Tag: six-pack
The 17 Best Standing Abs Exercises for All Fitness Levels
We love floor-based abs exercises as much as the next guy, but sometimes it’s nice not to have to lie on a sweaty gym mat or dirty floor to bust out some sit-ups or crunches.
Also, floor-based abs exercises are not exactly functional. After all, apart from sitting up in bed, when was the last time you used your abs to pull your torso upright? Floor abs exercises are often hard to load, too. You’ve got to rely on the weight of your upper body or legs to hit your abs. Depending on your body size and strength, this may be too much or too little weight to work your abs.
The good news is that there are LOTS of great abs exercises you can do while standing. Some are easy and ideal for beginners, while others are hardcore and perfect for more advanced exercisers.
In this article, we reveal the 17 best standing abs exercises for all fitness levels.
Abs Anatomy 101
When most exercisers talk about abs, they actually mean their core. The core is the collective term for all the muscles of the midsection. Some functional fitness experts also like to include additional muscles in their core collective, including the lats and glutes. However, that just complicates an already complex subject!
So, for the purposes of this article, when we say abs, we actually mean the core, and that covers the following muscles:
Core Muscles Anatomy
Rectus abdominus
The rectus abdominis is the long, flat muscle on the front of your stomach. It’s divided into vertical halves and horizontal sections by lines of ligamentous tissue, giving it that famous six-pack appearance.
However, you’ll need to be pretty lean to see these lines, typically below ten-percent body fat for men and under 15 percent for women.
The functions of the rectus abdominis are flexion and lateral flexion of the spine.
Obliques
The obliques are basically your waist muscles, and there are two sets – the internal and the external obliques. These muscles rotate and laterally flex your spine. However, when both sides co-contract, they also play a part in flexion and work alongside your rectus abdominis.
Transverse abdominis
Known as the TVA for short, this muscle encircles your midsection like a weightlifting belt. When you brace your abs, it contracts inward and compresses your internal organs. This creates intra-abdominal pressure, which helps to support your lumbar spine.
So, while you won’t be able to see your TVA working, you will be able to feel it. The TVA is involved in all standing abs exercises.
Erector spinae
The erector spinae is a group of three muscles, each of which is divided into three sections. These muscles run up either side of your spine and are involved in extension and lateral flexion. Many standing core exercises also involve the erector spinae, despite the fact they’re technically back muscles. In most cases, the erector spinae act as stabilizers.
All standing abs exercises involve all of these muscles. However, depending on the movement performed, some will be working harder than others. Therefore, in the exercise descriptions, we’ll list the muscles in order of which are doing most of the work.
The Benefits of Standing Abs Exercises
While there is nothing wrong with floor-based abs exercises, standing abs exercises offer some noteworthy advantages and benefits. These include:
Increased functionality
Your core plays a critical role in most human movements. In some situations, it acts as a stabilizer to prevent unwanted movement of your spine. In others, the core is responsible for generating force, e.g., pushing, pulling, and throwing.
Regardless of what they are doing, most of these activities occur when you’re on one or two legs and not lying on your back. Therefore, standing abs exercises are often more functional than their supine counterparts.
Comfort
Standing abs exercises are often more comfortable than similar exercises performed lying on the floor. An exercise mat will help, but one may not be available. With no pressure on your lower back, standing abs exercises are usually more comfortable than floor-based movements.
Convenience
Not everyone trains in a well-equipped gym. Some people prefer to work out in playgrounds, parks, or other large open spaces. Sure, you COULD take a mat with you for abs exercises, but that’s unnecessary if you do standing abs exercises.
With no mat required and often very little equipment, you can do some standing exercises anywhere and anytime, making them the perfect excuse-free workout.
No more mobility issues
Older exercises and people with mobility issues may find getting down on the floor to do sit-ups, crunches, etc., awkward. Getting back up may present an even more significant challenge. Many standing abs exercises are ideal for older exercises and anyone who finds getting down to floor level difficult.
Standing Abs Exercise Drawbacks
Standing abs exercises are generally safe and effective. However, there are a couple of drawbacks to consider, too:
Limited loading
While there are numerous standing abs exercises that utilize an external load, other movements rely on your body weight for resistance. Because of the direction of gravity, this may mean there is very little tension on the muscles you’re training.
You can contract the target muscles harder to get a better training effect, but, even then, some exercises will be too easy if you already have a well-conditioned core.
Lack of understanding
Standing abs exercises are a trending topic right now (#standingabs). Unfortunately, this means a lot of wannabe fitness experts are posting standing abs exercises with little understanding of how the core muscles work.
For example, holding a weight in your hands and then twisting your torso does NOT load your obliques. The force is vertical, whereas the obliques work in the transverse plane, i.e., horizontally. In essence, there is no resistance to rotation.
It doesn’t matter if you hold a 20-pound weight or a 100-pounder; twisting with a weight in your hands won’t challenge your obliques. However, your arms will probably get a good workout!
Similarly, doing standing crunches are all but pointless, as the weight (your upper body) is pulling your spine into flexion – your abs aren’t doing much, if any, of the work.
So, don’t make poor exercise choices. Remember that some self-certified fitness influencers are nothing but a pretty face with a six-pack and a loud voice and don’t actually know what they’re talking about.
Instead, think about the function of the muscles you want to engage, perform movements that work that muscle, and then apply a load, if necessary, to make that movement more challenging.
The 17 Best Standing Abs Exercises
Now you know the pros and cons of standing abs exercises and the muscles these movements work. So, it’s time to reveal the 17 best standing abs exercises for all fitness levels!
1. Standing cable crunch
Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
The key to an effective crunch is shortening the distance between your sternum and pelvis. Making a discernable C-shape with your spine ensures that your abs do the work, not your hip flexors. If you can’t feel this exercise in the front of your abdomen, there is a good chance you are flexing your hips more than your spine.
Steps:
Fix a rope handle to a high cable pulley machine. Take one end in each hand and take a step backward to tension the cable.
Pull the handles down so your hands are in front of your shoulders.
Stand with your knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart.
Flex your spine and draw your sternum down toward your pelvis.
Lift your chest to get a stretch in your abs, and repeat.
Benefits:
Easy to scale by reducing or increasing the load.
More effective than the kneeling variation of this exercise.
A very lower back-friendly core exercise.
Tips:
Exhale as you contract your abs to increase muscle engagement.
Hold the handles in one hand only to work the obliques more.
You can also do this exercise with a resistance band:
2. Pallof press
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
The Pallof press was invented by Bostonian physical therapist John Pallof. This is an anti-core exercise, meaning you’ll be using your midsection to prevent unwanted movement. This is how your core often has to work in nature, making Pallof presses a very functional abs exercise.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a cable machine set to mid-chest height.
Stand side-on to the pulley with the handle in both hands. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core.
Pull your hands into your chest and step away from the machine.
Without moving your hips or shoulders, extend your arms out in front of you.
Bend your arms and return your hands to your chest.
Repeat for the required number of reps and then switch sides.
Benefits:
Minimal lower back stress.
Very scalable – just add or subtract weight according to your needs.
An excellent exercise for integrating the upper and lower body with the core.
Tips:
The narrower your stance, the more challenging this exercise becomes.
Vary the height of your arms to work your core from different angles.
Do this exercise with a resistance band for home workouts.
3. Overhead Pallof press
Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
Where regular Pallof presses are an anti-rotation exercise, this version is an anti-extension exercise, so it hits your anterior abs more than your obliques. This challenging exercise is basically a standing, moving plank.
Steps:
Attach a rope handle to a high pulley. Grab the handle and then turn your back to the machine. Hold your hands at shoulder height and brace your core. Adopt a split stance for balance.
Without leaning forward or backward, press your arms above your head.
Return your hands to your shoulders and repeat.
Benefits:
A full-body standing abs exercise.
Good for increasing core and upper body stability.
Can be made as hard or as easy as required by adjusting the weight
Tips:
You can also do this exercise with a resistance band.
The closer/narrower your feet, the more challenging this exercise will be.
Exhale as you raise your arms to increase core engagement.
4. Dumbbell side bend
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
Many people do this exercise with a dumbbell in each hand – don’t be one of them. Using two weights means one dumbbell counterbalances the other, rendering the exercise useless. Use one dumbbell only, and you’ll get a much better core workout.
Steps:
Hold a dumbbell in one hand, arm by your side. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
Lean to the side and lower the weight down the outside of your leg.
Stand upright and repeat.
Benefits:
An effective dynamic oblique exercise.
Good for increasing lateral mobility.
A useful forearm and grip strengthening exercise.
Tips:
Keep your hips and shoulders squared – no twisting.
Use a kettlebell instead of a dumbbell if you wish.
Hold a weight in one hand only!
5. Landmine full-contact twists
Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis.
A landmine is a simple device that turns a barbell into a functional workout machine. You can do many exercises with a landmine, and they’re all excellent. No landmine? No problem! Just wedge the end of your barbell into a corner or against the bottom of a squat rack. Full contact twists are an excellent standing core exercise.
Steps:
Place one end of your barbell in the landmine, and grab the other in both hands.
Lift the bar and hold it above your head with your hands close together, palms facing inward.
Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back. Press the bar forward and down into the landmine.
Maintaining your core tension, rotate your shoulders and arms and lower the bar down to one side. Turn your hips in the same direction as your arms.
Lift the weight back to the center and repeat on the opposite side.
Continue alternating sides for the duration of your set, driving your arms forward and down throughout.
Benefits:
An excellent exercise for athletes.
Can be performed with heavy weights to develop a strong, powerful core.
A full-body, functional, total core strength exercise.
Tips:
Raise the weight explosively but lower it slowly to make this exercise as effective as possible.
Don’t just use your arms for this exercise; put your entire body into each rep.
Keep flexing your abs throughout.
6. Saxon side bend
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
The Saxon side bend is named after old-school professional strongman Arthur Saxon. As a strongman performer, Saxon did incredible feats of strength live onstage, often in front of enormous crowds. The Saxon side bend was one of his favorite exercises for developing core strength.
Steps:
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold and raise a weight above your head, e.g., a medicine ball or a single dumbbell.
Without twisting your shoulders or hips, lean from one side to the other to challenge your core.
Adjust your range of motion according to your flexibility and mobility.
Benefits:
You don’t need heavy weights for this exercise; a little goes a long way.
Good for improving lumbar spine lateral mobility.
An effective shoulder stability exercise.
Tips:
Don’t go too heavy too soon – this exercise is more strenuous than it looks!
Hold the weight in front of your chest to shorten the lever and make this exercise easier.
Do not allow your hips or shoulders to twist, as doing so makes this exercise less effective.
7. Cable high-to-low woodchop
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
This exercise is so-called because, when you do it, you look a little like you are chopping wood. The cable woodchop is an effective oblique strengthener and teaches you how to integrate your upper and lower body with your core.
Steps:
Attach a D-shaped handle to a high cable machine. Hold the handle in both hands and then stand sideways onto the pulley. Take 1-2 steps away to tension the cable.
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
Keeping your arms straight, turn your upper body through 180 degrees so your hands travel diagonally downward to hip height.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Do the same number of reps on each side.
Benefits:
Easy to modify for all levels of exerciser.
Teaches you how to brace your core while using your upper and lower body.
A very lower back-friendly exercise.
Tips:
You can also do this exercise with horizontal arms or working from low to high.
Try shifting your weight from one leg to the other as you rotate your upper body.
No cable machine? Do this exercise with a resistance band attached to a sturdy anchor.
8. Standing oblique crunch
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
Not all standing abs exercises use cables or weights to strengthen your core. This movement might not be overly challenging, but it provides your abs and obliques with a pleasant workout. Best of all, you can do it anywhere and anytime, as no equipment is involved.
Steps:
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Clasp your hands behind your head and press your elbows out and back to open your chest. Brace your core.
Bend one leg and lift your knee out and up. Simultaneously lean sideways and lower your elbow down toward your need.
Lower your leg, stand back up, and repeat.
Do the required number of reps and then switch sides.
Benefits:
A standing, equipment-free abs exercise you can do anywhere and anytime.
Ideal for beginners.
A good way to mobilize your hips and lower back as you work your abs.
Tips:
Do this exercise with an alternating action if preferred.
Make this exercise harder by wearing ankle weights.
Pause at the mid-point of each rep to maximally contract your abs and make this exercise more effective.
9. Standing bicycle crunch
Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis.
Regular bicycle crunches are an excellent, if highly challenging, abs exercise. This standing version is far more accessible, making it ideal for beginners. It’s also a useful teaching exercise before attempting full bicycle crunches and can also be used as a warm-up. However, the overload on your abs is pretty low, so make sure you contract your muscles hard to gain any benefits.
Steps:
Stand with your feet together, knees slightly bent for balance. Place your hands on your temples. Brace your abs.
Bend one leg and lift your knee up and across the front of your body. Simultaneously lean forward and lower your opposite knee to your elbow.
Stand up straight, lower your foot to the floor, and then repeat on the other side.
Continue alternating sides for the duration of your set.
Benefits:
A good standing abs exercise for beginners.
An excellent hip and spine mobility exercise.
A good move to prepare you for full bicycle crunches.
Tips:
Do not clasp your hands behind your neck, as you are more likely to pull with your arms if you do.
Pause at the midpoint of each rep for maximum effectiveness.
Drive your supporting foot into the floor to make balancing on one leg easier.
10. Single-arm dumbbell press
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
While dumbbell presses are usually viewed as an upper-body exercise, they also provide an effective abs workout. Done standing, the single-arm dumbbell press is as good for your abs as it is for your shoulders.
Steps:
Hold a dumbbell in one hand at shoulder height. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core.
Without leaning sideways, press your weight up and overhead to arm’s length.
Lower the weight back to your shoulder and repeat.
On completion of your set, swap sides and repeat.
Benefits:
An effective and accessible lateral core exercise.
A great time-saver – work your core, deltoids, and triceps simultaneously.
An excellent way to integrate your core with your upper body.
Tips:
Do the same number of reps on both sides.
Stand with your feet closer together to make this exercise harder.
You can also do this exercise with a barbell instead of a dumbbell:
11. Suitcase deadlift
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
When most people do deadlifts, they do them to build full-body strength or a bigger, more muscular back. However, this variation is a very effective if challenging standing abs exercise. You’ll need to use all your core muscles to maintain a neutral spine, so your abs will be acting as stabilizers. This is how your core usually works in nature, so this is a very functional movement.
Steps:
Place a kettlebell or dumbbell on the floor and stand next to it so the handle is parallel to your feet.
Bend down and hold the handle with a neutral or palms-in grip.
Pull your shoulders down and back, brace your core, and look straight ahead.
Drive your feet into the floor and stand up straight. Do not lean sideways or round your back.
Lower the weight back to the floor, allow it to settle for 1-2 seconds, and repeat.
Turn around and do the same number of reps on the opposite side.
Benefits:
A very functional exercise.
Teaches you how to safely lift heavy objects off the ground.
Helps identify and fix left-to-right strength imbalances.
Tips:
Use gym chalk to prevent your hands from slipping.
Perform this exercise in front of a mirror to ensure you don’t lean to the side.
You can also do this exercise with a barbell.
12. Single-arm farmer’s walk
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
This is another standing core exercise that many people do for an entirely different reason. Farmer’s walks are a well-known grip and general conditioning exercise. However, when performed using just one weight, it quickly becomes a very challenging abs workout.
Steps:
Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand with your arm by your side. Brace your core and set your hips and shoulders so they are level.
Without leaning to either side, walk around your training area.
Having completed the required distance, lower the weight to the floor, swap hands, and repeat.
Benefits:
A very functional standing abs exercise.
An excellent way to spot and fix left-to-right strength imbalances.
A challenging grip-building exercise.
Tips:
Use chalk to stop your hands from slipping.
Keep your shoulders down and back throughout.
Lower the weight to the floor as you feel your grip starting to give out. Don’t drop the weight.
13. Standing ab wheel rollout
Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
Standing abs exercises don’t come much more challenging than the infamous rollout. This exercise combines extended planks with a pull-over arm action, making it one of the most brutal core exercises around. Only attempt this move if you have mastered the kneeling ab wheel rollout.
Steps:
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold your ab wheel with an overhand grip.
Brace your core, bend your knees slightly, and lean forward to place the ab wheel on the floor in front of your feet.
Keeping your arms straight, push the roller out and away, lowering your body toward the floor. Extend your arms as far as you can without losing core tension.
Pull the wheel back toward your feet, lifting your hips up as you do so.
Continue for the prescribed number of reps.
Benefits:
Probably the most challenging standing abs exercise.
Provides an effective lat-building workout.
An ideal exercise for home workouts.
Tips:
Do this exercise facing a wall to prevent the wheel from rolling too far.
Only extend your arms as far as comfortable to avoid injuring your lower back.
Rest on your knees to make this exercise easier.
14. TRX Hip drops
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
The TRX was invented by a Navy SEAL who wanted a portable training device he could take on deployment. TRXs can be used to replicate many machine and dumbbell exercises, and there are several unique bodyweight movements you can do with this type of suspension trainer. TRX hip drops are an especially challenging lateral core exercise.
Steps:
Attach your TRX to a high anchor point. Hold the handles on both hands and raise your arms above your head so your body is straight.
Lean your hips out to the side so your body forms a distinct C shape.
Pull your hips back to the center and repeat.
Continue for the prescribed number of reps and then switch sides.
Benefits:
An excellent exercise for home workouts.
A very functional, challenging standing abs exercise.
Easy to change the difficulty by varying your range of motion.
Tips:
Place your feet closer together to make this exercise harder.
The longer the straps, the more challenging this exercise becomes.
You can also do this exercise with gymnastic rings and other types of suspension trainer.
15. Single-arm cable chest press
Muscles targeted: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis.
No, we haven’t included this exercise by mistake. Despite its name, the single-arm chest press is actually a terrific standing abs exercise. You’ll need to use all your core muscles to stabilize your midsection as you extend and bend your arm. But yes, it’s also a great chest exercise!
Steps:
Attach a single handle to a chest-high cable machine. Hold the handle and turn your back on the pulley so the wire runs outside or under your arm.
Step forward into a split stance for balance. Brace your core.
With your hips and shoulders still, press your arm forward and out to full extension.
Return the handle to the side of your chest, and repeat.
Switch sides and do the same number of reps with the opposite arm.
Benefits:
Teaches you how to stabilize your spine while moving your arms.
An excellent exercise for athletes.
An easy exercise to modify for all fitness levels.
Tips:
Bring your feet closer together to make this exercise more challenging.
Use your core to make sure your torso doesn’t twist.
Pair with single-arm cable rows to work your abs from the front and back.
16. Single-leg Romanian deadlift
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
Single-leg Romanian deadlifts are an excellent exercise for your glutes and hamstrings. However, you’ll also need to use your core to stabilize your spine and prevent your upper body from twisting. As such, it’s also a great standing abs exercise.
Steps:
Stand with your feet together and a dumbbell or kettlebell in your left hand. Shift your weight onto your right foot. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
Hinging from your hips, bend forward and lower the weight down the front of your leg. Lift your left leg out behind you for balance.
Stand back up and repeat.
Rest a moment and then change legs, remembering to switch hands, too.
Benefits:
Teaches you how to integrate your core with your upper and lower body.
A very lower back-friendly exercise.
An excellent balance-building workout.
Tips:
Do this exercise next to a wall and use your free hand for balance if required.
You can also keep your non-supporting foot resting lightly on the floor for balance, i.e., a kickstand or B-stance Romanian deadlift.
Keep your supporting knee slightly bent throughout.
17. Kettlebell around the world
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis.
Many of the best standing core exercises work one side of your abs at a time. This one is slightly different as it works your entire core in one straightforward movement. Done with light weights, this exercise is an excellent warm-up for your whole midsection. But, done with greater loads, it’s a challenging yet fun total abs exercise.
Steps:
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent for balance. Brace your abs. Hold a kettlebell in front of your hips.
Swing the weight around your waist, transferring from one hand to the other behind your back and in front of your hips.
Use your core muscles to resist being pulled toward the weight.
Continue for the desired number of reps, rest a moment, and then switch directions.
Benefits:
A very time-efficient exercise.
Very little lower back stress.
An excellent way to mobilize your shoulders and activate your deep core muscles before more demanding exercises.
Tips:
Keep your feet planted firmly on the floor to maintain your balance.
Lift your chest and set your shoulders down and back throughout.
Use gym chalk to stop the kettlebell handle from slipping out of your hands.
Standing Abs Exercises – FAQs
Do you have a question about standing abs exercises or core training in general? That’s okay because we’ve got the answers!
1. Will these standing abs exercises give me a six-pack?
While many of these exercises involve your six-pack muscle – the rectus abdominis – there is no guarantee that doing them will give you six-pack abs. That’s because, for the contours of your abs to be visible, you need to have a low body fat percentage. This is typically ten percent or less for men and below 15 percent for women.
It’s entirely possible to have well-develop abs but for them not to be visible because they’re hidden under a layer of fat.
So, while these standing abs exercises COULD lead to a six-pack, your results hinge on your diet as much as your workouts.
2. How many reps and sets should I do of these exercises?
You can do anywhere from 5 to 30 reps to train your abs. Low reps with heavy weights are best for building brute strength, while higher reps and lighter loads are better for endurance, hypertrophy, and general fitness.
However, some exercises lend themselves to higher or lower reps. For example, suitcase deadlifts work well with bigger loads, while standing bicycle crunches are more suitable for higher reps.
Very high reps, i.e., more than 30, are not recommended as they are largely a waste of time and not challenging enough to be effective.
Regardless, you should take each set to within a couple of reps of failure. Easy sets won’t have much of an effect on the condition of your abs.
Regarding the number of sets, 2-4 should be sufficient for most people. If you feel you need to do more than this, you probably aren’t training close enough to failure, or you are resting too long between sets.
3. XYZ exercise hurts my back – what gives?
While the majority of these standing abs exercises are very lower back-friendly, some will put a strain on your lumbar spine. Others can cause back pain when performed incorrectly or with too much weight.
So, if any of these exercises hurt your back, firstly, make sure you are performing them correctly. Perfect form is critical for a safe and pain-free workout. Then dial back the weight a little to see if that helps.
If you still feel your lower back, skip that movement and do something else. It could be that the exercise in question just doesn’t suit you.
4. Are standing abs exercises better than those performed lying down?
While standing abs exercises offer several advantages, that doesn’t mean they’re better than more traditional lying abs exercises. Ultimately, the best exercises for you are the ones you like, and that meet your workout needs.
If you want to isolate your abs, lying exercises are often best, as they don’t involve many additional muscle groups. But, if you want a more functional workout, standing exercises are arguably the better choice.
Or, you could just combine standing and lying abs exercises and enjoy all the benefits these two different types of training provide. There is no need to choose between them.
5. Will these exercises burn belly fat?
Many people think that doing lots of abs exercises will burn belly fat. Sadly, this is nothing but an old exercise myth. Your body stores and then burns fat from all over your body, not just from the areas you train. As such, if you want to burn fat and get lean, you need to work your entire body and not just where you want to lose the fat from.
So, sorry, these exercises will NOT burn belly fat.
Closing Thoughts
There is no need to head straight to the floor to train your abs. In fact, there are plenty of standing abs exercises that are every bit as effective as the ubiquitous crunches, sit-ups, and leg raises.
Movements like cable high-to-low woodchops, Saxon side bends, standing cable crunches, and standing bicycle crunches are ideal for those times when you don’t want to lie down or just want to hit your abs from a different, more functional angle.
Are standing abs exercises better than ab exercises done on the floor? Not necessarily. However, they may be more suitable for some exercisers and are worth including in any well-balanced core workout plan.
8 Closely-Guarded Secrets of Guys with Abs, Revealed!
“I don’t want six-pack abs” – No-one ever.
Abs are one of the most sought-after muscle groups. Besides making you look super fit, a shredded midsection can make you a hit among the women, or at least this is what Instagram Reels makes us believe.
Quick question: Have you ever seen a Greek god statue without a chiseled midriff? Heck, superhero costumes come with six-pack engravings.
The grown men in costumes want the world to know they have a shredded abdomen under the suit. We cannot think of another reason why a superhero would need abs drawn on his outfit. We are pretty sure it does not help fight the bad guys, but we digress.
Carving a Greek god-like midsection requires a lot of patience, persistence, and determination. More than all of this, it requires you to watch what you put in your mouth throughout the day. It came out wrong, but we hope you get what we mean.
So, you have a big day coming up in eight weeks, and you want to sport a six-pack for the special occasion? We hate to be the ones breaking this to you, but you are never going to look like a cover model in such a short period, especially if you have never hit a gym or followed a strict diet plan before.
If you are a fitness noob, the only chance of a physique transformation you have in such limited time is to make best friends with a guy who is into selling juice. Just so you know, we are not talking about fruit juices here.
Related: Best on the Planet! Physiques with Picture Perfect 6-Pack Abs
8 Closely-Guarded Secrets of Guys with Abs
Carving a six-pack is much more than a weekend project. It requires a lot of trial and error, and individuals usually need to follow a personalized approach to see optimal results.
But if you study the techniques and habits of people with a shredded midsection, you will find a lot of similarities. They might be eating different amounts of calories in a day or performing different exercises, but they are usually following the same principles.
Decrypting the Secrets Behind Building Abs
Here are eight totally doable things guys with a ripped midsection do every day of the week:
1. Start with You!
No two individuals have the same body composition. Let’s say you want to have a midsection like Wolverine. But before you start your transformation journey, you need to complete a very important step. No, we are not talking about buying adamantium from the black market.
To ensure an effective transformation, you need to do the preliminary work. Note down your current body fat percentage, weight, and goal numbers.
Put down your current diet plan into a calorie tracking app and figure out your daily caloric intake and the macronutrient breakdown. This and not crunches should be the first exercise you do if you want to build picture-perfect abs.
On top of that, many rookies make the mistake of choosing a super-strict diet program right out of the gates. Building abs requires you to drop your body fat considerably that, if done sustainably, can take some time. You want to follow a diet that consists of your favorite food (healthy) and fits your environment.
You do not want to pick a diet from YouTube that has you eating exotic foods that are not available in your neighborhood or relies heavily on seasonal fruits that can burn a hole in your pocket.
Check Out: Zac Perna’s Guide To Picture Perfect Abs
2. Crunches (alone) are Not Going to Cut it
If you think you can crunch your way to a six-pack, you are in for a rude shock. By the way, when we say “crunch,” we are referring to all the abdominal exercises – leg raise, plank, Russian twist, and the works.
Building a solid core requires much more than performing these exercises in isolation. Your core stabilizes the entire body and helps transfer power between your lower and upper limbs, and training it that way yields the best results.
Compound exercises that challenge your full-body stability and power should be a constant in your ab training routine. The clean and jerk and snatch are a couple of compound lifts you should be doing if you want a shredded midriff.
Other multi-joint lifts like barbell front squat and kettlebell goblet squat are also great for building a strong anterior chain.
3. Do NOT Be Afraid of Carbs
Many fitness newbies make the mistake of demonizing carbs. They think the bread loaf is the reason why they are not able to build abs. Only when they cut out the villain, can they have the six-pack of their dreams, or so they think.
Contrary to what most people think, carbs from nutrient-dense whole foods can give you the energy to perform high-intensity workouts, recover properly, drop body-fat percentage, and, in the end, develop a six-pack.
As per research, high-quality carbs can help boost endurance performance, burn fat, and build muscle.
Now, the next logical question would be – If you are just starting your fitness journey, how many carbs should you be eating every day?
While every individual is different and might need a different amount of carbs to see optimal results, 1g of carbs per pound of your bodyweight per day is a good starting point for most abs-chasing guys.
We highly recommend taking a professional’s help when you are starting out. It will help shorten your learning curve drastically. While we understand it might cost a little money upfront, it will pay dividends in the long run.
4. Be Like Johnie Walker, Always “Keep Walking”
Let us let you in a little secret. Guys with a six-pack do not train their abs every day or work out every day, for that matter. But one thing all of them do consistently is move.
The WFH lifestyle has turned many people into couch potatoes. Walking from their room to their car and from their car to their office was the only workout most of these people got pre-COVID. Now that it is gone, they spend most of their day hunched over a computer screen or phone.
Homo sapiens evolved into hunters and gatherers. Our bodies were not designed to be completely sedentary. Sitting for long durations can contribute to tightness, poor blood and nutrient transport to your muscles, and a sluggish metabolism.
If you cannot go out for a daily walk on your rest days, make sure you are doing at least 15 minutes of stretching. It will help ease your muscles and get your blood pumping.
Besides, you should make the most of your rest days and focus on optimizing your recovery process. Getting your blood flowing throughout your body is key to recovery. Any movement that gets your limbs to stretch through a large range of motion at a relatively low intensity can be beneficial.
Next Read: Debunked: The Top 5 Myths About Six Pack Abs
5. Food is Your Fuel
When training to build abs, many people like to starve themselves. Eating too few calories can be counterproductive to your six-pack goal. Consuming fewer calories than your body needs to function optimally can put you in a catabolic state.
When you are in a catabolic state, you are breaking down or losing overall mass, both fat and muscle. Your body does this to sustain its energy reserves.
So, burning muscle by being in a catabolic state and building abs do not go hand-in-hand. If you had an intense training session, do not hold yourself back from a high-calorie meal. It might be exactly what your body needs at that point.
6. Sleep Your Way To a Six-Pack
Working out does not give you abs. It helps carve your abs, but it is not the be-all and end-all of building a six-pack. Everyone has abs, but most people have their abs hidden underneath a layer of body fat.
To build a shredded mid-riff, you need to fix your diet, train your core optimally, and rest. You break muscle tissue when you are training in the gym. Your muscles grow back bigger, stronger, and more defined when you are in deep sleep.
On top of that, lack of sleep puts your body under stress and has a detrimental impact on your metabolism and hormonal balance, resulting in increased appetite and accumulation of abdominal fat
If your goal is to build a six-pack, you need to sleep at least seven hours every night. However, if you are unable to log the seven hours in a single night, make up for it by napping during the day.
Next Read: Build Superhero Abs with these 5 Routines
7. Protein is Your Savior
Protein is the building block for your muscles. It is no secret that protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to building muscle mass.
There is a reason why most shredded guys have protein in every meal. Not only does protein make you feel full for long periods, but it also helps in burning body fat, even when you are not physically active.
Your preferred protein sources should include turkey breast, soybeans, red meat, and mung beans. They are rich in the powerful muscle-building amino acid leucine.
8. Cut Out the Junk
Nothing kills an ab-building dream faster than junk food. If you are setting out on your transformation journey, you should avoid processed foods at all costs.
Processed foods are high in refined and added sugars, sodium, fat, and other inflammatory chemicals that can interfere with your ability to sculpt a six-pack.
Also, calories from processed food can be more fattening than those from whole foods. Refined foods are processed to the point where they are digested quickly, and the body can absorb more of these calories. This helps add to McDonald’s bottom line and your waistline.
But what about cheat meals, you ask?
Well, forget about eating junk food until you have visible and defined abs.
Related: How To Get A Six-Pack (Post Pandemic Edition)
Bonus
Six-Pack Ab Workout
There are plenty of reasons to want a strong set of abs. Since they are incredibly difficult to carve, one of these reasons could be that they provide a fitness challenge.
To sculpt your midsection, you need to incorporate exercises that target all four major muscle groups in your midsection – the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal obliques, and external obliques.
Here is an ab workout you can do at your home that will help you build a shredded midriff:
Circuit: 3-rounds
Bicycle Crunch: 10 reps, no rest
Side Hip Bridge: 10 reps (on each side), no rest
Reverse Crunch: 10 reps, no rest
Air Chop: 10 reps, no rest
Shoulder Tap: 10 reps (each side), no rest
Extended Arm Plank Bird Dog: 10 reps (each side), no rest
Extended Arm Plank To T-Raise: 10 reps (each side), no rest
Plank to Toe Touch: 10 reps (each side), no rest
Russian Twist: 10 reps (each side), no rest
Hollow Hold: 30-seconds, 1-minute rest
Six-Pack Ab Diet
Here is a sample 8-week six-pack diet plan to help you build the abs of your dreams.
Note: This diet is designed for people weighing around 170 lbs. You can follow the same diet if you are in the 160-180 lbs range.
Phase 1: Weeks 1-4
Meal 1: Breakfast
4 egg whites
1 whole egg
3 oz chicken breast
½ cup green pepper
1 medium apple
Meal 2: Snack
Coconut-Lime Chicken Bites with Baked Zucchini Fries
Meal 3: Lunch
4 oz turkey breast, boneless, skinless
½ cup brown cooked rice
1 cup broccoli, steamed
½ large grapefruit
Meal 4: Snack
⅔ cup cottage cheese
¼ cup blueberries
10 almonds, chopped
Meal 5: Dinner
Spicy Citrus Shrimp with Quinoa
Meal 6: Bedtime
20g whey protein isolate
½ tbsp peanut butter, natural
Daily Totals:
Calories: 1,480
Protein: 169g
Carbs: 119g
Fat: 40g
Phase 2: Weeks 5-8
Meal 1: Breakfast
3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
½ cup green pepper
6 almonds (as a side)
Meal 2: Snack
Purple Sweet Potato Parfait
Meal 3: Lunch
4 oz turkey breast, boneless, skinless
½ cup brown cooked rice
1 cup broccoli, steamed
½ large grapefruit
Meal 4: Snack
⅔ cup cottage cheese
¼ cup blueberries
10 almonds, chopped
Meal 5: Meal Dinner
Chicken Kababs with Mediterranean Brown Rice
Meal 6: Bedtime
20g whey protein isolate
½ tbsp peanut butter, natural
Daily Totals:
Calories: 1,437
Protein: 164g
Carbs: 124g,
Fat: 34g
Phase 3: Weeks 9-12
Meal 1: Breakfast
½ cup oatmeal, uncooked
20g chocolate whey protein
½ tbsp coconut oil
Meal 2: Snack
½ cup egg whites
3 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
½ cup green peppers, chopped
½ large grapefruit
Meal 3: Lunch
1 cup broccoli
½ cup cooked brown rice
4 oz turkey breast, boneless, skinless
Meal 4: Snack
Baked Sole with Grapefruit Avocado Salsa and ½ cup brown rice
Meal 5: Dinner
Sweet Chili-Lime Barbecue Chicken with Cucumber Salad
Meal 6: Bedtime
6 egg whites
1 cup baby spinach
Daily Totals:
Calories: 1,311
Protein: 152g
Carbs: 122g,
Fat: 24g
Which is your favorite ab exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
The Most Effective Training Split For A Ripped Six-Pack
Get A Six-Pack With This Workout
Abs are one of the most-desired muscles and if you look around in your gym at any time, you’ll surely see at least one person working on his midriff. Even after all the frenzy, only a few people succeed in building washboard abs.
After you have your diet in place, we would recommend that you perform the workout given below every three days. The training split is designed to train your abs from all the angles to ensure overall development.
Superset
– Cable Crunches – 3 Sets 20 Reps
– Hanging Leg Raises – 3 Sets 20 Reps
You’ll be starting the workout with an isolation exercise to exhaust your abs at the beginning of your ab training. The kneeling cable crunches help in targetting your upper and middle abs.
Hanging leg raises is the superset isolation exercise meant to work your lower abs. The lower abs can be a weak muscle group for most people which holds stubborn fat. While performing the hanging leg raises, make sure your knees are locked and your legs are in a straight line throughout the exercise.
Decline Crunches – 3 Sets 25 Reps
If you have been performing the ab exercises for some time now, chances are you might have become comfortable doing them. If this is the case, we would urge you to add resistance to the exercises by using weights.
Hold a dumbbell or a weight plate with your hands while your arms are extended forward. Your back should touch the decline bench at the bottom of the movement, and your torso should be perpendicular to the floor at the top.
Russian Twists – 3 Sets Failure
The obliques are one of the most overlooked muscles when it comes to ab training. The obliques are the fish-gill like muscles at the side of your abs. You can efficiently target your obliques by performing side-to-side exercises like the Russian twists.
Sit on an exercise mat with your knees bent and heels placed on the floor while your back is at a 60-degree angle with the floor. Hold a dumbbell or weight plate with both your hands with your arms extended forward. Turn to your right side while keeping your head pointing forward. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side.
Superset
– Incline Bench Heals To Heaven – 3 Sets Failure
– Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3 Sets 12 Reps
The incline bench heals to heaven is arguably the hardest exercise on the list. Lie down with your back on an ab bench while it is set in a decline position. Elevate your legs so they are perpendicular to the floor while maintaining a slight bend in your knees.
Lift your hips off the bench and raise your legs as high as you can while elevating your lower back off the bench. Return to the starting position and repeat for the recommended reps.
Only a few other exercises work the complete abdomen like the ab wheel rollouts. Your upper body should be in a straight line with your arms fully extended at the bottom of the movement.
Planks – 3 Sets 2 Minutes
The planks and the ab wheel rollouts are exercises that work on the core strength and can help you gain overall strength. While planks might look easy, they’ll test what you’re made of when you try them.
Most people make the mistake of raising their hips or letting them dip as it elevates tension off the core. Your body should be in a straight line and your core contracted while you’re performing the planks.
How often do you train your abs? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
How To Get A Six-Pack (Post Pandemic Edition)
A complete guide to sculpting the perfect six-pack abs
Crafting a six-pack is hard. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. We wish getting a six-pack was as easy as grabbing a six-pack of beer from a store. Also, we think the alcoholic beverage companies are playing a practical joke on us. Or do they want it to act like a reminder that a six-pack of beer will never let you have six-pack abs? You be the judge.
The pandemic has been rough, especially for fitness enthusiasts. The mayhem that the coronavirus caused put us in an unexpected situation. Who would have thought we would be locked in our houses for months on end. The lockdown situation didn’t bode well for our bodies either.
While we did see the WFH culture take on a new life last year, it didn’t translate the same way for the fitness scene. The reason behind it is not so hard to figure. People have a motivation to work – money, but the same doesn’t always apply to fitness.
Ways To Build A Six-Pack After The Pandemic
Now that most of us have started training at gyms again, it’s time to create a blueprint for achieving our dream physiques. Washboard abs are a result of optimal training, nutrition, and recovery programs. Falling off in any of these can throw you off track.
Read also: 5 Gym Habits You Should Follow Post COVID
If Cap’n Crunch is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions crunches, you know you have some work to do. In this article, we will help you build a six-pack from scratch. Even if you’re a fitness newbie or an advanced lifter, you’ll take something away today.
1. Diet
Remember: Abs are made in the kitchen and crafted in the gym. You shouldn’t expect to build a chiseled midsection while feasting on burgers every other day. Your first step towards a six-pack should be to get your diet in order.
Your diet plan will vary depending on your current body fat percentage and the excess weight you need to shed. Everyone has abs, but most of us love them so much that we have them protected under a layer of fat.
Switch to a calorie deficit diet – meaning you need to be burning more calories than you’re consuming. Since you were in your house for a big chunk of the year, you could be running a calorie surplus.
How to Design Your Diet Plan:
Use A Calorie Tracking App – Apps like MyFitnessPal and HealthifyMe are great for logging your daily food intake. You should log your meals for at least a week before checking your average daily calorie and macronutrient intake and breakdown.
Find Out How Many Calories You Need – There are many online calculators which will tell how many calories you need to be eating based on your age, height, weight, and gender. Use this calculator to find your daily calorie intake goal and this for the macronutrient goals.
Choose Your Food – Wisely – Some people make designing a diet plan sound harder than it is. After you know how many calories you need to be eating every day, you should begin putting down food items that meet your goals in a planner. The apps mentioned above have an extensive list of food items with different nutrient values. Selecting foods that fit your lifestyle is very crucial. You don’t want to add food items to your list that are too exotic or expensive.
Follow The Diet Plan – Might sound basic, but following the program can be the roughest part of dieting.
2. Training
Most people are never able to build a six-pack because they stick to vanilla ab workouts. If a few crunches and sit-ups are your idea of an ab workout, you shouldn’t even bother starting.
Break down your midriff training into sections. Your workouts should consist of different exercises to train your upper, middle, and lower abs. Oblique training is another overlooked aspect of core training. Follow the workouts mentioned below to take your abdominal to the next level.
Workout 1
Hanging Leg Raises – 3 Sets 20-30 Reps
Cable Crunches – 3 Sets 20-30 Reps
Planks – 3 Sets 1 Minute-Each
Mountain Climbers – 3 Sets 20-30 Reps
Jumping Jacks – 3 Sets 1-Minute Each
Workout 2
Flutter Kicks – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Alternating Leg Lowers – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Side Planks – 3 Sets 1-Minute Each
Glute Bridge March – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
High Knee Running – 3 Sets 1-Minute Each
Workout 3
Lying Windshield Wipers – 3 Sets 20-30 Reps
Crunches – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Superman Planks – 3 Sets 90-Seconds Each
V-Ups – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Burpees – 3 Sets 2-Minutes Each
Workout 4
Russian Twists – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Ab Wheel Rollouts – 3 Sets 10-20 Reps
Push-Up Planks – 3 Sets 90-Seconds Each
TRX Mountain Climbers – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Squat Jumps – 3 Sets 2-Minutes Each
Workout 5
Stability Ball Knee Tucks – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Barbell Oblique Twists – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps Each Side
Planks Pulses – 3 Sets 1-Minute Each
Jackknives – 3 Sets 30-40 Reps
Jump Rope – 3 Sets 2-Minutes Each
Training Frequency
Many fitness newbies make the mistake of training their abs every day. You don’t need to spend hours working on it. An intense 30-minute session is enough to get the job done.
Cardio (HIIT)
Cardio sessions are a must if you want a midsection that the Greek Gods approve. You should program a HIIT cardio session at the end of every resistance workout. Also, if you want a six-pack, forget rest days. Active rest days are the closest you get to no physical activity.
3. Recovery
Since your midsection is a small muscle group, it needs time to recover from brutal workouts. As a rule of thumb, don’t train your abs if they are sore. And, if you are training your abs more than thrice a week – you are doing too much.
Some ways of improving your recovery after workouts:
Drink at least a gallon of water every day.
Never miss a post-workout meal.
Use a post-workout supplement if you need it.
Wear compression clothing.
Warm-up before weight training.
Cool-down post workouts.
Make foam rolling and stretching a part of your training routine.
Take a cold shower.
Conclusion
If you had a ripped midsection before the onset of the pandemic, you have a headstart. Your muscle memory is going to help you get back in shape in no time. On the other hand, newbies should stick to the workout, diet, and recovery programs for a minimum of six months before expecting any results.
How often do you train your abs? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.