The Best Ab Exercises (Beyond Endless Crunches)
The best ab training builds a strong core that works in every direction — not just endless crunches. But remember: abs are made in the kitchen too.
The best movements
- Anti-extension: planks, ab wheel rollouts.
- Lower abs: hanging knee/leg raises, reverse crunches.
- Rotation/anti-rotation: cable/band woodchops, Pallof press.
- Weighted: cable crunches — abs are muscles; adding resistance builds them.
The part everyone forgets
Strong abs stay hidden under fat. To see them you need a low enough body fat — roughly the low teens for men, low twenties for women — which comes from a calorie deficit, not crunches. Train abs 2–3× a week and let your diet reveal them. Full story: how to get abs.
Train abs like any muscle — with resistance, a few times a week — but remember diet uncovers them.
Quick answers
What is the best ab exercise?
There’s no single best — combine planks, hanging leg raises and a weighted move like cable crunches for a complete core.
How many times a week should I train abs?
2–3 sessions a week is plenty. Abs recover fast, but more crunches won’t reveal them — fat loss does.
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