Squats and dead lifts are regarded as the best ab exercises for overall abdominal development for six pack abs.This is due to the stress the ab muscles of the body undergo when balancing the weight of the barbell from the movement of these exercise for abs.
Even though you may not notice a burning sensation in your ab muscles when undertaking squats or dead lifts for the first time, believe me, if you do them for a good number of sets and reps (5 x 10) with a heavy weight you WILL feel it in the morning.
In this article we want to discover what is the best lower ab workout, all of our workout options are listed with photos and how to instructions.
Before we start going into further detail with different exercises I would like to point out the benefits of adding weights to these exercises and most exercises, I like to add weights after doing a set exercise for a week or when you hit the stage of finding the exercise to easy.
The reason why is because if you are finding the exercise to easy it isn’t really giving you much benefit and by adding weights it again makes the exercise harder, I don’t mean running around with dumbbells !!! you need the correct weights for the exercise normally wrist weights can be added to your arms and legs.
The Ab Exercise Machine
Personally, I love the weighted ab machines in the gym. I believe they are one of the better ways to build lean muscle mass to the 6 pack abs due the isolation of the rectus abdomis when completing reps of this ab exercise. The rectus abdomis if you don’t know already is the outer layer of the abdominals that give us the six pack abs look.
From gym to gym, most of these machines vary in appearance however most follow the same principle of moving a weight forward and backward with the use of your midsection.
The recommendation I would have to build the abs with the use of this machine is not to go too heavy on the weight and aim for about 8-10 reps of good form.
By this I mean isolating and keeping the tension in the abdominal region and also lower for 4 seconds and rising for 1 second.
Complete these 8-10 reps 3 or 4 times with a 45 seconds break in between sets. On top of this, do not complete these great ab exercises more than twice per week.
Weightlifting Exercises for Abs
In a similar way to squats & Dead lifts all free weightlifting workout routines (barbells and dumbbells) also need balancing when undergoing these exercises.
Pilates Ab Exercises
Pilates is not only effective ab exercises developing your six pack abs region but it also is proven to help:
Improve Ab strength and muscle tone
Improve flexibility, making you walk taller
Reduce tummy size due to the tightening of the core
Reduce injury susceptibility
Improve your posture
The beauty of pilates also is that all that all that is required is yourself, a swiss ball and a well padded gym mat for you to lay on.
With this, pilates can be carried out almost anywhere you have have a bit of space to do your best ab exercises. Certainly the best at home ab exercises.
[NOTE: Be sure to have a bottle of water with you also to keep hydrated!]
Best Pilates Ab Exercises
Floor crunch with swiss ball
Lie flat on your back
Undertake pilates principles (Pelvic floor engaged, Belly-button to spine, Level Back and Shoulders back & down.)
Place a swiss ball between your feet and hold it there.
Now Raise the Swiss Ball slowly off the ground and bend your knees until they are perpendicular with the ground. Inhaling slowly.
Lower the Swiss Ball to the starting position but DO NOT touch/rest the ball on the ground. Exhale Slowly.
Remember to Keep tension in the muscle and control your breathing!
Scissors
Lie flat on your back
Undertake Pilates Principles (Pelvic floor engaged, Belly-button to spine, Level Back and Shoulders back & down.)
Raise your legs 4 inches off the ground and do not let them below this point for the duration of the exercise.
Now raise your left leg up slowly until it is perpendicular with the ground.
Lower this leg while simultaneously lifting the other right leg until it is perpendicular with the ground.
Remember to keep tension in the abdominal muscles and control your breathing!
Oblique Single Leg Stretch
Lie flat on your back
Undertake Pilates principles (Pelvic floor engaged, Belly-button to spine, Level back and shoulders back & down.)
Place your palms flat on the ground and then raise them 2 inches off the ground.
Raise your two feet 4 inches off the ground and hold.
Now bend the left knee up towards the body while simultaneously bending the torso to the left. Squeeze the side muscles of the abdominals and hold for 2 seconds.
Repeat with the right knee, bending the torso to the right.
Remember to keep tension in the abdominal muscles and control your breathing!
Full Body Crunch
Lie flat on your back with your toes pointed outward and your arms stretched over your head.
Undertake Pilates Principles (Pelvic floor engaged, Belly-button to spine, Level Back and Shoulders back & down.)
Raise your heels 4 inches off the ground and DO NOT rest them on the ground for the duration of the exercise.
Now, raise both legs and arms up slowly and straight together until they touch each over the centre of your body. Inhale during.
Slowly lower your legs and arms. exhale during.
Remember to keep tension in the abdominal muscles and control your breathing!
Crunch with Swiss Ball
Lie flat, with your lower back on top of a swiss ball and feet on the ground.
Undertake pilates principles (Pelvic floor engaged, Belly-button to spine, Level Back and Shoulders back & down.)
Slightly bend and raise your body up 15 degrees. Concentrate on working the lower abdominal region.
Lower your body 30 degrees over the ball.
Remember to keep tension in the abdominal muscles and control your breathing.
Side Crunch with Swiss Ball
Same as above with a one exceptions:When you have bent and raised your body up 15 degrees, place your hands on your head and twist your body from side to side.
Side Oblique
Lie sideways with a swiss ball under your waist and your feet against a wall.
Undertake pilates principles (Pelvic floor engaged, Belly-button to spine, Level Back and Shoulders back & down.)
Lower your torso from the initial diagonal position to a position parallel to the ground.
Now raise your torso back into the diagonal position. Concentrate on working the side of the abdominal region.
Remember to keep tension in the abdominal muscles and control your breathing!
The best ab workout is the one that gets you abs asap! Many people with the aim of getting visible six pack abs fail to realise that the ab muscles must be stimulated in a similar way to the other muscles of the body like in our weightlifting routines. In particular the rectus abdomis muscle.
This means that to witness significant improvements in our abdominal muscles we must gain muscle mass to them. When doing chest exercises we understand that nothing can beat the chest press to build chest muscles.
Why? Because we can to it hard and heavy for 6-15 reps with good form which is just the kind of stress our chest needs to grow.
This is the same kind of thought we must adapt to our complete ab workout routines “Heavy, Good Form, 8-15 reps”. This will ensure you obtain the most ab development!
Unfortunately, what many people seem to opt for to build 6 Pack Abs is a more of core strengthening approach. Of course, this is fine if you want to improve flexibility, avoid lower backs injuries and build a little muscle to the ab region.
However, if you really want see serious alterations in the rectus abdomis muscle I’d advise you to try some of the Exercises below. Remember to incorporate “Heavy, Good Form, 8-15 reps”.
3 Day per Week Whole Body Killer Ab Workout
Kneeling Cable Crunch
These are excellent for building lean muscle mass to the abdominal region. Start with your knees on the ground facing a cable machine with the cable about a foot overhead.
Now begin to pull the cable down below your head (like your bowing!), tilt your torso forward and curl it around in a ‘C’ shape. Always try and feel the tension in your ab muscles!
Bicycle crunch
Start lying flat on your back with your legs up and knees bent. Now slightly suck in your stomach and hold it for the duration of the exercise. Point you left foot straight out at a 45 degree and to the ground while simultaneously bringing the right foot up toward the body and touch the ankle and the knee with both each of your hands.
Slightly tilt and look in the direction of the leg you are touching. Repeat this procedure on the other leg and complete for 8-15 reps each leg.
Dead lift
One study that was done proved that heavy dead lifts with good form to be the best exercise to build Abs. The second being squats! while it may seem like I’m just following studies I actually believe it to be true from my own workouts.
Over the years of training I’m convinced that nothing built my ab muscle like squats. I always did them growing up from about the age of 16 and I firmly believe these weightlifting exercises and dead lifts are some of the best ab builders out there!
Dead lifts are Simple. Just grab a barbell. Keep your feet less than shoulder width apart. Maintain a slight arch in your back. Keep your eyes fixed on a high point on the wall. Now, with smoothly pull the bar up off the ground until it meets your midsection.
Squats
Place the bar across your back. Keep your feet shoulder width apart with your toes pointed out.
Keep your shoulders down and back and chest up. Now, squat down below your knees and then drive back up with your heels.
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