Abs exercises
Bends the trunk forward and, more usefully, resists it being extended backwards. Both a crunch and a plank load it — differently.
What loads it, and how many ways
32PRIME-MOVER LIFTS
86 more work the abs as a synergist or stabiliser — real volume, and it counts toward your weekly total. 15 of the 32 need no equipment at all.
Anatomy: Rectus abdominis. Visible abs are a body-fat outcome, not a training outcome. No abdominal exercise removes fat from the abdomen; spot reduction does not happen.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·PRIME MOVER ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How the abs list is built
- Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
- Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
- Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
- Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Every abs lift, easiest first
Ranked by technical demand, not by quality. If the movement is new to you, start at the top of the column and earn your way down it.
| Exercise | Equipment | Pattern | Type | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crunch | Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Dead Bug | Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Machine Crunch | Machine | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Plank | Bodyweight | Brace | Hold | Beginner |
| Reverse Crunch | Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Sit-Up | Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Banded Dead Bug | Bodyweight + Resistance band | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Bear Crawl | Bodyweight | Carry | Compound | Beginner |
| Cable Crunch | Cable machine | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Decline Crunch | Bench | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Front Rack Carry | Kettlebell + Dumbbells | Carry | Hold | Beginner |
| Medicine Ball Slam | Medicine ball | Rotation | Explosive | Beginner |
| Mountain Climber | Bodyweight | Brace | Explosive | Beginner |
| Plank Up-Down | Bodyweight | Brace | Compound | Beginner |
| Plank with Leg Lift | Bodyweight | Brace | Hold | Beginner |
| Toe Touch Crunch | Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Beginner |
| Body Saw | Bodyweight + Suspension trainer | Brace | Hold | Intermediate |
| Decline Sit-Up | Bench | Brace | Isolation | Intermediate |
| Hollow Body Hold | Bodyweight | Brace | Hold | Intermediate |
| Long-Lever Plank | Bodyweight | Brace | Hold | Intermediate |
| RKC Plank | Bodyweight | Brace | Hold | Intermediate |
| TRX Fallout | Suspension trainer | Brace | Compound | Intermediate |
| TRX Plank | Suspension trainer + Bodyweight | Brace | Hold | Intermediate |
| V-Up | Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Intermediate |
| Weighted Plank | Bodyweight + Weight plate | Brace | Hold | Intermediate |
| Weighted Sit-Up | Bodyweight + Weight plate | Brace | Isolation | Intermediate |
| Ab Wheel Rollout | Ab wheel | Brace | Compound | Advanced |
| Barbell Rollout | Barbell | Brace | Compound | Advanced |
| Hollow Rock | Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Advanced |
| L-Sit | Bodyweight + Dip bars | Brace | Hold | Advanced |
| Standing Ab Wheel Rollout | Ab wheel | Brace | Compound | Advanced |
| Toes to Bar | Pull-up bar + Bodyweight | Brace | Isolation | Advanced |
Abs at home, with nothing at all
No equipment, no gym, no excuse — 15 movements that train this muscle with bodyweight alone.
Also works the abs as a synergist
These do not have it as the prime mover, but it contributes real work. That matters when you are counting weekly volume.
62 more not shown. Browse the full list of 365 exercises.
How to train it
Bends the trunk forward and, more usefully, resists it being extended backwards. Both a crunch and a plank load it — differently. Visible abs are a body-fat outcome, not a training outcome. No abdominal exercise removes fat from the abdomen; spot reduction does not happen.
Volume is what drives growth: roughly ten to twenty hard sets per muscle group per week suits most people, spread over at least two sessions rather than crammed into one. Beyond that, the honest advice is unglamorous — pick two or three exercises, add weight or reps over time, and keep the technique the same as the load climbs.
The abs appears in 3 of the 9 movement patterns on this site: brace, carry, rotation. Training more than one of them is how you avoid a muscle that is strong in exactly one position.
The questions that come up on the floor
What is the best exercise for the abs?
There is no single best exercise, but the abs is the prime mover in 32 movements on this site, across 3 movement patterns. A sensible programme picks one heavy compound movement and one isolation movement rather than collecting ten variations of the same thing. 6 of these are compound and 14 are isolation exercises.
How do I train the abs at home?
15 of the 32 exercises here need no equipment at all — starting with the crunch. A further 11 need only home-scale kit such as dumbbells or a resistance band. Progress at home comes from harder variations, slower tempo and single-limb versions rather than from adding plates.
Can I lose fat from the abs area by training it?
No. Spot reduction does not work — training a muscle does not remove the fat that sits over it. Direct work builds the abs; fat loss happens across the whole body in response to an overall calorie deficit, and where it comes off first is largely genetic.
What does the abs actually do?
Bends the trunk forward and, more usefully, resists it being extended backwards. Both a crunch and a plank load it — differently. Visible abs are a body-fat outcome, not a training outcome. No abdominal exercise removes fat from the abdomen; spot reduction does not happen.
Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.
SOURCE·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026
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