grab a dumbbell or kettlebell in a single hand and maintain it both overhead or along with your elbow bent so it is close to your face.
  2. Keep your shoulder blades pulled again and down and hearth your glutes as you stroll.
  3. Keep your wrists straight, as should you have been ready tables and holding a tray.
  4. Walk 10 yards out and 10 yards again.
  5. Switch arms and repeat.

36. T Pushup

How to do it

  1. Start in pushup place, arms straight, with arms on gentle dumbbells (or start with out weights, as proven).
  2. Lower your self and as you push again up, elevate your left arm and rotate to the left till your left arm is straight up and your proper aspect faces the ground.
  3. Your body ought to seem like a “T” on its aspect.
  4. Return to beginning place and repeat on the opposite aspect.

37. Bird Dog Crunch

How to do it

  1. Kneel on all fours.
  2. Reach one arm so far as doable ahead and the other foot so far as doable behind.
  3. Bring your elbow and knee collectively to crunch, drawing within the abs.

38. One-Arm Farmer’s Carry

How to do it

  1. Carrying only one dumbbell forces the abs to work extra time to maintain you stabilized.
  2. While carrying a dumbbell in a single hand, stroll 10 yards out and 10 yards again. Don’t hunch over.
  3. Keep your shoulder blades pulled down and again, and hearth your glutes as you stroll.
  4. Switch arms and repeat.

39. Burpee

How to do it

  1. This is a full-body transfer that’s an underrated abs exercise.
  2. From a standing place, squat, place your arms on the bottom, and “jump” your ft out right into a pushup place.
  3. Perform a pushup, then leap your ft to your arms.
  4. Explosively leap as high as you may, throwing your arms over your head.

40. Swiss Ball Plate Crunch

How to do it

  1. Lie supine on a Swiss ball along with your torso arched over the ball.
  2. Touch your shoulders, again, and glutes to the ball so your abs are stretched.
  3. Hold a weight plate over your head.
  4. Roll your hips and chest up, crunching from the highest of your torso.
  5. Lower your hips and chest to the beginning place.

41. Medicine Ball Rotational Throw

(*3*)

How to do it

  1. Stand going through a wall with ft shoulder-width aside, holding a medication ball in each arms.
  2. Rotate your shoulders, hips, and torso away from the wall, taking the ball behind your hip.
  3. Turn your hip again to the wall and rotate the remainder of your body, throwing the ball to the wall.
  4. Switch sides.

42. Medicine Ball Slam

How to do it

  1. With knees barely bent, elevate the drugs ball with two arms overhead with arms prolonged.
  2. Rise on the balls of your ft and bend on the waist to slam the ball to the bottom.

43. Corkscrew

How to do it

  1. Lie in your again, arms alongside sides, legs straight at a 45-degree angle to ground to start.
  2. Inhale, deliver legs towards torso and roll backbone off mat right into a hover place—hips are off the bottom and tipped again, ft are overhead.
  3. Exhale, press via arms and tilt legs to left as you roll down the backbone via the middle at a 45-degree angle.
  4. Tilt legs to proper and roll again as much as hover to finish a circle.

44. Cable Crunch

How to do it

  1. Attach a rope to a high pulley.
  2. Kneel in entrance of it, grabbing the rope handles on both aspect of your neck.
  3. Contract your abs to deliver your elbows to your thighs.
  4. Pause briefly and return to beginning place.

45. Side Plank Row

How to do it

  1. Start in a proper forearm-down aspect plank, ft stacked, left hand holding a resistance band anchored in entrance of body.
  2. Pull left elbow again, then launch for one rep.
  3. Do all reps on the left aspect, then change sides.

46. Single-leg Oblique Dip

How to do it

  1. Stand on left leg with proper leg bent at 90 levels, foot flexed, holding a heavy dumb­bell in left hand.
  2. Don’t rush: Keep obliques and glutes engaged as you dip towards the left.

47. Plyo Plank Shuffle

How to do it

  1. Start in a high plank, arms underneath shoulders, toes on a BOSU.
  2. Keeping your higher body nonetheless, and legs and arms straight, step left foot to the aspect, a foot away from the BOSU, then return foot to the ball.
  3. Repeat on the precise aspect for 1 rep.
  4. For a problem, transfer legs in unison.
  5. Start with the left leg a foot away from the BOSU, then interact hips and push off with each ft, so the left foot lands on the ball and proper foot on the ground.
  6. Continue alternating sides.
  7. Perform 40-sec. reps.

48. Front Squat

How to do it

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  1. Set a barbell on an influence rack at about shoulder height (should you don’t have a rack, clear it to your shoulders).
  2. Grasp the bar with arms at shoulder width and lift your elbows till your higher arms are parallel to the ground.
  3. Take the bar out of the rack and let it relaxation in your fingertips—so long as your elbows keep up, you’ll have the ability to stability the bar.
  4. Step again and set your ft at shoulder width with toes turned out barely.
  5. Squat as little as you may with out dropping the arch in your decrease again.

Get the gear: Sunny Threaded Chrome Barbell;Fitness Reality Power Cage

49. Weighted Situp

How to do it

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  1. Lie on the ground holding a weight plate at your chest.
  2. Bend your knees 90 levels with ft on the ground.
  3. Tuck your chin to your chest and sit up all the best way.

Get the gear: CAP Standard Barbell Grip Plate

50. Kettlebell Plank Sweeps

How to do it

  1. Hold a high plank with a kettlebell simply exterior your left hand.
  2. Reach underneath your torso to seize the kettlebell along with your proper hand and “sweep” or drag the KB backwards and forwards with a full vary of movement.
  3. Keep your core tight, glutes engaged, and hips stage.
  4. Your obliques ought to energy this exercise.
  5. Perform 60-sec. reps.

Tips for Maximizing Your Abs Workouts

Whether you are a professional athlete or simply need to get ripped abs—a complete core exercise ought to comprise three planes of movement: frontal, sagittal, and transverse to hit your rectus abdominis, exterior and inside obliques, and transversus abdominis.

An countless variety of total-body exercises gentle up your core muscle groups, however focused ab workouts can actually make a distinction in strengthening your core from each angle. And doing core exercises in a circuit retains the depth high and can possible result in extra fats loss.

But we have to acknowledge a tough reality: Not all six-packs are created equal. Some guys have to work their stomach to exhaustion earlier than they will carve out abs, whereas different dudes appear to get a six-pack to pop with no single sit-up or aspect plank. Yes, genetics play a major function right here, too.

Your meals are additionally essential. The visibility of your six-pack “really comes down to the amount of body fat that covers them,” says strength coach Lee Boyce. “This will mainly be affected by diet, though proper core training is still beneficial for the health and function of your abdominal region.”

Once you have cleaned up your weight loss program, be affected person with progress, and keep constant. Of course, ab exercises aren’t simply hitting your higher abs, rectus abdominis, and deep core muscle groups. Some of those exercises additionally hit the higher body, decrease body, or whole body to assist stop damage by bolstering muscle groups like erector spinae (muscle groups alongside the backbone) and hip flexors.

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