Everyone practices abdominal exercises in the gym, but only a few have tight and attractive abdominal muscles. Often the reason is randomness and lack of interest in the quality of training.

So if you want to strengthen your abdominal muscles and get six-packs, you must train professionally. In this article, you will find all the exercises to lose belly, with an explanation of the target part of each exercise and an explanation of its performance with pictures.

The best abdominal exercises in the gym

Surely you are familiar with the muscle anatomy of the abdomen, and you know that the abdominal muscles consist of three main parts “upper, lower, and lateral muscles”.

Abdominal exercises in the gym - to lose weight and strengthen the abdominal muscles

To cover this large muscle group, there are quite a few abdominal exercises. It has been divided into more than one list and you can choose between them what you see fit your goals and level of physical fitness.

Compound exercises for the abdomen

The first list includes a set of abdominal exercises that target all parts at the same time, and some of them must be included in the abdominal exercise mainly.

It is considered one of the best exercises to flatten the abdomen and burn fat in it, because it occupies more than one muscle at the same time and thus makes the body burn more calories.

1- Hanging Leg Raises

Abdominal exercises in the gym - leg raises

This is not a single exercise, but rather a complete set of exercises, meaning that:-

The traditional method of raising the legs with the knee bent targets the lower abdominal muscles.

But when the leg is straight and you raise your leg more, you add the upper abdomen.

And when the legs rotate during lifting, the sides are targeted, and thus all parts of the muscle are targeted.

It depends entirely on your level of physical fitness, so you will find the leg lift with the knees bent always present in the abdominal exercises for beginners. While push-ups and rotations are an advanced abdominal exercise, they need some flexibility and fitness to do.

Remember this to perform the exercise correctly.

When lifting your legs up, make sure that your back is completely straight and does not sway.

Lowering the legs is slow, and you should continue the exercise until the muscle is completely exhausted.

When you reach the end of the lift, squeeze your abdominal muscles for one second before lowering your leg again.

2- The plank

One of the most famous and best abdominal exercises because of the way it works, as the muscle remains under pressure throughout the exercise period. During this period, you need a lot of energy, and if you do it correctly, you will burn a large amount of fat to provide this energy.

How to perform the plank correctly:

Keep your body on your forearms and toes, your head should be relaxed and your face facing the ground.

Tighten your abdomen and make your back completely straight, without sagging in any part.

Hold this position until you are completely exhausted, for 30 seconds.

Gradually increase the time group by group.

3- Crunchys on an inclined bench with rotation

Abdominal exercises in the gym

It's a perfect all-around abdominal exercise, considering the way you squeeze your abs when you lift your body, you're targeting both the upper and lower body. In addition to the rotation that works on the sides.

To do so, remember the following:

The more inclined the bench the more difficult the exercise, so adjust the height according to your level of flexibility and fitness.

 Push your body up forcefully when lifting the body, but during the lowering be slow and control your body well.

Do not touch the bench at the end of the movement, or raise your body again quickly by touching the bench.

4- Abdominal wheel or barbell rolling exercise

Abdominal exercise in the gym with the abdominal wheel

Advanced, not an abdominal exercise for beginners. According to research conducted on it using electrodes to determine its effect. I have found that it is one of the most powerful exercises to tighten the abdomen and burn fat in it.

Although the exercise is easy to perform in theory, when done correctly, you will notice that it is more difficult than you think. Because it makes the abdominal muscles ignite in order to provide the energy needed to control your body.

How to do it right:

From a sitting position on the knee, wheel “or a short bar with a hoop attached on all sides” and roll forward while keeping your back straight.

Continue until you feel that your abdominal muscles are completely tightened, and stop at this point for three seconds.

The hardest and most important part is lifting your body back. Your back should be completely straight with the slow pace and control of your body throughout the movement.

5- Cable crunches

Abdominal exercises in the gym with cable

Abdominal tightening exercise is very wonderful .. and effective to the maximum degree in getting rid of belly fat. The cables are generally characterized as increasing resistance and allowing the use of large weights with fewer equipment, and this is exactly what you need to strengthen your abdominal muscles and get six-packs.

The problem with this exercise is that any mistake in its performance will completely waste the benefit. Because it needs to stabilize the muscles of the back, shoulder and arms, and that the movement comes from the abdominal muscles only. So remember these points when you do.

Hold the rope on either side of your head and don't let the weight pull your hand back throughout the exercise. Choosing the right weight will help you with that.

Do not let your thighs touch your leg, your knees and legs should remain completely stationary.

Upper abdominal exercises in the gym

These are the most important exercises for the upper abdomen.

1- Crunch with dumbbells or hoop

The movements of raising the back from the ground are the best upper abdominal exercises in general. You can do this exercise without weights if you are a beginner. But weights give a better result.

Lie on your back with a dumbbell or a plane of appropriate weight. Then bend your knees a little.

Raise your torso to a roughly seated position, keeping your hand straight throughout the movement.

2- Tuck and crunch

This exercise is more effective and effective, not only at the level of the upper abdominal muscle, but also by fixing your legs in the air that makes you squeeze the lower abdominal muscles as well.

How to perform it:-

Lift your legs in the air and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle.

Lift your torso off the floor until your knee touches your elbow.

Make sure you don't shake your torso during the movement and don't let your legs drop.

Lower abdominal muscle exercises

This is the most important list of isolation exercises that everyone focuses on, because it includes the best exercises to tighten the sagging of the lower abdomen “or rumen”.

1- Decline Reverse Crunch

It needs real strength to do so it's an advanced exercise. And with doing it and continuing it for a short period, you will notice a rapid development in tightening the sagging of the lower abdomen.

These points will help you to perform it correctly:-

Lie on the bench in reverse, and hold the upper edge well.

Raise your legs as high as possible with your knees slightly bent while lifting.

You will notice that the lower back rises, try as much as possible to install it on the bench and the more stable it is, the more effective the exercise.

Deliberately go slow when lowering your legs, to keep the muscles under stress as long as possible.

2- Mountain climbing exercise

Mountain Climbing - Abdominal Workout Schedule for Beginners

Although this exercise is easy, its effectiveness is impressive. Because it is similar to cardio exercises in the way it is performed: “Imagine that you are running in the place, but targeting the lower abdominal muscles.”

It can be included with the abdominal exercises in the gym to warm up at the beginning of the abdominal exercise, or add to the table of abdominal exercises at home and to do it correctly, remember the following.

The starting position is similar to a runner's position before taking off with one leg straight and extended back and one below your waist.

You should keep the position of the back and shoulders fixed and switch between the legs, in a movement similar to running in place.

3- Bicycle exercise

Abdominal exercise schedule - bicycle

In a study conducted by the American Council on Exercise on 30 people using electrodes to determine the effectiveness of some abdominal exercises, the result was that this exercise is the most muscular exercise.

How to do it correctly:-

As you lie on the floor, put your hands behind your head without pressure, then raise your knees until they form a 90-degree angle (this is the starting point).

Pull your left knee toward your chest with the right leg straight

and by rotating your waist so that you can touch your knee with your opposite "right" elbow

Alternate the right leg with the left elbow and repeat until the end of the set.

Try not to rotate the hip during the movement. Make the rotation come from the torso and abdominal muscles only, and do not press your head from the back with your hand so as not to cause any injury.

Side abdominal exercises

This list includes side tummy tuck exercises, and side fat burning.

1- The woodchop

Cable side abdominal exercises

Let's start with the golfers' favorite abdominal exercise, which is one of the best abdominal exercises in general and focuses specifically on the side part.

How do you do it:-

Stand parallel to the cable machine and one step away. With your legs shoulder-width apart, your spine and knees slightly bent.

Hold the fist with both hands. Then pull the handle down and diagonally across the body slowly until it touches the opposite thigh.

Rotate the entire torso while pulling and keep the arms fully extended during

the movement.

After completing the required reps, repeat the same movement in the opposite direction.

2- Russian twist with dumbbells, or hoop

Side abdominal exercises with dumbbells

One of the best side tummy tucks ever, and you can do it without weights if you are a beginner. But weights increase its benefits and effectiveness for side abdominal slimming.

Here is the correct way to perform:

Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then lean back so that your upper body is at a 45-degree angle with the floor.

Keep your back straight at this angle throughout the exercise, without bending your shoulders forward.

Grab a dumbbell with both hands and lift your legs off the floor. Then rotate your arms all the way to one side, then do the same in the other direction.

3- Side plank

Side plank exercise to tighten the side sagging of the abdomen

As in the traditional plank, but the side version of it makes you burn belly fat by putting terrible pressure throughout the exercise on this part of your abdomen.

To do it, do the following:-

Lie on your right side with your legs straight on top of each other.

Lift your hips off the floor so that they support your weight on your elbow and right leg.

Your body should be in a straight line from your ankles to your head.

Hold this position all the time depending on your fitness level, aim for 15 to 60 seconds.

Repeat on your left side.

4- Dumbbell Side Bend

A very easy and traditional abdominal exercise, which is distinguished by the fact that you can use large weights, which works to burn fat on both sides of the abdomen.

How to do it:

Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, stand straight with your legs shoulder width apart.

Keeping the back and neck straight, bend your knees slightly and then put your left hand behind your head without pressing on the head.

Slowly lower the dumbbells, bending the spine to the right until you reach the top of the knee with the dumbbell.

Lift the weight again and lean toward the left side so the dumbbells are as high as possible.

Squeeze the lateral abdominal muscles as you reach the end of the movement.

Abdominal exercise in the gym

Given the large number of abdominal exercises in the gym, it will be necessary to try all of them to determine the best abdominal exercise for you.

This is an example of an all-in-one abdominal workout that you can try, or modify.

Abdominal exercise in the gym, to lose weight and tighten the abdomen

Abdominal workout in the gym at the end of the training session

Many do abdominal training after completing the training of the major major muscles such as the chest, shoulder and leg.

And this is not the best way, because strengthening the abdominal muscles needs attention like any other muscle group in the body.

But it remains an effective way to tighten the sagging in the abdomen, especially if your time does not allow to allocate a day for an abdominal exercise in the gym, and you must remember the following to do it correctly.

Abdominal training two or three times a week after the main exercises

Each time, use one or two compound exercises, with an isolation exercise targeting one part of the abdominal muscles. This will target all parts at the end of the week.

Abdominal exercises at home

Have you noticed that only a few of the previous exercises require weights and equipment??

This is a fact that you can strengthen the abdominal muscles at home with ease. This, for example, is the form of an integrated abdominal exercise at home, and you only need half an hour every day.

Start the leg raise while lying on the floor

bike exercise

plank

Crunch workout

The exercise ended with a Russian twist