If you’re looking to get shredded abs, there is a range of great exercises that will help you achieve that. Whether your aim is a six-pack or just a little more sharpness around your waist, exercises like squats, overhead presses, and deadlifts will help get you there. But there are much more focused ab workouts that you may not be familiar with.
The exercises we’re going to look at today target different areas of your abs to make sure you’re hitting every core muscle. The first workout in this list focuses on your upper abs, the second focuses on the lower abs, and the last round works the often-overlooked side abs – better known as obliques.
The good news is that you don’t need a gym to do these workouts, so you can keep working on your six-pack goals during the lockdown. Are you ready to feel the burn in your midsection? An ab workout with weights will help you with that. Let’s get started, shall we?
Upper Abs Workout
Dumbbell Crunch
Reps: 10
Rest: 10 seconds
Lie flat on your back, holding a weight plate (or dumbbell) over your chest with both hands. Eyes up front, lift your torso, then go back down, keeping tension in your upper abs throughout.
Tuck and Crunch
Reps: 15
Rest: 10 seconds
Most of you are familiar with this one. Lie down with both of your hands on your head and your legs raised (knees bent at a 90° angle). Raise your torso while simultaneously drawing your knees towards your head. Try to keep your fingers by your temples, and don’t let your feet touch the floor.
Modified V-Sit
Reps: 12
Rest: 10 seconds
Lie on your back with your legs slightly raised off the floor. Keep your arms straight by your sides, also off the floor. Keep your arms straight as you bring your legs in, bending at the knees while simultaneously raising your torso so that your chest meets your knees halfway. Then lower keeping the tension.
Lower Abs Workout
Hanging Leg Raise
Reps: 10
Rest: 10 seconds
Ready to take things up a notch? This exercise sets the tone for what will be an unmerciful exercise involving three different hanging workouts. Start in a still hang with your legs straight. Use your lower abs to slowly raise your legs until you reach that L position. Beginners may start with 5 reps as this exercise is kind of tough.
Hanging Knee Raise Twist
Reps: 10 each side
Rest: 10 seconds
Start in a still hang with your legs straight. Slowly twist your body while raising your knees to one side, then return to the original position. Beginners may start with 5 reps for each side.
Hanging Knee Raise
Reps: 15
Rest: 10 seconds
The hanging knee raise is a slightly easier version of the hanging leg raise. Start in a still hang and slowly raise your knees, maintaining the tension in your lower abs.
Obliques and Core Workout
Raised Plank
Reps: 10 each side
Rest: 10 seconds
Get into a plank position, supporting yourself on your forearms with your feet elevated on a chair (or bench). Keep your body in a straight line from heels to head and try to maintain that position throughout the exercise. It’ll be hard, but you can take it. To take it up a notch, raise one foot off the chair and slowly move it to the side to touch the floor, then repeat alternating sides.
Seated Russian Twist
Reps: 12 each side
Rest: 10 seconds
Lie on the buttocks with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Slowly twist your torso from side to side, swaying in a smooth and controlled fashion.
Bicycle Crunches
Reps: 15 each side
Rest: 10 seconds
The old bicycle crunch is no stranger to many of us. To achieve this classic ab exercise, lie on your back with both hands on your temples and your legs elevated and your knees bent at a 90° angle. Draw your right knee up towards your chest while lifting your torso and twisting so that your left elbow reaches your knee. Do the same on the opposite side. Your feet and shoulders should be off the ground to force your abs to stabilize your torso.
Takeaway
When it comes to ab workouts, there are so many exercises you can do to strengthen and sculpt that waist. You can take online bodyweight abs classes to target certain muscle groups, like your obliques, or you can take a comprehensive approach and train the entire core all at once, which is how Zac Efron got his mind-boggling Hollywood abs.
But if your primary goal is to add definition to your midsection area, the best way to do it is via weighted ab workouts. Performing certain exercises with weights that are heavy enough to make you struggle by the last couple of reps will get you there.
