Abs exercises

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.

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.

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.

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.