Are you on a quest for a strong and defined core? Including the best exercises for abs at home and gym in a workout routine is essential for achieving those shredded abs. Whether you are a seasoned gym-goer or just starting a fitness journey this guide will provide you with the ultimate abs recipe to strengthen and tone your cores. Let’s dive into the most effective abs exercises perfect for both beginners and experienced fitness athletes.
What are ABS?
Let’s start with the basics, What are abs? According to the medical term, ABS is a shortened term for the abdominal muscles which are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. The abdominal muscles also known as abs in the fitness industry have many important roles including supporting your trunks, helping with moments, and holding your organs in place. The abdominal muscles are made up of four muscle groups this includes:
- Rectus Abdominis (it is located in the middle of the abdomen this muscle helps you flex forward)
- Transverses Abdominis (it is the deepest muscles of the abs that wrap around the waist to support the spine)
- External Oblique (the uttermost abs muscle that runs from the ribs to the pelvis helping the body to rotate and bend from side to side)
- Internal Oblique (the innermost abs muscle that is located underneath the external oblique, also assisting with protection of the terms and bending)
Why focus on abs EXERCISES?
A strong core or abs is the foundation of a fit and healthy body. Abs exercises do more than curl a flat stomach;
- Improve posture: Abs workout improves posture and supports your spine and creates better structure for you.
- Enhance stability: A strong abs workout can help to maintain balance and stability, even your balancing on one leg or your hands. This can help to reduce your risk of falling.
- Advantage for sportsman: If you are an athlete or a sportsman, stronger abs can help you to transfer more power to your limbs, which can help you to jump higher, paddle harder, or step up stronger.
- Reduce back pain: Not only do stronger abs improve balance or posture but also help you protect your back and neck.
Whether you are lifting weights, running, or performing daily tasks your core is constantly engaged. Therefore focusing on an abs workout routine is crucial for overall fitness and health.
best exercises for abs
What are the exercises for abs? If the answer got stuck to the crunches, then no it only trains your abs in one motion, which is the back and forward flexion of the spine. So we will be talking about different abs workouts which are going to hit different angles in your abs.
So how you will do that? No worries i’ve chosen the effective and best abs exercises to challenge every part of your core. All you need to do is to pick the exercises from below and perform them 10-15 reps or 30-45 seconds for 3 sets. There are two options, body weight if you’re working out from home or weighted if you’re hitting the gym.
Bodyweight ab exercises
1. CRUNCHES
The crunches is a classic and a most common core exercise. It basically targets or trains abdominal muscles which are a part of your core. While crunches is a popular core workout, it isn’t safe for everyone. It can place a lot of strain on your back and neck and it only works your abdominal abs, not the other muscles in your core.
How to perform
- Lie on your back, keep your knee bent at a 90-degree angle, and keep your lower back in contact with the ground.
- Place your arms on your thigh or behind your head, take a breath in and bracing your core.
- Exhale in when you lift your shoulder blades up and crunch your abs. Try to touch your knees with your hand keeping your chin tucked as you do so.
- Get your back to the starting point and repeat this process
TIP: For beginners, you should make sure not to strain your neck to lift yourself. Focus on keeping your neck in line with your spine and using your core to crunch your body. For difficulty level, add a small weight or add a pause at the top of the crunch.
2. LEG RAISES
Leg raises are one of the most effective abs workouts for targeting the lower abs, which are often the most challenging area to tone as they particularly emphasize the rectus abdominis. It helps to increase strength and muscular control throughout the core, also targeting the hip flexors, strengthening them to improve squats, running, and jumping.
Basically, the leg raises is performed flat on the floor but they can be variate on an inclined branch or hanging from a bar depending on strength and experience.
How to perform
- Lie flat on your back with your hands at your sides or underneath your glutes for support.
- Keep your legs extended, inhale, and slowly raise your legs up towards the ceiling, pressing your thighs together, until your body forms a 90-degree angle.
- Slowly lower your legs back down without letting the heels touch the ground and repeat this exercise for 10-15 reps.
TIP: If you’re getting challenges to perform straight leg raises start with bent knees. Gradually work for straight leg raises as your strength improves. If you find your lower back creeping off the floor, you can place your hands underneath your glutes and perform the exercise.
3. russian twists
The Russian Twists is a fantastic room classic workout for a good reason. As it places constant tension on the abdominals along with the obliques helps to maintain balance, and improve rotational strength, making them a staple in any abs workout routine. While this exercise can be performed using just body weight, to increase the difficulties you can add resistance such as a medicine ball, kettlebell, or a sandbag to make your core work that little bit harder!
How to perform
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You can add weight such as a med ball, a kettlebell, or a sandbag, and hold the weight close to your chest.
- Slightly lean back, keeping your back straight, and lift your feet off the floor to form a v-shape.
- Brace your core and hold your hands together or weight and twist your torso to the right and then to the left tapping the floor on each side.
- Tapping on both the side is considered as one rep so repeat for 10-15 reps for 3 sets
TIP: To make the exercise easier keep your feet on the floor and for more balance, cross your feet and try to hold your legs in the center of your body avoiding swinging when rotating your torso. Don’t rush the movement, give the rep slow and controlled.
4. BIRD DOG
Despite with the strange name! this is an effective abs workout as it targets both the rectus abdominis and the oblique at the same time. But a great thing about this exercise is that it builds lower back muscles and can even reduce lower back pain by engaging the core and back muscles simultaneously. Bird dogs can be a great way to ease, if you’re struggling with back pain during the abs exercises or the big lifts.
HOW TO PERFORM
- Kneel on all four limbs on the floor, hands directly below the shoulders, and knees below the hips.
- Exhale and extend the opposite arm and leg out to form a straight line. Keep your hips squared and back straight.
- Hold for 2 seconds, then bring the arm and legs back in, and then begin the second rep by extending the other opposite legs and arm out in a straight line.
TIP: To perform this exercise more easily, you can also do an alternative side returning the knees and hand to the floor after each rep, before extending out the opposite arm and leg.
5. side plank
This is an unilateral abs workout that challenges each side of the body independently working not only the core and obliques but also targeting the lats, lower traps, chest, shoulder, and glutes which are all needed to keep the body stable. This isn’t an easy exercise for beginners, but they will build strength, balance, and coordination without putting any pressure on the lower back or neck like the other abs exercises do.
how to perform
- Lie on your side on the floor with your leg extended, forearm flat, and elbow bent. Feet can be either on top of one another (harder) or straggled (easier).
- Lift your hips, squeezing your core, and use your feet and forearm to stabilize yourself. Place your other hand on your hip to balance your body and form a straight line.
- Hold for 15-30 seconds squeezing your core, quads, and glutes throughout the moment to stabilize your body. Repeat this same exercise by switching to the other side.
TIP: You can make this abs workout harder by adding a hip dip, which means moving your hips up and down from the floor to the ceiling. Aim for 10-12 reps on one side before switching to the other.
6. Mountain climbers
Mountain Climber is a high-intensity abs workout that not only targets the core but also engages multiple muscle groups (arms, back, shoulders, core & legs) at once helping to improve balance, agility, coordination, strength, flexibility, and blood circulation. It has another benefit as it uses multiple muscles at once so it increases your heart rate which will help you to burn more calories and also boost your cardiovascular fitness. Despite the name you don’t have to track for your nearest mountain to perform this exercise it only requires your body weight and no equipment.
How to perform
- Place yourself in a push-up position, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart directly beneath your shoulders.
- As quickly as you can alternate driving your knees toward your chest, think about you’re running in place while keeping your core engaged.
- Continue this exercise for 30-45 seconds for 3 sets.
TIP: Try to avoid hunching your back it should need to be straight and make sure to check that your bottom isn’t rising into the air throughout the moment. For beginners, begin with a slower phase to maintain a proper form and gradually increase your speed as you become more comfortable with this exercise.
7. PLANK
The plank is one of the best abs exercises also known as an isometric exercise, offering a full-body workout while specially targeting the core. It strengthens the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and the oblique making it a comprehensive exercise. It involves balancing on your toes and forearm as you hold the rest of your body on the floor, where your spine is kept in a neutral position and your head torso, and leg are aligned.
How to perform
- Place yourself in a push-up position with your forearm forward on the floor and elbow directly under your shoulder, head facing to the floor.
- Engage your abdominal core and keep your body in a straight line from head to hill which is in a neutral position.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds to one minute as per your core strength and make sure that your core is engaged throughout the movement.
TIP: For beginners try to hold the plan for 20 seconds and gradually increase the time as your core strength improves. Don’t arch your back The focus will be shifted from abdominal muscle to your arms. When your hips start sinking it is a sign that it’s time to end your plank.
WEIGHTED AB EXERCISES
1. CABLE WOODCHOPPER
Don’t go with the name! no trees will be harmed in this process all you need is a cable and a handle attachment. As the name has been derived from the motion of chopping down a tree, this is another rotational abs workout that simultaneously challenges the muscle (shoulders, obliques, hips, core, and lats)
How to perform
- Attach the handle grip to the cable machine set the heights between the chest or shoulder level and adjust a weight you can perform for 10 to 12 reps on each side.
- Stand a couple of steps away from the cable machine feet shoulder-width apart and hold the handle with both hands.
- Pull the handle at 180 degrees keeping your arm fully extended throughout the movement, and keep a neutral spine focusing your muscle on your hand.
- Before returning to the starting point hold for one to two seconds and repeat this exercise for 10 to 12 reps, then switch set by turning around and facing the other way.
TIP: Focus on only rotating your upper half of the body while performing the cable woodchopper.
2. CABLE CRUNCH
Cable crunches also known as kneeling cable crunches, is a weighted crunches variation that targets your abdominal muscles and gives you strong core muscles. As with the name you have to perform this exercise by kneeling in front of a cable machine with a pulley attachment.
How to perform
- Set the cable machine up to the top and attach the rope.
- Hold both ends of the ropes with both hands and take a few steps away from the cable machine to move off the stack. Put your both knees on the floor directly below the shoulders.
- Take a breath in and begin the crunches by bracing your core, breathe out as you contract for abs and curl your torso towards the ground. Make sure that the rope should remain above your head all the time.
- Aim to touch your elbow to close to your legs squeezing your abs the whole time.
- Take a pause, slowly come back to a starting point, and repeat this for 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets.
TIP: To make it easier instead of reducing the weight try turning around and performing the crunches facing the cable machine, In this way, the cable won’t pull you backward making it easier for you to crunch.
3. MED BALL V-UPS
Med ball v-ups also known as jack knives is an advanced ab workout move that can be learned without the ball to work on the range of motion, once your body is comfortable or understands the motion you can add a lightweight ball just to increase the exercise strength. It is a challenging core exercise that will burn up your both rectus abdominis and your transverse abdominis along with the hip flexor, adductors, and quads. It is performed with a medicine ball or your body weight and just you have to make hollow v-ups in every rep.
How to perform
- Lie straight on your back on the floor and choose a lightweight medicine ball, hold the ball with your hands straight behind your head and legs long.
- Take a deep breath and engage your toes, squad, and your core together.
- Move your legs and arms in a synchronized way towards each other and create a hollow V-shape with your body, make sure to touch the med ball to your toes. You should keep your arms and legs straight throughout the movement.
- Take a break out and slowly lower your arms and legs back to the floor keeping them straight and make sure that the med ball should touch the floor after each rep.
- To make it even harder, try not to let your heels touch the floor, stop them about 10cm away from the floor before beginning the next one.
TIP: If you find challenges in performing this exercise, just select the lighter med ball or you can do v-ups just using your body weight. If you cannot keep your legs straight, bend your knees and aim to touch the ball to your knees. But also try to work on some flexibility exercises so you can have a toe-touch with straight legs.
4. Barbell rollout
The barbell ab rollout is an intermediate or advanced abs workout that is similar to a traditional plank. Barbell ab rollout is an abs exercise that targets the whole core muscles which include rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. It also targets the upper back and shoulder as well. You don’t have to place your arms on the floor instead place your hands on the barbell.
how to perform
- Place your knees on the mat floor and grab a barbell with a lightweight plate on each side wider than shoulder width.
- Keep your back straight and gently or slowly push the Bible forward to your body with extended arms.
- Hold the position for a few seconds with your engaged cores, knees, hips, and quads.
- Slowly pull the barbell back to the starting point just below the shoulder level.
TIP: Place the knees on the mat to prevent your knees from injuries. If getting challenges, don’t roll out to the full extent, push the barbell in which you’re comfortable to keep stable.
STRUCTURE WORKOUT PLAN
Once you have explored the abs exercises, it is time to structure your own abs workout plan as per your requirements. But I do not know how to structure it. Which abs workout should I add to my routine? Should I go with the bodyweight options or weighted options? Don’t worry you’re not far away from your solution.
Let’s start with the beginners, if you’re new to abs exercises, want to lose belly weight, want to install abs in your body, or to increase basic core strength, go for a bodyweight abs workout. Your own body is your gym asset and you can make a good physique with only bodyweight exercises. For ultimate ab definition, perform 3 sets of bodyweight abs exercises above 10-15 reps or 30-45 seconds, perform this routine for 3 days a week. Do this for 2-3 months and for sure you will get the result but it depends on your consistency and diet what you’re having daily.
Now let’s move to the intermediate or advanced level, currently you have gained your core strength, you only have to mix the bodyweight and weighted abs exercises in your routine. In the intermediate or advanced level, you can master the abs exercises and make it a skill. For routine, perform 4 sets of mixed bodyweight and weighted exercises for 60-90 secs. But always take adequate time for recovery between sessions to avoid overtraining or injuries.
This is such a detailed and insightful post. I really appreciate the effort you put into explaining everything so clearly. It’s made a big difference in my understanding of the topic.
Thanks for your appreciation. I am really grateful that I had came help for you.