Gym workouts

Gym ab workout

6 exercises 18 sets about 30 min a full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines

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.

With a full gym you can open with a heavy barbell lift and finish on cables and machines, which let you push close to failure without technique being the thing that gives out.

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

The workout

  1. Hanging Leg Raise3 × 12Hang from the bar and raise your legs without swinging. Bend your knees if straight legs are too hard.30 s rest
  2. Cable Crunch3 × 15Kneeling under the high pulley, curl your ribs towards your hips. Your hips stay still.30 s rest
  3. Cable Woodchop3 × 12 per sideRotate from your torso and pull the handle diagonally across your body with arms almost straight.30 s rest
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Plank3 × 1 minElbows under shoulders, glutes tight, ribs pulled down. Stop when your hips start to sag.30 s rest

Muscles worked

TrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalvesTrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalves
Front
TrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalvesTrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalves
Back
  • Abs13.5
  • Obliques10.5
  • Shoulders1.5
  • Lower back1.5
  • Forearms1.5

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. Add the smallest plate you can to the barbell lifts, and move up one pin on machines and cables once every set reaches 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

  1. It is already set up. These 6 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
  2. Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
  3. Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
  4. 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 shoulders. The lower back and forearms assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

A full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines.

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.

More gym workouts

Gym Full Body Workout7 exercises · 50 min Gym Upper Body Workout7 exercises · 55 min Gym Leg Day6 exercises · 45 min Gym Push Day6 exercises · 45 min Gym Pull Day6 exercises · 50 min Gym Chest and Triceps Workout6 exercises · 45 min Gym Back and Biceps Workout6 exercises · 50 min Gym Shoulders and Arms Workout7 exercises · 50 min Gym Chest Workout5 exercises · 40 min Gym Back Workout6 exercises · 50 min Gym Shoulder Workout6 exercises · 45 min Gym Arm Workout6 exercises · 40 min Gym Glute Workout5 exercises · 40 min
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