The 46 Best Ab Exercises for Your Workout
A good ab workout trains the rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle) in its upper and lower portions, along with its role as a core stabilizer. Trunk-flexion exercises (crunches) activate the upper portion more, leg and knee raises activate the lower portion more, and planks train the stabilizing function — holding the trunk steady under tension, without moving.
On this page you'll find 46 ab exercises curated by Befit, with execution videos, breathing tips, and variations for the gym, home gym, and bodyweight training. Every exercise has been reviewed by a fitness professional specialized in strength training.
If you already know what you want, use the level and equipment filters to jump straight to the right exercise. If you'd rather start somewhere, check the top 10 below — the movements with the strongest consensus for ab hypertrophy and strength.
And if you want an ab workout built from scratch, personalized to your goal, your time, and your equipment, that's exactly what the Befit app does automatically.
How to build your Abdominals workout
Volume per session: 3 to 4 exercises, 9 to 15 total sets (or, for planks, total time under tension instead of reps).
Movement split: 1 trunk-flexion exercise (crunch or cable crunch, upper focus), 1 leg or knee raise (lower focus), and 1 isometric move (plank, stability focus).
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps for dynamic exercises; planks in sets of 30 to 60 seconds, increasing time as you progress.
Frequency: 2 to 3 times a week — abs recover relatively fast, but still benefit from rest between sessions.
Top Abdominals exercises
| # | Exercise | Level | Equipment | Muscle focus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Crunch Floor
|
Beginner | Abdominals | See execution | |
| 2 |
Front Plank
|
Intermediate | Abdominals | See execution | |
| 3 |
Abdominal Crunch Machine
|
Beginner | Abdominal Machine | Abdominals | See execution |
| 4 |
Cable Standing Crunch
|
Advanced | Cable pulley machine | Abdominals | See execution |
| 5 |
Decline sit ups
|
Intermediate | Declined Bench | Abdominals | See execution |
| 6 |
Plank Shoulder Taps
|
Intermediate | Abdominals | See execution | |
| 7 |
Floor Based Lower Abdominal Crunch
|
Intermediate | Yoga mat | Abdominals | See execution |
| 8 |
Front Plank with Twist
|
Intermediate | Abdominals | See execution | |
| 9 |
Hanging knee raises
|
Intermediate | Pull up bar | Abdominals | See execution |
| 10 |
Front Plank Walkout
|
Intermediate | Abdominals | See execution |
Crunch Floor
Front Plank
Abdominal Crunch Machine
Cable Standing Crunch
Decline sit ups
Plank Shoulder Taps
Floor Based Lower Abdominal Crunch
Front Plank with Twist
Hanging knee raises
Front Plank Walkout
All 46 Abdominals exercises
Abdominals workout at home vs. at the gym
Training abs at home is simple: most exercises in this group use just your bodyweight. Floor crunches, planks and their variations, and knee raises (on a pull-up bar if you have one, or lying down) already make a complete workout.
If you want to add load, holding a dumbbell against your chest during crunches increases the difficulty without needing any more equipment.
At the gym, the toolkit is bigger. You've got a dedicated ab machine for guided overload, a high pulley for standing cable crunches with adjustable resistance, a decline bench to increase the range of motion on crunches, and a pull-up bar for hanging knee raises.
Use the Bodyweight or Home Gym filter above to see only exercises that fit your setup.
How Befit builds your Abdominals workout with AI
Picking an exercise is only half the problem. The other half is: how many sets, how many reps, what load, in what order, when to switch things up. And that changes every week as you progress.
Befit solves this with an AI that builds a personalized training plan for your goal (hypertrophy, strength, definition), your level, your time per session, and your equipment. Every week, the algorithm adjusts volume and load based on what you've logged.
You don't need to know how to program periodization. Just train and log it.
Safety tips for Abdominals training
- On crunches, don't pull your neck with your hands — they're only there to support your head. The movement comes from trunk flexion, not arm pulling.
- On planks, keep your body aligned (shoulder-hip-ankle in a straight line) — sagging or overly raised hips reduce the stimulus and overload your lower back.
- Breathe normally throughout the movement, don't hold your breath — holding your breath raises intra-abdominal pressure unnecessarily.
- On hanging knee raises, avoid swinging your body to build momentum — control the movement with your abs, not swing.
- Abs recover fast, but still rest at least 24 hours between sessions focused on this group.
Frequently asked questions about Abdominals training
-
How many exercises should I do for an ab workout?
An effective ab workout has 3 to 4 exercises per session, covering trunk flexion (upper portion), leg raises (lower portion), and an isometric move like a plank. Total volume between 9 and 15 sets per week works well.
-
How many sets and reps for ab hypertrophy?
For dynamic exercises (crunches, leg raises), 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps work well. For planks and other isometrics, use time under tension instead — start with 30 seconds and increase as you progress.
-
What's the best beginner ab workout?
For beginners, a solid ab workout has 2 exercises: floor crunches and a front plank. Focus on keeping proper alignment (no neck pulling, no sagging hips) before increasing volume or hold time.
-
Can you train abs at home?
Yes, most ab exercises use only bodyweight. Crunches, planks, and knee raises cover the whole muscle group. Use the Bodyweight filter in the exercise list above.
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What other muscle group pairs well with abs?
Abs pair well with any workout, usually at the end of the session, since they don't interfere with performance on the main exercises (unlike training abs heavily before squats, for example, where core fatigue could hurt your stability).
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How many times a week should I train abs?
Two to three times a week works well for most people — abs recover relatively fast between sessions, allowing more frequency than larger muscle groups.
-
What's the best exercise for abs?
There's no single "best" exercise, since crunches (trunk flexion) and leg raises (hip flexion) work different portions of the rectus abdominis. Combining both, plus an isometric move like a plank, covers the muscle more completely than any single exercise.
-
How do I know I'm training abs the right way?
You should feel your abs contracting, not your neck or lower back. If your neck tires before your abs during crunches, check whether you're pulling your head with your hands. Film a set and compare it to the execution video on Befit.
