Get Six Pack Abs With This Workout

To get well-defined, visible abs you need to hit them from different angles and in a variety of different ways. You will get a lot of ab and core work done when weight training in general as compound moves will usually involve them, but you should be looking to do ab-specific exercises around twice per week to further develop them.

This ab workout involves 6 exercises that really target all parts of the abdominals and make sure that you fully engage all of them in order to help develop them properly.

1. SEATED LEG TUCKS

This exercise helps in developing upper and lower rectus abdominis. You simply need to sit on a bench crosswise. Raise your legs, bend your knees and lean backward at 45-degree angle. Hold on to the side for support. Straighten your legs out and lean slightly back. Raise your knees towards your head and hold it close to your head for half a second before returning to the start position.

2. SEATED AB CRUNCH (MACHINE)

Mostly bodyweight and free weight exercises are recommended for ab training but the seated ab crunch machine in the gym is actually a really underrated one for developing your abs. It’s also a great way to add a lot of weight to an ab exercise. Use the ab crunch machine regularly in the gym and perform your reps nice and slowly, making sure that your really feel the burn from the contraction in your abs as you work the movement.

3. CABLE CRUNCHES

This exercise helps in developing upper and lower rectus abdominis. To perform cable crunches, you need to attach a rope to an overhead pulley. Grab each end of the rope and kneel down while holding the rope in front of your forehead. Bend and curl your torso downward in a way that your back rounds. Move your head towards your knees. You should feel the stretch on your abdominal muscles which crunch together. To increase the effectiveness of the exercise, fully contract your ab muscles at the end of the movement for a second and release. Slowly return to the position in which you started.

4. MEDICINE BALL TUCKS

This exercise helps develop your lower rectus abdominis. Get in a position where your feet are resting on the ball and your hands are on the floor in a push-up position. Start by tucking your knees towards your chest. The ball will roll in the same direction along with your feet. Pause for a second once your knees are close to your chest, release and go back to the starting position.

5. HANGING LEG/KNEE RAISES

This exercise helps in shaping and developing the lower rectus abdominis. Hang from a pull-up bar or any bar which is strong enough to hold your weight with arms in a wide grip. Keep your feet together and raise your knees towards your chest. If you find this easy then raise your feet to chest or head height, depending on your ability. Pause for a second while you contract your lower abs. Lower your feet back down to the starting position ready to repeat the movement.

6. JACK-KNIFE SIT-UPS

This exercise helps in shaping your intercostals, external obliques and pectineus muscles. To perform the jack-knife sit-up, you need to lie flat on the floor with arms extended out while holding a medicine ball and your feet together straight out in front of you. Slowly sit up with your arms extended and whilst keeping your legs as straight as possible, bring them up and forward to touch the medicine ball. Return to starting position ready to repeat the movement.