What’s the best abs exercises?

Hi peeps,
What’s the best exercises for a good ab workout? Currently I’m doing,
Ab crunch machine
Crossover crunches
Kettlebell sidebends
Machine knee lift

I do 3 sets of each 3 times a week.
Any advice please?
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Replies

  • Rawrmachin3
    Rawrmachin3 Posts: 20 Member
    Squats with no belt.

    Doing all these accessory abs exercises are not really of any benefit for most. Want to see your abs? It’s about genetics and body fat percentage.

    I don’t use a belt from when I start at 135lbs all the way up to 625lbs. Why? Builds core strength and stability among other benefits. Back when I first started weight lifting I used one on my heavy sets until it broke (scheik pro lever). For years now I haven’t and I’ve gotten much stronger in all facets of my lifting and even my big powerlifting butt can do sit ups.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    DLs, SQTs and hanging leg raises.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    Squats and dead lift. Maybe rows, if you can work them in.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I feel like my abs get a good workout on my hydraulic rower. Also, any heavy free weight exercises. Jillian Michaels 6 weeks 6 pack abs is good too.
  • Mcwi3681
    Mcwi3681 Posts: 67 Member
    Pushups
  • Kita1818
    Kita1818 Posts: 22 Member
    Bicycles
    Hanging leg raises
    Mountain climbers
    Cable pull crunches
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Hollow Body holds
    Superman holds
    Ab roller
    Pullups/pushups/planks
    L-sits
    Levers
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    Laughter. (Well, at least that's the most fun.)

    I took a class called Laughter Yoga. I had no clue what it was, it just sounded interesting. Strangest experience of my life. I wanted to run so bad, but there were only 3 of us and 1 bailed first so I felt too guilty and stuck it out. Google it if you want a real laugh.
  • rummyqueen
    rummyqueen Posts: 150 Member
    A great work out for abs which I do is Gilad’s hard Core with the medicine ball it works fantastic
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    Snatch grip power shrugs
    Overhead barbell press
    Cable Face Pulls
    Atlas Stone Bear Hugs
    Bodyweight Farmer Carries


    Those are my faves



    #trapsoverabs
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    I do planks, bicycles, reverse crunches, russian twists. Just vary it and keep it interesting.
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    how does one do progressive overload with ab exercises? off to the googles.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    thanos5 wrote: »
    how does one do progressive overload with ab exercises? off to the googles.

    Crunches while holding progressively larger plates?
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Yoga and Classical Stretch. Be careful to stretch out the muscles of the core as well as strengthen folks!
  • TheBigFb
    TheBigFb Posts: 649 Member
    No eating loads of *kitten*
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited August 2019



    #trapsoverabs

    So much that! :p

    Man, I love a developed set of traps.
  • pdmatthews
    pdmatthews Posts: 37 Member
    As others have said overhead press, dead’s, squats and farmers walks. I like a standing cable crunch as well and a crunch press
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    thanos5 wrote: »
    how does one do progressive overload with ab exercises? off to the googles.

    Just like any lift or cardio. Intelligently add more of it.

    For running adding about 10% of your distance of your weekly total is pretty norm.

    For abd it would depend on how you stimulate them AND your preferred method of progressive overload within your program as there are endless ways to progressively overload.

    If you use a timer on a ab wheel, you could try to add a couple more reps or time.

    If you were doing v-holds for sets, you could add a additional set.

    There are a ridiculous amount of ways.
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    sorry, i'm a newb.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Abs rollouts got me the most bang for my buck. I was starting with a diastasis recti (an muscle separation) caused by obesity, and a recent abdominal surgery. No muscle tone to speak of. Abs rollouts fixed the diastasis recti and now I have hard solid abs - still not low enough body fat to be visible but at least they are under there!
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    edited September 2019
  • ChrisCatMama
    ChrisCatMama Posts: 1,038 Member
    Kneeling on the floor while doing overhead presses (found that in a men’s health magazine)
    Crunches and cross crunches on an exercise ball (easier on the back)
    Straight leg crunches
    Side to side chops with a weighted ball
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,024 Member
    the best burn for me is hanging leg raises. at this point in my journey , i am just grateful to have shrunk my gut! At 54, If I get defined abs, great...if I don't , who cares!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Carlos_421 wrote: »

    So much this.

    While compound lifts should be a focus in the workout, they are not optimal when it comes to ab recruitment. So if one wants to develop their ab/core muscles, they should do direct ab exercise. This would be no different than if someone wanted to develop their arms. Of course you need to have low enough body fat if you want to make abs visible.
  • hrvojecavar25
    hrvojecavar25 Posts: 3 Member
    I do planks 4 sets of 1 minute, leg raises, dead bug i think its called, rolling wheel, bycicle crunch,mountin climber, boxer crunch and icing on the cake 3 x 15 holding a 5 kg plate over my head and doing a normal crunch, best of luck
  • MidlifeCrisisFitness
    MidlifeCrisisFitness Posts: 1,106 Member
    exercise ball pull overs