The Best Exercises for Shredded Abs

Abs are the most coveted body part. Everybody wants them and wants them now. But shaping the rare shredded six-pack requires unique exercises and the smartest way to achieve this goal is to perform a mixture of exercises that work your midsection through every possible direction, using as many forms of resistance as possible. These ten ab exercises incorporate a variety of equipment and assisted moves to target your lower abs, obliques, and upper abs to help you get shredded abs and a strong core in no time.

1. Cable crunch

Targets: Upper Abs

How to do it:

Hook a rope attachment to a high pulley at a cable station. Grab the handles and hold them near the sides of your head. Descend to your knees, while facing away from the weight stack, your thighs perpendicular to the floor. Tilt forward at your hips 30-45 degrees. Keeping your head neutral and upper body rigid, contract your abs as you would during a crunch, bringing your face toward the floor. Stop just short of the floor, squeeze your abs and slowly return to the start position.

Sets and reps: 5 sets: 20 reps

Tip: You can also hit the upper obliques by twisting the rope to the left and right when bringing the weight down.

2. Decline crunch

Targets: Upper Abs

How to do it:

Lie faceup on the decline bench with your feet securely under the rollers. Your knees should be bent roughly 90 degrees. Place your hands lightly behind your head. Contract your abs and slowly raise your upper body off the bench. Squeeze your abs at the top, and then slowly lower back down to the starting position.

Sets and reps: 12-15 reps x 3 sets

Tip: You can add weight or make the angle of the bench steeper to make this move more difficult. Between sets, sit or stand up so blood doesn’t pool in your head and cause dizziness.

3. Hanging knee raise

Targets: Lower Abs

How to do it:

Hang from a pull-up bar with a comfortable overhand grip and your feet off the ground. Inhale and raise your knees as high as possible toward your chest. Exhale at the end of the movement and then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

Sets and reps: 5 sets: 15- 20 reps

Tip: This exercise can also be performed using a vertical bench that makes the exercise easier by supporting your upper back in place and by allowing you to hold yourself by placing your elbows and arms on the side pads.

4. Hanging leg raise

Targets: Lower Abs

How to do it:

Hang from a high bar with your arms fully extended, using a wide, pronated (overhand) grip. Keep your head straight and eyes focused forward. Your legs should hang directly below you. Keep your lower back slightly arched throughout the exercise. Without swinging, contract your abs to raise your legs out in front of you until they’re roughly parallel to the floor. Pause momentarily, then slowly lower back down to the starting position and repeat.

Sets and reps: 12-15 reps x 3 sets

Tip: Add a lightweight between your feet to make the movement more difficult. When that becomes too difficult, drop the weight and continue repping out using just your bodyweight.

5. V-Up

Target muscles: Upper and Lower Abs

How to do it:

Lie on your back with arms and legs outstretched Bring your arms and legs together by crunching up from the abs. Hands and feet should meet in the middle. Slowly return to the starting position ensuring there is constant tension on the abs

Sets and reps: 10-12 reps x 3 sets

Tip: When this move becomes easier, add a lightweight in between your hands and feet to make the movement more difficult

6. Decline weighted twist

Targets: Upper Abs and Obliques

How to do it:

Sit faceup on a decline bench with your feet securely under the rollers. Have a partner hand you a weight plate, dumbbell or medicine ball. Holding the weight close to your chest, lean back until your upper body is at roughly a 45-degree angle to the bench. Gently twist your torso to one side, pausing and squeezing briefly before twisting to the other side.

Sets and reps: 5 sets: 20 reps each side

Tip: With the weight in both hands, extend your arms straight out in front of you and slowly twist from side to side. This transforms the exercise into the more difficult Russian twist.

7. Weighted Plank

Targets: Transverse Abdominis and Core

How to do it:

Lie face down on the floor ensuring that you are resting on your elbows and toes Make sure that your elbows are shoulder-width apart and at a 90 degree angle from your shoulders Pull your abs in tight and keep your back flat Have someone assist you by placing a plate on your lower back Hold the movement for 60 seconds. Weighted Plank

Sets and reps: Repeat 3 times

Tip: When the movement becomes easy to keep increasing the time by 10 seconds at a time

8. Kneeling ab wheel

Targets: Rectus Abdominis

How to do it:

Start by kneeling on an exercise mat and start with your thighs at 90 degrees to the floor, brace your core and slightly tilt your pelvis back (this will stop your lower back from arching). Hold the wheel with both hands directly below your shoulders, keeping your arms straight. Slowly roll the wheel forward as far as you can go keeping good form. Crunch your abs and roll back into the starting position.

Sets and reps: 3 Sets: 10-15 reps

Tip: If you do not have an ab wheel then you can also use a Barbell with 5 or 10 lbs on each side to achieve the same movement. To target your oblique muscles, roll the ab wheel out on a diagonally at a 45-degree angle. Perform all the repetitions on one side and then set the ab wheel on the opposite side.

9. Plank with oblique crunch

Target muscles: Transverse Abdominis and Obliques

How to do it:

Start in the plank position then slowly bring your left knee towards your left elbow, the obliques should contract at the top of the movement. Repeat the movement for the opposite side

Sets and reps: 12–15 reps each side x 3 sets

Tip: Use a BOSU ball or a small Swiss ball underneath your supporting arm, to make this exercise more challenging. Also, contract at the top of the movement and hold for 10 seconds at a time.

10. Swiss ball prone jackknife

Target muscles: Transverse Abdominis and Lower Abs

How to do it:

Start in a press-up position with your feet resting on a Swiss ball. Lie on your back with your arms and legs outstretched Bring your arms and legs together by crunching up from the abs Hands and feet should meet in the middle. Slowly return to the starting position ensuring there is constant tension on the abs

Sets and reps: 10-12 reps x 3 sets

Tip: To make the movement more difficult, bring the ball further out while still keeping your spine in the neutral position. You can also do them one leg at a time or using two balls.