How to Design an Effective Abs Workout

1. Exercises for the upper press

These exercises work the upper rectus abdominis and the external obliques. Perform exercises from this group in three sets of 20-30 times.

Knees to chest on fitball

Stand at close range. Place your shoulders over your wrists, place your feet on the fitball, and your fulcrum over your knees. Bring your pelvis up into an inverted V pose. The fitball will roll from the top of the quads to the lower leg. Bend your knees and touch them to your chest. Return to starting position. Repeat the exercise.

Plank punches

Stand in a bar on dumbbells for two kilograms. Place your shoulders over the wrists, tighten your abs and buttocks. Raise one hand off the dumbbells and kick into the air in front of you. Return your hand from the dumbbells to the floor and strike with the other hand.

Rock climber

Stand at close range. Bend one leg, pull your knee closer to your chest and place your foot on the floor on a pad. Change your legs, being careful not to lift your pelvis and keep your back straight.

Rock climber on a sliding surface

This exercise is similar to the previous one, but in this case the feet are on a sliding support, such as rags or towels. During the exercise, you do not lift your legs off the floor, but slide into the desired position. This increases the load on the press.

Side plank with leg raises

Lie on your right side, put your left hand behind your head, wrap your right hand around yourself. Lift your left leg and body up at the same time. Lower yourself to the starting position and repeat the exercise.

Russian crunches

Sit on the floor, lift your legs bent at the knees. Keep your back straight, stretch your arms in front of you and connect. Rotate the body to the side as far as possible. Maintaining the position of the legs, turn the body to the other side. To complicate the exercise, perform crunches with a medicine ball, dumbbells, or kettlebell in your hands.

Medball throws

Take the medball, lift it over your head and put it behind your head, placing it on the top of the trapezoid. Raise it over your head and throw it with all your might on the floor, as if trying to break through the covering. Raise the medball, take the starting position and repeat the exercise.

2. Exercises for the lower press

These exercises work the lower rectus abdominis muscle and the internal obliques. Do them in three sets of 20-30 reps.

Knees to chest on the horizontal bar

Hang on the horizontal bar. Raise your knees as high as possible, trying to reach your chest. Lower your legs and repeat.

Raising the knees on the uneven bars

Hang on the uneven bars using your forearms. Raise your knees until your hips are parallel to the floor. Lower and repeat.

Reverse crunches

Lie on the floor, raise your legs and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle with your shins parallel to the floor. Lift the pelvis off the floor, lift it as high as possible. At the extreme point of the floor, only the shoulders touch, the knees are bent at an angle of 90 degrees and are either above the chest or above the head. Lower yourself to the starting position and repeat the exercise.

Twisting knee raises

Hang on the horizontal bar. Raise your knees as high as possible while twisting them to one side. Lower your legs and repeat on the other side.

Twisting Knee Raises

Hang on the uneven bars using your forearms. Raise your knees to parallel with your hips with the floor, while twisting them to one side. Lower and repeat to the other side.

3. Isometric core exercises

Exercises in this category work not only the abdominal muscles, but also the muscles of the arms and shoulders, legs and buttocks. Do each exercise for three sets.

Plank on straight arms

Stand in support, wrists under shoulders, back straight, abs and buttocks tense, body stretched in one line from head to heels. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on preparation.

Lateral forearm plank

Stand upright, place your hands on your forearms. Lift your left hand off the floor, turn the body and hips to the left. The whole body, except for the right forearm, is in the same plane and perpendicular to the floor. Hold the position for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.

Transition from a regular plank to a side plank

Stand in a regular plank, hold the position for 30 seconds. Tear off your right hand from the floor, unfold the body and hips to the right and go to the side plank. Hold for 30 seconds.

Return to normal plank again, hold for 30 seconds. Tear off your left hand from the floor, unfold your body and hips to the left and go to the side plank. Hold for 30 seconds.

Four planks are one set. After a short rest, you need to complete two more.

Raising arms in the bar

Stand in a plank on straight arms, set a timer for 30 seconds. Take turns raising your right and left arms, stretching them out in front of you.

Raising the legs in the bar

An exercise similar to the previous one, only instead of arms, you take turns raising your legs for 30 seconds.

Raising arms and legs in the bar

You simultaneously raise the opposite arm and leg for 30 seconds.

Inverted Plank Leg Raise

Sit on the floor, straighten your legs, place your hands on the floor. Bring your pelvis up so that the body is stretched in a straight line, the wrists are under the shoulders. Take turns raising your legs for 30 seconds.

4. Muscles-extensors of the back

For the harmonious development of the body, the training of the press must be supplemented with exercises for the extensor muscles of the back. Do these exercises in three sets of 20-30 reps.

Fitball hyperextension

Lie on your stomach on the fitball, put your hands behind your head or pick up a pancake, the pads of your feet are on the floor, your back is parallel to the floor. With an exhalation, straighten your back up, resting your hips on the fitball. Drop back down and repeat.

Superman

Lie on the floor on your stomach, stretch your arms straight in front of you. Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor at the same time. Hold this position for two seconds, lower yourself and repeat.

Machine hyperextension

ab training program: hyperextension on the simulator

You can do back extensions on a hyperextension machine, a GHD machine, or a Roman chair, or on a regular bench if you have a partner to hold your legs.

In the initial position, the back is parallel to the floor, and then extends upward.

In order not to stop your progress, alternate abdominal exercises more often, increase the holding time of isometric exercises, the number of approaches and repetitions, the weight of dumbbells, pancakes and medballs.