Nothing says fit like a washboard stomach. But scoring high-definition abs isn't as easy as cranking out crunch after crunch. To sculpt a stronger, more chiseled core, you need the best ab workout to work the two dozen muscles between your hips and your shoulders in the many ways they function. After all, your abs do more than flex on a daily basis—they stabilize and rotate, too.
Refresh your abs workout with these 25 core exercises. They'll challenge your abs from all angles, making you stronger in everything you do and giving you a body you'll be proud to show off shirtless. And for a complete fitness program that will not only build your abs muscles, but also melt the fat that covers them, try 6-Week Sweat Off from Men's Health. You’ll get ten 30-minute calorie-torching workouts. Each workout combines strength, cardio conditioning, and mobility to target multiple muscle groups at the same time.
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25. Prone Plate Switch
Here at Men's Health we love the plank. It strengthens your abs, stabilizes your spine, and prevents lower back pain. But let's be honest: Once you master the move, it can get boring just hovering there. That's why Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., strength coach at Cressey Perfomance in Hudson, Massachussetts, came up with prone plate switches—a new, super hard version of the classic ab exercise.
"In order to stay in a perfectly stable plank position, your core must fight against rotation as the plates travel in front of your body,"says Gentilcore. The result is an extremely tough core-chiseling ab exercise that's anything but boring.
24. 360 Abs
The crunch is the most popular abs exercise because anyone can do it. But that doesn't mean it's the best exercise for training your middle. "Crunches flex your trunk," says David Jack, owner of ActivPrayer in Phoenix, Arizona and creator of Men's Health MA40 Workout. "But the main function of your core is to prevent movement and resist force through your torso."
That's why Jack recommends doing 360 abs to sculpt a washboard stomach and improve core stability all at once. While in a pushup position, you must keep your torso completely still as your legs create sweeping circles in different directions. Doing smaller loops hit your six-pack muscles, while bigger ones hit your entire midsection including your obliques, hips, and lower back.
23. Reverse Pushup
A regular pushup works your core. A reverse pushup will work it so hard your abs will want to form a labor union. “When your legs fire your body forward, your core has to work extremely hard to decelerate your body,” says B.J. Gaddour, C.S.C.S., director of Men's Health StreamFIT. So this ab exercise not only works your shoulders and arms, but gives you a killer core workout at the same time.
Related: The 15-Minute Six Pack Shimmy
22. Elevated Bird Dog
You don’t have to crunch more than an accountant during tax season to score a six-pack. Instead, try the elevated bird dog—a new (and much harder) spin on the standard bird dog ab exercise.
“The bird dog forces you to keep your core stiff,” says Jack. “Lifting your knees off the ground just a couple of inches—as you do in this exercise—makes it even more challenging to keep your torso still as you switch arms and legs.” That means your hips and lower-back muscles, obliques, rectus abdominis (also known as the six-pack muscles) are working together to keep your spine stable.
21. Rocky Abs
What's the fastest way to sculpt a rock-solid core like Rocky Balboa's? Slow it down. "Your muscles can handle more weight on the eccentric, or lowering, phase of a lift," says Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, California. So decreasing the pace of that phase—like you do with this slo-mo ab exercise from Rocky IV—forces your muscles to work harder, accelerating your gains.
Related: The 7-Minute Ab Workout
20. Running Man
After you've slowed it down with Rocky Abs, try picking up the pace to hit your abs in a whole new way. The running man works your rectus abdominis—also known as your six-pack muscles—just as crunches do. "But quickly pumping your arms and legs also builds explosiveness and coordination, which is fundamental to athleticism," says Durkin.
19. Archer Row
Build a strong back and sculpt a rock-solid middle in one shot with the archer row. This ab exercise combines a staggered side plank with a dumbbell row. "As the load moves up and down, your body has to fight to resist rotation," says Gaddour. That means your entire core—lower-back muscles, obliques, rectus abdominis (also known as your six-pack muscles)—is working overtime to keep your spine stable.
Related: The Ab-Sculpting Tool Every Man Needs
18. Single-Arm Wall Push
You can do this abs exercise anywhere, anytime. All you need is a wall. “The single-arm wall push is a great total-body exercises that works your calves, glutes, hips, lats, shoulders, biceps, triceps—nearly every muscle from your feet to your hands,” says Jack.
And unlike a static plank, the single-arm wall-push trains core anti-rotation. That’s when your abdominal muscles keep your body from turning. This helps sculpt a six-pack and protects your lower back. If the muscles surrounding your spine are weak, your vertebrae are forced to stabilize your body instead, which can lead to injuries, Jack says.
17. Figure 8
This crazy movement has big payoffs for your core. "It’s a terrific way to train the muscles that stabilize your spine," says Jack.
And because you’re moving the weight in a figure-8 around your body, you work those core muscles from every angle. The exercise also challenges your thighs and shoulders, helping you build a healthier total-body. No kettlebell? Don't worry: You can do it with a dumbbell, too.
16. Stir the Pot
World-renowned spine specialist Stuart McGill recently referred to the Swiss-Ball Stir-the-Pot as the best core exercise you can do. Try it once, and you’ll start to see why: It’s hard. Make that really hard. That’s because it combines two elements that leave your abs screaming: instability and dynamic movement. This combo allows you to work your rectus abdominis (a.k.a. six-pack muscles), obliques, and all of the muscles that help stabilize your spine from just about every direction. The upshot: an ab workout like you’ve never done.
15. Lateral Wall Run
If you want to increase your gains, consider training from a different angle—literally. "Running with your body on a slant forces your core muscles and your lateral line—the tough connective tissue called fascia that runs along your sides—to work harder than if you were straight up and down," says Jack.
A rock-solid midsection helps you react faster and stronger, and protects your spine against unwanted twists and jerks during sports that can cause injury. The result: better balance, coordination, and flexibility.
14. Goblet Reverse Lunge
If you think lunges only hammer your lower body, behold the goblet reverse lunge. Named for the way in which you hold the weight—vertically in front of your chest, with your hands cupped around the top—this lunge variation can work the muscles of your core harder than many abs exercises do.
"Your core must work overtime to stay upright and stable as the weight tries to pull your chest forward," says Gentilcore. And with so many muscles working at once, you'll burn more fat and build more muscle in less time.
13. Bear Crunch
Don't let your abs hibernate. Wake them up with the bear crunch.
"The move challenges your core to stabilize as you turn from side to side," says Jeremy Frisch, U.S.A.W., owner of Achieve Performance in Acton, Massachusetts. But the real ab burn comes when you bring your knee to your elbow with each rep. The small amount of flexion targets your six-pack muscles, leaving them fried.
Related: The 7-Minute Beat Flow That Will Crush Your Abs
12. Dumbbell Hot Potato Squat
The hot potato squat may sound like a kid’s recess activity, but don’t be fooled—it’s also a cutting-edge fat-loss exercise that will get your heart pumping and abs burning in almost no time.
The move starts with a squat, which activates large muscles like your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, and burns a ton of calories per rep. But then you'll throw an airborne dumbbell into the mix to make this move even more beneficial.
“Holding the weight on just one side of your body increases the demand placed on your core to keep your body stable,” says Gaddour. “As the weight changes from side to side, your core muscles are worked from every angle.”
Related: The 63 Best Barbell Exercises For Your Abs
11. Inchworm Slide
Most men perform the inchworm as a warmup exercise. The move stretches your calves, hamstrings, and thighs, while preparing your muscles for just about any activity. But throw a towel under your feet while you do it, and suddenly the inchworm becomes a grueling core-strengthening move called the inchworm slide. "Sliding the towel to meet your stationary hands activates your abs, hip flexors, and obliques," says Jack. "You'll finish feeling stronger and loose."
10. Hip Up
Your core muscles allow you to stabilize your spine when you do pushups, shovel snow, walk up stairs, pick up your kids from the floor, and otherwise go about the motions of everyday life. "That's why the best ab exercises don't flex your spine, they keep your spine straight," says Durkin. The hip-up does exactly that while also sculpting your obliques and increasing your rotational control and stability.
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9. Swiss-Ball Jackknife
You won’t find the Swiss ball peddled on late-night infomercials, but it may be one of the best power tools for sculpting your abs. The soft, unstable surface challenges your core to work even harder and helps improve your balance and coordination.
One of the most awesome core-chiseling moves to perform on the ball: the jackknife. "It recruits your entire midsection, which includes your hip flexors, lower back, glutes, obliques, lower abs, and six-pack muscles," says Jack.
8. Breakdancer
Stability moves like the plank are a great way to strengthen a weak core and prevent lower back pain. But if you want to kick things up a notch, then start dancing. When you perform the breakdancer, you'll quickly move your feet from side to side and across your body. However, you must maintain the same rigid, straight torso that you would when performing a plank.
"It adds a whole new level of difficulty because your core has to fight to stay stable against the fast-paced motion of your legs," says Gaddour. You'll not only have a chiseled torso, but you'll also have an impressive move to show off on the dance floor this weekend.
7. Single-Arm Overhead Press
The overhead dumbbell press targets your shoulder, upper-back, and arm muscles—but if you modify the move slightly, it can hammer your abs, too. The simple tweak: remove one dumbbell.
"Using a single dumbbell instead of two creates an unbalanced load, pulling you to the side," says Gaddour. "The goal is to stay perfectly upright, so you must squeeze your glutes and brace your middle—like you're about to be punched in the gut—the entire time."
6. Rotational Side Plank
Add a twist to your core workout for bigger gains. While holding a side plank, rotate your torso by reaching under your ribs and behind you with your arm. This simple tweak hammers the ab muscles on your sides—your obliques—by forcing your entire core to stabilize against the movement.
"Most guys neglect their obliques in favor of their six-pack muscles, and that's a mistake," says Jack. "Your obliques not only support your spine, but they also help your abs work together with the muscles of your hips and lower back to explosively rotate your torso." That means you'll be able to lift heavier loads on every exercise, while adding a ton of rotational power to your tee shot and Hail Mary pass at the same time.
Want more ways to reveal your abs and look awesome? Check out 6-Week Sweat Off.
5. Mogul Jump
The inspiration for this exercise might come from skiing, but it's also an effective way to prepare your midsection for many sports, including tennis, softball, and golf. The reason: "It trains your abs, lower back, and hips to work together to rotate your body from side to side," says Durkin. And the more powerfully you can rotate, the faster you can swing and the harder you can throw.
4. Farmer's Walk
The next time you're at the gym, take a stroll. "The dumbbell farmer's walk may be one of the most underutilized exercises, and it's also one of the simplest to do," says Jack. Besides making it easier for you to carry heavy things—like luggage or those cases of beer for this weekend's party—the ab exercise challenges your core muscles to endlessly stabilize as the load shifts with each step. Plus, it will strengthen your grip, forearms, deltoids, and trapezoids—areas often neglected during workouts.
3. Skier Swing
Now you can shred your abs like a skier shreds the slopes, with the dumbbell skier swing.
Gaddour took the typical form a downhill skier uses when flying down the face of a mountain, and combined it with the action of a kettlebell swing. The combination results in a superfast exercise that simultaneously torches fat, builds explosive strength, and works your entire core from your shoulders to your hips.
2. Three-Point Core Touch
This athletic move takes the plank to an all-new level. "It not only improves your core stability, but it targets muscles in your hips, groin, lower back, and often-neglected lower abs," says Durkin. Get your heart pumping by speeding up the movement, or hammer your core muscles by slowing it down. Either way, the exercise will boost your athleticism and will give you something to bare at the beach.
1. Kettlebell Juggler
You don't need to be part of a circus sideshow attraction to perform the kettlebell juggler. "When done at high-speed, this cutting-edge exercise fries fat and reveals your abs," says Gaddour.
As the kettlebell shifts from hand to hand in front of your body, your core has to stabilize to fight against the movement of your arms, and your biceps, shoulders, and back muscles need to work together to control the pace at which you are catching and releasing the kettlebell. Your lower-body will get a workout, too. You can perform this abs exercise with a bent waist to hammer your hamstrings and glutes or try it in a squat position to target your quadriceps. No matter which way you try it, you'll see bigger strength gains and a smaller waistline in less time.
