We’ll be real here, abs are probably not the favorite body part of many lifters. Yet, your physique is not complete without an impressive six-pack. This is especially true if you plan to compete or if you want to look good at the beach. You know all the usual ab exercises, but here are a few you might not be doing. So Give These Ab Exercises A Try and get the abs you’ve always wanted!
Barbell Rollouts
You can do these with a barbell or Ab Wheel. This exercise works the entire abdominal region. If you use an Ab Wheel, you can roll it out straight ahead or side to side.
Here’s how to do it:
- Get down into a kneeling position.
- Grab your bar (or Ab Wheel) with an overhand grip, your hands shoulder-width apart. Your shoulders should be directly over the barbell.
- Keeping your knees fixed, engage your abs and roll the bar out in front of you until your arms are fully extended in front of your body.
- Pause, and using your ab muscles only, bring the bar back to the starting position.
- Do your reps slowly, you don’t want momentum doing the work for you.
Rope Cable Crunches
With this exercise, you’re moving your abs against resistance. Rope cable crunches work the rectus abdominis and hip flexors, and help build ab strength. Here’s how to do it:
- Use a rope handle attached to a high cable pulley set at eye level.
- Grab the rope handles, take about three steps back, and kneel.
- Kneel with your shins on the ground and your thighs vertical. Lean your torso slightly forward.
- Pull the rope down until your elbows are roughly at a 90-degree angle to your torso and your hands are in front of your forehead. This is the start position. Make sure you hold the weight in this static position throughout the entire set.
- Using your ab muscles, crunch your upper body forward and down. Fully contract your abs.
- Slowly come back up after reaching the bottom position. Don’t let momentum take over.
- Repeat for your desired number of reps.
Weighted Reverse Crunch
This is a core-strengthening exercise that targets the lower abs and helps to improve stability and posture. The Weighted Reverse Crunch is another exercise that works the abs against resistance. Here, it’s a resistance band. Here’s how to do it:
- Attach a resistance band to a front pillar on a Power Rack, about 2-3” off the ground. If possible, the band should have a D-handle on one end.
- Lie flat on your back on the floor or exercise mat, with your legs extended and your feet in the D-handle.
- Place your hands flat on the floor for support. Lift your legs and bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. Keep the band taut. Do not lift your back off the floor during this exercise.
- Use your abs to pull your knees as far up towards your chest as possible. Pause for a moment and crunch your abs.
- Then slowly return to the start position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Hollow Body Hold
This is an isometric-hold exercise that helps build core strength. Here’s how to do it:
- Lie face-up on the floor or an exercise mat with arms and legs fully extended.
- Press your lower back into the ground.
- Slowly lift your arms and legs about 6” off the ground.
- Hold this position for 20 - 30 seconds.
- Lower your arms and legs back to the start position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
