Nine Ab Exercises For A Guaranteed Six Pack

Nine Ab Exercises For A Guaranteed Six Pack

Looking to reach the pinnacle of body sculpting, the six pack? Look no further – here are our top nine ab exercises for a guaranteed six pack.

Manual crunches 

How? The most simple, yet highly effective way to work and build those abs..lay on your back, place your hands behind your head and bring your feet back slightly to raise your knees… lift your head and shoulders off of the floor and hold… You should be able to feel your abs crunch together. Keep squeezing them for about three seconds at the end of the movement, before releasing and gradually returning to your initial position.

Why? Crunches are a powerful way to develop both the upper and lower rectus abdominals.

Plank cable row

How? Attach a handle to the low pulley of your cable station. Face it, in a plank position, and rest your weight on your forearms. Take the handle with your right hand to manoeuvre into the starting position, before pulling the handle towards your right side. Don’t stop until your elbow touches your ribs. Once this happens, return to your starting position. Do this for three sets of ten reps with each arm.

Why? This engages the lats, abs and obliques, strengthening your core, supporting torso stability and strengthening the back muscles.

Jackknife sit-ups

How? Sitting on the floor, hold a medicine balls between your hands and place your feet out in front of you. Next, bend the knees slightly before lifting your feet so they are slightly off the ground. Make sure you keep your ankles together. Lean back, ensuring your torso is around 45 degrees in relation to the floor.

Hold the medicine ball out in front of your chest, arms bent slightly, before twisting your torso around to the side as far as you can. At the same time, bring the medicine ball towards the floor on the same side and hold. Finally, twist in the opposite direction, moving the ball at the same time. Repeat until you hit your limit.

Why? This helps develop the external obliques, intercostals and pectineus.

Kettle bell pullover

How? Lying on your back, raise your legs and bend your knees to 90 degrees. Spread them apart, keeping the soles of your feet together. Lift the kettlebell above your head by holding the sides of the handle in both hands. Lower the weight behind you, stopping when you’re around a foot off the floor, before holding for 30 seconds and lifting back above your head. Repeat five times in a set.
Why? This movement aligns your body and activates and strengthens the core.

Hanging knees raises

How? Secure your arms in an arm harness attached to the chin up bar. If you don’t have one, hold the chin-up bar with an over-hand grip. Make sure your body is hanging straight with your feet together.

Curl the knees up towards the chest, keeping the legs together. Once you’ve hit your limit, pause while contracting your lower abdominals, before slowly moving your feet back towards the floor and allowing your legs to straighten out.

Why? This sharpens and develops the lower rectus abdominals.

Seated leg tucks

How? Sit crosswise on a bench and hold the sides for support, before raising your legs just slightly, bending the knees and leaning backwards at a 45 degree angle. With a scissor-like movement, curl the upper body towards the pelvis, rounding the back, before lifting the knees towards your head. This should leave your body in a V shape. You should feel your lower and upper abs crunch together.

From here, lower your keen and torso slowly to revert to the starting position.

Why? This move helps to develop the upper and lower rectus abdominals.

Half kneeling vertical pallof press

How? Fix a triceps rope to your cable machine, turning away as you hold the ends of the rope on either side of your head. Manoeuvre into the bottom of a lunge, dropping your front knee to a 90 degree angle and ensuring your rear knee is almost touching the floor. 

Brace your core before pressing the ends of the rope overhead, stopping when the arms are fully extended. Pause before lowering. Complete three sets of eight reps.

Why? Making your abs resist the pull of the weight stack is a unique stimulation that builds up the core and shoulders. 

Exercise ball pull-in

How? Lay on a stability ball, stomach down. With your hands, walk your body across the top of the ball, keeping your body straight, until the tops of your feet are facing down on the highest point of the ball. This should leave you in a push-up position.

From here, tuck the knees up towards the chest using your abs. The ball will move in the same direction. Once your knees and the ball as up towards your chest, pause before slowly lengthening the legs back out, returning the ball to its original position.

Why? This shapes and develops the lower rectus abdominals.

Ab crunch machine

How? Forget the idea that using machines is cheating, as this exercise is failsafe. Use an ab crunch machine, concentrating on squeezing the ribcage and pelvis together as the abs contract. Make sure your do your repetitions slowly, feeling the abs burn. If you’re not feeling this, work harder!

Why? Crunches also shape and develop the upper and lower rectus abdominals.