15 Best Abs Exercises To Develop Stronger Abs

BEST ABS EXERCISES 

Do you want to develop stronger abs? Are you trying to unlock your full core strength potential? Then you have come to the right blog. Here are the “15 BEST ABS EXERCISES” which will help you to achieve incredible core strength, well-developed abs (Given if you are in a healthy or single-digit body fat percentage) and make you strong overall.

[NOTE:- There is no such thing called “BEST ABS EXERCISE” because ‘FITNESS VARIES AS PEOPLE VARY’, so what is best for you may not be best for the other person because of various factors like flexibility, injury history, grip strength, etc.

• So, any exercise which you can execute with proper form in a moderate to high rep range is best. The only thing is that these “15 ABS EXERCISES” are comparatively better and challenging based on the research and EMG (Electromyography) activity.]

Abs Anatomy (Parts of Abs)

A fully-developed abs basically contains 3 major parts:

1. Rectus Abdominis
2. Obliques
3. Serratus Anterior

The rectus abdominis comprises 2 segments: (i) The upper abs and (ii) the lower abs. 10 Best Tricep Exercises: Grow Muscular And Strong Arms

(A) Best Ab Exercises for Rectus Abdominis

1) Dragon Flag

Dragon Flag can be hailed as the “King of the abs exercises”. This exercise is renowned because of the legendary martial artist, “Bruce Lee”. It requires a moderate amount of lat strength as well. Its difficulty is extremely high. How to do it? 

STEP-1:- Lie down on the floor with your back on the ground and grab a pole or lower-support bar which is above your head. Hands can be straight or slightly-bend. 

STEP-2:- Depress your shoulders (Push your shoulder-blades down) and tilt your elbows inward. 

STEP-3:- Pull your body up in an inverted position so that your whole body is in a straight line and your whole body should be resting on your upper back. 

STEP-4:- Keep your glutes and abs squeezed (Posterior Pelvic Tilt), legs straight and together and toes pointed. 

STEP-5:- Lower down your body while maintaining the straight body line and once you reach closer to the ground, pull back up. 

2) Ab Wheel Rollouts

This is another great abs exercise which you can do for your abs and it also requires a moderate amount of chest and lat strength to support your whole body. Here’s how to do it:

STEP-1:- Grab an ab-wheel and bend your body forward so that the ab wheel touches the ground and keep your feet on the ground. 

STEP-2:- Now extend your body by rolling out the ab-wheel straight and in front of your body so that your body gets parallel to the ground. 

STEP-3:- Keep your arms and legs together and straight and maintain a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes) throughout the movement. Do not arch your back even at the hardest position. 

*NOTE- If you find this too difficult you can do this exercise on your knees instead of your feet. Best Back Exercises To Grow A Wider And Thicker Back

3) Lalanne Push-ups

Lalanne push-ups are one of the hardest push-ups and abs exercises which you will ever come across. It works on your abs in the extended position which makes it extremely difficult. How to do it?

STEP-1:- Get in a plank position with your fingers on the ground, keep your legs shoulder-width apart and maintain a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes). 

STEP-2:- Now extend your body backwards so that your body almost gets parallel to the ground and now push your body a bit up and down while keeping the arms, legs and glutes as mentioned above.

4) Toes to the Bar

Toes to the bar exercise have a similar body movement just like ab-wheel roll out. In this exercise also, your hands are coming closer to your feet ensuring full ROM (Range Of Motion) for the abs. This exercise demands a lot of grip strength and mobility. Here are the steps you need to follow:

STEP-1:- Grab onto a pull-up bar and place your body in a straight line with hands straight, legs together and straight, toes pointed, shoulder blades retracted (Bring together) and depressed (Pushed down) and maintain a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your glutes and abs). 

STEP-2:- Now, lift your legs up while keeping them straight and together and maintaining the shoulders’ position, posterior pelvic tilt and do not move your body backwards, keep it straight. 

STEP-3:- Once your legs touch the bar, slowly bring them down. Do not arch your back throughout the movement. 

5) Leg Raises

Leg raises are basically an easier version of ‘toes to the bar’ in which you are not lifting your legs all the way up to the bar but only up to the parallel level to the ground. This requires comparatively lesser mobility. Here are the steps:

STEP-1:- Hang on a pull-up bar and position your body in a straight line with elbows straight and locked, legs together and straight, toes pointed, shoulder blades retracted (Bring together) and depressed (Pushed down) and maintain a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your glutes and abs). 

STEP-2:- Lift your legs up parallel to the ground while keeping them together and straight and maintaining the shoulders’ position, posterior pelvic tilt. 

STEP-3:- Once your legs reach parallel to the ground, slowly bring them down. Do not arch your back throughout the movement. 

6) Knee Raises

Knee raises are the easiest version among the ‘toes to the bar’ and ‘leg raises’ because the amount of lever is reduced further because your knees are bent. Following are the steps you need to follow:

STEP-1:- Hang on a pull-up bar and place your body in a straight line with hands straight, legs together and straight, toes pointed, shoulder blades retracted (Bring together) and depressed (Pushed down) and maintain a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your glutes and abs). 

STEP-2:- Pull your legs up while bending your knees and keeping them together. 

STEP-3:- Once your knees are parallel to the ground, bring them down slowly. Do not arch your back throughout the movement. 

7) Ab Pulldown/Cable Crunches/Rope Crunches

It acts like ‘Weighted Crunches’ and that’s why it is more challenging than normal crunches and the amount of weight you are lifting can also be increased. How to do it? 

STEP-1:- Take a step away from the cable machine and get on your knees so that your back faces the machine. 

STEP-2:- Grab the rope attachment of the machine with both your hands placed overhead, elbows bent and keep a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes). 

STEP-3:- Initiate the movement by rounding your upper and then pull the rope downwards with the strength of your body not by using your arms. Keep your arms bent and fixed throughout the movement and maintain the posterior pelvic tilt.

STEP-4:- Once your body reaches the lowest position possible, come back up while keeping your body folded. Once you get back to the initial position extend your upper back. 

8) Decline Crunches

This is comparatively harder than normal crunches because your body is suspended in the air and has nothing for support. Here’s what you need to do:

STEP-1:- Get on a decline/abdominal bench and keep a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes) and round your upper back. 

STEP-2:- Now slowly go down and come back up while maintaining the roundness of the body. 

9) Hollow Body Crunch

Hollow body crunch is one of the best abs exercises because you are not only raising your upper back but also your lower back which engages the abs the most. How to do it? 

STEP-1:- Lie down on the floor with your back on the ground. Raise your arms and legs in front of you perpendicular to the ground but keep your knees bent and your arms straight. 

STEP-2:- Raise your upper back off the ground and do a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes). 

STEP-3:- Now move one arm overhead and straight out the opposite leg and keep switching your arms and legs alternatively while maintaining the upper back position and posterior pelvic tilt. 

10) V-ups

V-ups are just like ‘toes to the bar’ exercise but this time you are doing it on the floor and you have the support of the ground. Here’s what you need to do:

STEP-1:- Lie down on the floor with your back on the ground and raise your arms overhead, legs straight and together and keep a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes). 

STEP-2:- Bring your hands and legs straight up together in sync by bending your body and once your hands touch your feet, slowly bring your body back. Do not arch your back throughout the movement.

11) Hollow Body Hold

This is a fantastic isometric ab exercise which unlocks immense body awareness and helps in learning other difficult abs exercises. All you have to do is:

STEP-1:- Lie down on the floor with your back on the ground and raise your arms straight overhead and elevate your shoulders. 

STEP-2:- Raise the upper back off the ground with your arms and do a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes). Lift your legs up a bit higher from the ground and keep your legs together, straight and your toes pointed.

STEP-3:- Now hold this position for as long as possible, at maximum for 2 minutes. 

12) Long Lever Plank

It is another isometric ab exercise which is not only superior to normal plank but also works on your scapula strength (Scapula protraction and depression) greatly. A decent amount of lat and chest strength is also required to support the body in the extended position. All you need to do is:

STEP-1:- Get in a plank position which means, place your forearms on the ground so that your chest faces the ground, legs together and straight and keep a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes). 

STEP-2:- Depress (Push down) and protract (Spread apart) your shoulder blades and keep your neck neutral. 

STEP-3:- Now slowly start extending your body backwards by taking small steps so that your nose is behind your elbows while keeping the shoulders, legs and glutes as mentioned above. 

13) Crunches

This is a perfect ab exercise for beginners and even for experienced athletes it is very useful. This exercise is considered superior to sit-ups because it reduces the unnecessary movement spine involved.

STEP-1:- Lie down on the floor with your back on the ground, bend your knees and keep your hands crossed across your chest or behind your head. 

STEP-2:- Keep a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes) and raise your shoulder blades or upper back off the ground so that you fully contract your abs and slowly lower down your upper back. 

(B) Best Ab Exercises for Obliques

14) Side Plank Raises

This is one of the best exercises which you can do for your obliques. Here’s how to do it:

STEP-1:- Get in a slide-plank position with your hands on the ground. 

STEP-2:- Bring your hips down while maintaining the straight body line and pull your hips back up high in the air so that you fully contract your obliques.

15) Windshield Wipers

Windshield wipers are a great abs exercise which you can target your obliques. It also works on your rectus abdominis. All you have to do is:

STEP-1:- Lie down on the floor and keep your body straight. 

STEP-2:- Lift your legs straight up together perpendicular to the ground and keep your hands spread aside your body. 

STEP-3:- Lift your upper back (Shoulder blades) and glutes off the ground and push the lower back into the ground by doing a posterior pelvic tilt (Squeeze your abs and glutes). 

STEP-4:- Now, start moving your legs sidewards from one side to another while maintaining the posterior pelvic tilt and rounded upper back. 

*NOTE- The ‘Hanging Windshield Wipers’ are even much more challenging and beneficial as it works on your grip strength, mobility and abs strength. 15 Best Shoulder Exercises To Grow 3D-Shoulders

Takeaway

Incorporating these “15 BEST ABS EXERCISES” in your workout will build enormous core control and strength. Moreover, most of the above mentioned exercises will also help you to increase your overall strength, balance, scapula strength, grip strength and much more.