Dumbbell ab workout: 6 exercises, sets and reps

Dumbbell ab workout

6 exercises 18 sets about 30 min a pair of dumbbells and a bench

The abs flex the spine, the obliques rotate and bend it, and all of them resist movement you do not want. This session has one exercise for each job instead of five versions of a crunch.

Dumbbells make each side carry its own weight, so a stronger arm or leg cannot cover for the other, and they travel through a longer range than a bar allows.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 6 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

Lying Leg Raise3 × 12Lower back pressed into the floor. Lower your legs only as far as you can keep it there.30 s rest
Weighted Crunch3 × 15Hold one dumbbell on your chest. Curl your shoulders off the floor and pause, without pulling with your neck.30 s rest
Russian Twist3 × 12 per sideLean back with a straight spine and rotate your shoulders, not just your hands, from side to side.30 s rest
Dumbbell Side Bend3 × 15 per sideOne dumbbell at your side. Bend straight sideways, no leaning forward, and pull back up with the opposite side.30 s rest
Dead Bug3 × 10 per sideOn your back, lower the opposite arm and leg slowly while your lower back stays glued to the floor.30 s rest
Plank3 × 1 minElbows under shoulders, glutes tight, ribs pulled down. Stop when your hips start to sag.30 s rest

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Abs13.5
Obliques9
Lower back1.5

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Dumbbells go up in big steps. When the next pair is too heavy, add a rep to every set first, and move up once you are two or three reps over the target.

Two or three times a week, at the end of another session or on its own. The abs recover quickly, but they are also worked in every squat, deadlift and overhead press.

In myreplog

It is already set up. These 6 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this ab workout take?

About 30 minutes. That is 18 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the abs, obliques and lower back. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

A pair of dumbbells and a bench.

Can I train abs every day?

You can, but it does not help much. Like any other muscle they grow between sessions, and two or three hard sessions a week do more than seven easy ones.

Will ab exercises burn belly fat?

No. Training a muscle does not remove the fat over it. Ab work builds the muscle; whether it shows depends on your overall body fat, which comes down to food.