6 Most Common Ab Exercises for Men

It's not easy to get visible abs, as it requires more time and commitment than any other muscle group in the body.

Simply put, the abdominal muscles are among the most vital ones in the body. This muscle group is responsible for supporting the trunk, allowing for movement, and holding various organs in place by managing internal abdominal pressure.

The core comprises all the abdominal muscles responsible for functional strength and stability. However, abs typically refer to the superficial front muscles that comprise the outer core.

Ab exercises should be focused on strengthening all or most of the abdominal muscles. Read on to find out more.

Common Ab Exercises for Men

Check out these six common ab exercises for men to build sexy abs:

1) Slow Hanging Leg Raise

Slow hanging leg raises target the rectus abdominis, hip flexors, and external obliques. They are an excellent introduction to abdominal exercises and isolation techniques.

Here's how you do this ab exercise:

Stand beneath a bar, and grasp it with both hands using an overhand grip.
While maintaining a straight back, breathe in while contracting the abdominal muscles.
Raise your legs by flexing your knees. Do not exceed your waistline.
Exhale as you lower your legs back to the starting position with a controlled motion. Remember to maintain an engaged core.

2) High Tension Plank

Plank is one of the most popular ab exercises, yet most men perform it incorrectly. Creating tension in the abdominals primes the body to tighten all muscles to their maximum extent. That's extremely useful for sprinting, jumping, and lifting weights.

Here's how you do this ab exercise:

Support yourself with your forearms on all fours.
With your palms facing the sky and thumbs on the ground, draw a straight line from your head to your heels. Contracting your glutes and quads will raise your knees and avoid drooping.
Press your forearms into the ground, and brace your core as if you're expecting a kick to the gut.
As soon as you feel your muscles tightening, squeeze harder, and take deep, purposeful breaths while holding a plank position.
As you maintain the position, squeeze harder, and expel more air with each breath to increase the difficulty.

3) Deadbug

The core plays a significant role in helping you move your limbs while maintaining your spine, making it an essential precondition for most strength-training exercises.

The deadbug protects the lower back during movement and prevents energy waste. Here's how you can do this ab exercise:

Lay on your back with your knees and hips bent to 90 degrees. Raise both arms in the direction of the ceiling.
Pull your lower back towards the ground to close the gap. Begin by extending one leg and tapping the heel to the ground.
As you raise one leg, exhale as deeply as possible while maintaining your lower back firmly planted on the floor.
When you can no longer exhale, return your knee to the starting position.
Increase the difficulty by holding weight in your hands or by dropping the arm and leg on the other side.

4) Bird Dog

This intricate exercise is an extension of a yoga stance, engaging both sides of the body simultaneously. For this exercise, it's beneficial to maintain a firm concentration on core activation while maintaining a modest elbow bend; you do not want to risk hyperextension.

Here's how you do this ab exercise:

Begin in a tabletop position, with your shoulders over your wrists and hips over knees.
Lift your right arm and left leg simultaneously while engaging your core.
As you kick back, flex your foot, and keep your palm facing in towards your body.
At the peak of the stretch, pause while holding your arm and leg at the same height as your torso.
Return the two limbs to their initial position. Alternate between arms and legs.

5) Bear Crawl

Crawling like toddlers teaches us to maintain integrity in the shoulders and hips and to utilize the core when moving. Bear crawls are excellent for conditioning, warm-ups, and finishes.

Here's how you do this ab exercise:

Put your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips as you get down on all fours.
Raise your knees a couple of inches off the ground.
Maintain a distance between your chest and the floor, as if preventing a sharp object from hitting you in the sternum.
Raise your head so that you are gazing in front of you, and begin to move forward with your arms and legs..
Attempt to float with each step, and breathe easily. Increase the intensity by moving in multiple directions and accelerating.

6) Side Plank with Elevated Foot

This exercise allows you to focus on the obliques. By transitioning to the side plank with elevated foot, you may stretch those long, slender muscles, putting increased tension on a muscle group that's frequently underworked.

Here's how you do this ab exercise:

Maintaining your right foot on the ground, assume a side plank position, with your right forearm on the floor.
Contract your abdominals to strengthen your core.
Raise the left arm and foot from the ground. Maintain this stance.
Change sides, and repeat.