The 5 Best Ab Exercises
In any ab workout routine, there are key core exercises that you always want to include… Especially, if you want to see progress in your abdominal muscles! You want to be incorporating the BEST ab exercises because simply doing crunches or sit-ups will not get you a six pack.
Let me repeat that…. Just doing crunches or sit ups will not get you a toned as well as a flat stomach!
What’s the best way to get rid of belly fat?
You can grow your ab muscles. However, in order to see them, you have to lower your body fat percentage. Cardio and weightlifting combined will help you achieve that (and give you the drool-worthy toned tummy you’ve been wanting!). There are some killer ab workout moves that combine strength training with cardiovascular training. So, if you are looking for the best ab exercises to do for burning belly fat, then these are the 5 moves you need to be doing!
Related: Cardio Workouts to Lose Weight Fast
Exercises to Target Your Abdominals:
1. Mountain Climbers
2. Planks
3. Weighted Cable Crunches
4. Decline Crunches
5. Hanging Leg Raises
1. Mountain Climbers: This killer ab exercise is one of the BEST because it works your core in addition to being fantastic cardio. You will start in the full plank position and bring one knee to the elbow on the same side of your body. Then, you’ll return that leg to the starting position and do the same on the other side. Do this as fast as you can!
2. Planks: Elbow planks (or full planks) are extremely effective ab exercises for multiple reasons. They strengthen your abs, your lower back, chest, deltoids, and more! Also, there are a ton of plank variations that you can do, as well. But for the standard plank, make sure your hips don’t dip towards the floor and hold that position!
3. Weighted Cable Crunches: This is one of the moves I’d include in ab workouts for the gym because you’ll need a cable machine for this one. It is possible to do this as a home ab exercise if you have some resistance bands! You will start this workout move on your knees then you will contract your abs, bringing your elbows to your knees. Make sure you keep your hips stationary while doing the cable crunches!!
4. Decline Crunches: Decline crunches are a great ab exercise because you have a bigger range of motion because you are going past parallel. This can also be referred to as “going into the negative.” Therefore, this is an exercise where you will feel the burn in your midsection! You will need a decline bench (or something similar) in order to perform decline crunches.
5. Hanging Leg Raises: Last but not least, the hanging leg raise (or the hanging knee raise)! This exercise will tone your midsection… in addition to working several other muscle groups! This makes the list of the best ab exercises for losing stomach fat because they are difficult but very manageable even if you are a fitness beginner! Additionally, there are plenty of variations of the hanging knee raises that you can do to change things up.
Your ab muscles are just like any other muscle group in your body. So, you shouldn’t overtrain them, or you may end up doing more harm than good. Also, if you want to make any of these exercises more challenging, you can add weight to them! Or, in other words, hold a dumbbell or a weight plate to make the exercise more challenging. Consequently, you’ll see more lean muscle gains in your mid-section because you are challenging it more!
If you enjoyed this article, then you may also like: The Number One Thing You Need To Use If You Want A Better Workout or The Best 5 Gym and Home Leg Exercises You Need To Do!
*Images shown in infographic are from WorkoutLabs.com. CWPS doesn’t design, create, or own these images.
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I’ve done many different types of workouts throughout my life and I think the ab workouts were the most consequential. I have so much muscle in my abs that after I had my first born, my stomach never really changed!
Wow!!
What is the best waist trainer to use?