Thu. Jan 9th, 2025

25 Specialised Ab Exercises For Men To Build Core And Strengthen Muscles!

Building a strong and defined core is essential for men looking to enhance their overall fitness and athleticism. A strengthened core improves physical performance in various activities, promotes better posture, and reduces the risk of injuries. Ab exercises for men target the muscles of the abdomen, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. These best ab workouts for men help build strength, endurance, and stability. 

 

By incorporating these core exercises for men into their workout routines, men can effectively challenge their core muscles from different angles and movements. These abdominal exercises for men range from traditional crunches and leg raises to dynamic movements like plank variations and cable exercises. 

 

Regular ab training for men helps build abs and provides other benefits, like strengthening your core muscles and working wonders for your entire posterior chain. Thus, to pick the best core workouts for men based on fitness capacity, this blog carefully lists the 25 best ab exercises for men. So, read on to learn the benefits of men’s ab workout! 

 

 

25 Ab Exercises And Workouts To Build A Strong Core 

Let’s explore the 25 best ab exercises for men to build a strong core and train various muscle groups for improved fitness: 

 

1. Bicycle Crunches   

Bicycle crunches engage your core and target the rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors, work on  and enhance overall core stability and strength. This exercise benefits abdominal muscle endurance and coordination, improving posture and spinal health. 

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. Lie on your back and stretch your legs.   
  2. To start, lift your upper back off the floor and balance on your hips.   
  3. Place your hands behind your head and rotate your torso clockwise, bringing your right knee back to touch your left elbow. 
  4. Pause momentarily, then rotate your body so your right elbow touches your left knee.   

 

2. Crocodile Walk   

The crocodile walk adds a dynamic element to the plank exercise. It challenges the core muscles to maintain balance while engaging the deltoids and glutes. By incorporating forward movement, this exercise enhances core strength, shoulder stability, and overall body coordination. 

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. Start in a high plank, hands shoulder-width apart, feet touching, ankles bent.   
  2. This exercise can be done on a hardwood or tile floor with socks or your toes on the sliders (with or without sneakers).   
  3. Walk your arms forward, maintaining a straight line from head to toe.   
  4. Your legs should move straight, not zigzagging back and forth.   

 

3. Body Saw   

The body saw is one of the most-well known stomach workouts for men that strengthens the anterior core muscles, including the external and internal obliques, rectus abdominis, and transversus abdominis, while improving calf flexibility. This dynamic plank variation helps enhance core stability and endurance, promoting better spine alignment and reducing the risk of lower back pain. 

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. To start, get into a plank position with a slider under each leg and your forearms on the floor, shoulder-width apart.   
  2. Brace your core and pull your elbows to move your body forward. 
  3. Then move your body back like a saw. And repeat. 

 

4. Kneeling Cable Crunch  

There’s nothing wrong with doing weight crunches, but holding a weight plate against your chest or behind your head can be awkward and uncomfortable. The stronger you get, the more difficult it is to gain weight without breaking your ribs or straining your neck. If you do cable crunches on your knees, you can increase the weight by pulling on the pins.   

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. Attach the rope handle to the rope station pulley and begin by kneeling a few feet away from the station.   
  2. Place your weight on your knees and shins and use the cable to stretch your arms and torso until you feel a gentle stretch in your abdominal muscles.   
  3. Squeeze your body, lower your forearms to your knees, and lower your head to the floor.   
  4. Slowly return to the starting position.  

 

5. TRX Lying On The Pike   

Incorporating TRX straps into the pike exercise strengthens the core and engages the arms, back, and shoulders, providing a comprehensive . The pike movement enhances hip flexibility and stabilisation, promoting better posture and functional movement patterns. 

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. Hook your feet into the TRX straps and tuck your hips into a push-up position.   
  2. Keeping your knees straight, pull your hips as high as possible and lower your head between your hands.   
  3. To start, set the TRX strap to medium length and get into the plank position with your feet on the footrest and your hands directly under your shoulders.   
  4. Tuck your hips slightly, engage your core, and then rotate your hips and push through your arms to lift your hips toward the ceiling.   
  5. Stop when your torso is almost straight (perpendicular to the ground), then lower your back and return to the plank position. 

 

6. Dip Bar Leg Raises  

Leg raises on dip bars target the core and build shoulder, back, and core strength and stability. This exercise helps develop upper-body muscle coordination while improving abdominal muscle definition and strength. 

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. Start by hanging on the parallel bars of a push-up station.   
  2. Brace your core and use it to lift your legs forward until they are parallel to the floor. 
  3. Lower your body slowly.  

 

Also Read: 

 

7. Flutter Kick   

Gentle kicks effectively target the lower rectus abdominis and hip flexors while increasing heart rate for a cardio workout. This exercise improves core endurance and coordination, improving overall fitness and athleticism. 

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. To start, with your legs straight, lay on your back and keep your arms at your sides.   
  2. Lift your head and heels about 6 inches off the floor, then quickly lift your legs up and down in a scissor motion.   
  3. Do this over time (start with 30-second sets) instead of repetitions.   
  4. This is because many repetitions are performed at a fast pace.   

 

8. Front Squat   

It is a compound movement exercise that strengthens the major muscles of your lower body and engages the core for stability and control. The core muscles are activated by placing the barbell in front of the body to maintain an upright posture, leading to improved balance, strength, and power. 

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. Place the barbell on a power rack at shoulder height (if you don’t have a rack, raise it to shoulder height).   
  2. To start, grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and lift your elbows until your shoulders are parallel to the floor.   
  3. Remove the barbell from the rack and place it on your fingertips.   
  4. You can hold the barbell with your elbows raised. Step back and place your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.   
  5. Squat as low as you can without losing your back arch. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Press through your heels to stand up. 

 

9. Leg Raise   

Leg raises target the upper and lower abdominal muscles, improve overall core and , and strengthen the pelvic floor. These exercises are essential for men who want to maximise erections, prevent urinary problems, and even prevent premature ejaculation.  

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. To start, lie on the floor, hold the legs of a bench or heavy chair behind your head, and keep your legs straight.   
  2. Brace your core and exhale as you lift your legs until they are perpendicular to the ground.  
  3. Inhale as you slowly lower your legs until your lower back touches the floor.   
  4. Pause a few inches off the floor to maintain tension in your abdominal muscles. 

 

10. Hanging Leg Raise   

Hanging leg raises primarily target the lower abs and hip flexors while stabilising the lower back. This exercise improves core strength, stability, and control, leading to better athletic performance and working as  relief.  

 

Steps to perform this ab exercise for men: 

 

  1. To start, hang from the bar with your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your palms facing forward.   
  2. Engage your lats (pull your shoulder blades down your back), engage your core, and lift your knees toward your chest.   
  3. To make it more difficult, keep your legs straight in front of you while lifting them.   
  4. Use the controls to lower into a hanging position.   

 

 

What Is The Best Ab Exercise For Men? 

 

The best abs exercise for men may surprise you. Just doing crunches or squats isn’t enough. You must train various muscles from your hips to your shoulders to build a strong core. Most men think of abs as having a nice eight-pack abs by doing the. But your abs have a minimal and specific job, and what experts call your ‘abs & core’ comprises various muscles that control the entire length of your torso.   

 

When your abdominal muscles contract, they stabilise your spine, pelvis, and shoulder girdle, providing a strong foundation for powerful limb movements. For a strength training program to be effective, it must target all these muscle groups. Abs exercises are most effective when they cross multiple joints and use multiple torso muscles that work together to coordinate stability. 

 

Some of the best types of abdominal exercises are simple bodyweight exercises, which fall under the following category. Have a look: 

 

Type of Abdominal Exercise 

Inclusions 

Tips 

Quick Core Workout 

A simple and effective program targeting major core muscles without requiring much time or equipment. Includes plank variations, V-squats, bicycle crunches, bridges, and more.  

Maintaining proper form throughout each exercise for a quick core workout to maximise effectiveness. 

Standing Abdominal Exercises 

A standing ab workout that doesn’t require getting on the floor features many effective core exercises. Warm up with cardio before starting, and as fitness improves, increase intensity by standing on an unstable surface like a BOSU ball. 

Engage your core muscles when performing standing abdominal exercises by drawing your navel towards your spine. 

Yoga or Pilates Workout 

and Pilates routines challenge balance, flexibility, and core strength. Core activation and strengthening occur during poses and mat movements that require stability.  

During yoga or Pilates workouts, pay attention to your breath and use it to deepen your stretches and movements. 

 

Expert’s Advice 

When it comes to building abs, every detail counts, and it’s important to remember that the little things can have the most significant impact over time! Of course, consistency is important. You can tone your abs by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and doing short but effective abdominal exercises five to six days a week.  

The Final Say 

 

Remember that the targeted ab exercises for men help strengthen your abdominal muscles and improve your posture. Strengthening your core can help strengthen your abdominal muscles and improve the aesthetics of your body. While aesthetics should not be the sole focus of basic exercise, it can be a desirable outcome for many people. So, keep trying! 

 

 

 

About ToneOp Fit  

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 https://toneopfit.com/blogs/ab-exercises-for-men-to-build-core

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