Best Ab Exercises for Beginners, Intermediates, and Advanced

There has been some debate about what the best ab exercises are. The truth is, there hasn't been much research done on the effectiveness of various ab exercises. What works for one person may not work for another.

The abs and midsection area is not an easy area to target and is a source of frustration for many people. The good news is you can effectively target your abs and core and lose fat from your stomach area when you target it the right way. A lot of the ab exercises below engage other areas of the body such as your core muscles.

We’ve highlighted some of the best ab exercises we've used organized by level of difficulty. If you’re just starting off, obviously start with the beginner exercises and work your way into some of the more difficult ones. Please understand that doing just ab exercises alone will NOT result in six pack abs. To develop a flat midsection, you need to eat healthy food and you absolutely must do cardiovascular exercise to in order to burn the calories needed to lose fat.

Bicycle: lying with your back flat on the floor with your legs straight out, use your ab muscles to raise your body up, touching your left elbow to your right knee. Hold at the top and squeeze your abs for a couple seconds and then switch and touch your right elbow to your left knee. Do as many reps as possible and repeat for 2 total sets.

Plank: lie down on your stomach and lift your body off the floor, resting your weight on your forearms (elbows at 90 degrees) and your toes. Keep your body in a straight position (without arching your back) and hold for as long as possible. For added difficulty, raise one arm off the ground and point forward, then repeat arms.

Bridge: lie down with you back flat on the floor, arms out at your sides (palms flat on the floor). Slowly thrust your midsection up into the air, holding at the top for 5 seconds, then slowly lowering your body back down to the ground. Focus on using your abs to lift your body, not your arms. Perform 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Exercise Ball Crunch: this exercise obviously requires you to have an exercise ball (which is a highly recommended piece of fitness equipment). Lean your lower back against the exercise ball and balance your weight with your body at a 45 degree angle. Lifting your arms in the air in front of you, contract your abs and roll your body up and forward, squeezing your abs hard when you get to the top of the movement. Slowly lower yourself back down and do as many repetitions as possible for 2 sets.

Canoe Row: grab a light dumbbell or medicine ball (or any other weighted object) and sit with your butt on the floor and you feet out in front of you flat on the floor. Raise your feet up so your weight is supported and balanced by your butt. Holding the weight out in front of you, rotate your body using your hips and “row” the weight to the left side. Repeat the maneuver on the right side and continue to switch back and forth, like you’re rowing a boat. Do 10-15 reps and repeat for 3 sets.

Supermans: lie on the floor face down and reach forward with both of your arms. At the same time, lift your legs off the floor so you’re in a “superman” position. Hold the position for as long as possible, focusing on keeping your core tight and engaged.

Barbell Roll Out: get on your knees and grasp a barbell, hands shoulder width apart (with light plates on both sides). Roll your body forward as far as possible, keeping your arms in a locked position. Focus on keeping your core area tight and engaged. Bring your body back up, sticking your butt in the air as you come back up. Repeat the movement for 10-12 reps for 2-3 sets.

Reverse Crunch: lie on your back on the floor or a bench holding onto something stable for support. Bend your knees and slowly lift your legs up and in toward your head. Squeeze your abs at the top of the movement. Be sure to keep your head down and your lower back flat against the floor…let your ab muscles do the work, not your momentum. Aim for 2 set of 15 reps.

Hanging Leg Raises: this exercise requires going to the gym and using the Captain’s Chair (pictured), unless you want to purchase this piece of equipment (check eBay and/or Craigslist…they are great places to get used gym equipment for cheap). Here’s how to do the exercise: hoist yourself up and hold your body up by the two arm rests, with your back resting against the pad. Slowly lift your knees toward your chest, keeping your lower back firmly against the pad. Aim for 10-15 repetitions for 3 total sets. An even more difficult version of this is the keep your legs straight and use your abs to raise and lower them ... this is one the best ab exercises out there(if not THE best)

Vertical Leg Raise: lie on your back on the floor and use the hips to raise your legs off the floor, until your legs are perpendicular to your body (with your toes pointed toward the ceiling). Lower your legs back down and repeat the movement as many times as possible. Again, this is one of the best ab exercises because it engages your entire ab and core region.

Side Plank with Leg Lift: lie on your side with one foot on top of the other, lifting your body and supporting your weight on your forearm and your bottom foot. Hold the position and lift your outside leg up and down, raising your outside arm at the same time. Hold the position for as long as possible then switch sides and repeat.

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