6 Best Ab Exercises for Men to Do at the Gym

The ab is a powerful muscle that anchors the core of the body while also contributing to many daily movements.

Everybody wants ripped abs, which is why sculpting these muscles is one of the most popular goals at the gym. When it comes to defining midsection muscles, regular exercise and an effective diet are key factors in achieving that goal.

Try a few weighted abdominal exercises to strengthen the core, which is important for overall performance in physical activities, including lifting weights. A strong core can help you lift more weight in strength-training workouts.

Best Ab Exercises

Here's a look at six such workouts for men:

1) Barbell Ab Rollout

Barbell rollouts work the core in a way that few exercises can. You start out unable to do even one full rep, but with practice, you will be able to do multiple reps with ease. The movement involves every muscle group of the core, so it's one of the best ways to develop overall core strength and stability.

How to do it?

Kneel on the floor or mat, and place your knees shoulder-width apart.
Hold the bar with a wide grip.
Make sure 5 lb plates are on each side of the 45 lb barbell.
Keep your back straight, and slowly roll out the bar till your arms are extended.
Tighten your abdominal muscles as you roll the bar back toward your knees.

2) Weighted Hanging Leg Raise

This advanced move is a hanging leg raise with a pike position. It works the back, core and hip flexors; it also works the biceps and smaller muscles in the back. To do this exercise, first master the hanging straight-leg raise without any weight. Then try doing sets of low reps without any kipping action.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold a dumbbell or medicine ball against your chest.
Grasp the pull-up bar with an underhand grip, and hang from it, letting your legs straighten.
Lift your feet till they're parallel to the floor, and lower them back down to complete one rep.
Perform as many reps as you can.

3) Side Plank Row

Side planks engage the core muscles such as the obliques. Instead of doing side bends to shape your abs, do the side plank row.

Core stability muscles are anti-lateral flexions, meaning they’re not made to bend side-to-side. They also allow us to work each side oppositely to help reduce muscular imbalance.

To do this exercise:

Simply set up in a side plank position next to a cable apparatus, or attach a band to a secure object.
Maintaining a neutral spine and performing a rowing/pulling motion can strengthen the back muscles.
Start with 12 reps, and increase the resistance when you need to.
Try adding weight to the cable for more resistance for increased strength and endurance.

4) Landmine Anti Rotation

Landmine anti-rotation is a variation on the standard landmine rotation that focuses on hip stability and core strength. If you have lower back pain, try doing this exercise with your knees on the ground.

To work your abs more effectively:

Set up by placing a barbell in the corner of a room. Grab it with both hands, and interlock your fingers.
Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and arms straight out in front of the chest.
Let go of the bar without moving as you perform this exercise.
To activate even more muscle fibers, brace your abs, and exhale as you complete each rep.

5) Side Bench Oblique Hold (Weight Plate)

The side-bench oblique hold is a variation of the side plank. The exercise works the obliques through static tension, known as an isometric contraction. You can perform the exercise with or without a weighted pulse.

Try this exercise to strengthen your core muscles:

Lie on your right side, and position your right foot under the side of the bench.
Then lie on your left side, positioning your left foot under the opposite side of the bench.
Lower yourself till you're parallel to the ground; try holding for up to 60 seconds on each side while holding a 10-pound plate in each hand.
Gradually increase weight as you get stronger.

6) Weighted Straight-Leg Sit-up

Sit-ups are a great ab exercise, but if you do them all the time, they can get easy. A good way to make them harder is to use weights. The weight will help increase strength and size of your abs, as it will add stimulation you can't get without using the weight.

To perform this exercise:

Lie down on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
Lie back till your shoulders are touching the floor.
Place a weight plate over your chest, and hold it there with straight arms.
Sit up, raising the weight above your head, and lower it slowly to the floor.

Bottom Line

The aforementioned exercises are great for working the abs, but let's be realistic—no single exercise is going to give you the washboard look you desire.

Your workout routine has to include a variety of moves that work the upper and lower abdominals in addition to the oblique muscles along the sides of the torso.

That, coupled with a healthy diet, can help you achieve all-over abdominal definition faster than you might think it's possible.

6 Best Ab Exercises for Men to Do at Gym