The 5 Best Ab Exercises, According to Science

A strong core improves posture, reduces injury risk, and helps transfer force between your upper and lower body. Science favors exercises that challenge the abs through a full range of motion, resist spinal flexion/extension, and demand stability under load. While training your abs, remember they’re one piece of a balanced program — pairing core work with arm and push/pull strength is smart for overall performance and aesthetics (for example, check this 5 best exercises to build triceps for companion upper-arm work).

Below are five ab exercises that repeatedly appear in research and EMG studies as highly effective when performed correctly. For each I’ll explain why it works, how to do it, and simple progressions/regressions.

1) Plank (front plank)

Why it’s effective:

• Trains anti-extension and anti-rotation endurance across the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques.
• Promotes spinal stability without repetitive flexion.

How to do it:

• Elbows under shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels, ribs down, glutes engaged.
• Breathe steadily and hold with neutral spine.

Progression/regression:

• Regression: Knee plank or elevated plank on a bench.
• Progression: Single-arm or single-leg plank, or weighted plate on the upper back.

Tip: Focus on long breaths and preventing the hips from sagging; time under tension builds endurance and function.

2) Cable (or Band) Crunch

Why it’s effective:

• Offers resisted trunk flexion with consistent tension through the movement; EMG studies show higher activation of the rectus abdominis compared with bodyweight-only crunches.
• Easy to scale load and control tempo.

How to do it:

• Kneel facing the cable, hands at your temples or holding a rope behind your head, curl the ribs toward the pelvis while keeping hips stable.
• Avoid momentum; use a slow 2–3 second concentric and 2–3 second eccentric.

Progression/regression:

• Regression: Use a band instead of a cable machine.
• Progression: Increase weight, add a pause at peak contraction, or perform standing cable crunches to challenge stability.

Note: If you’re working cable-based core moves, pairing them with shoulder stability work enhances overall torso control — see these top cable exercises for shoulders for ideas.

3) Dead Bug

Why it’s effective:

• Excellent for teaching anti-extension and improving coordination between the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and transverse abdominis.
• Low compressive load on the spine while training deep stabilizers.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back, press low back gently into the floor, extend opposite arm and leg out while maintaining the lumbar contact. Return and alternate.
• Keep movements slow and controlled; stop if the lower back starts to arch.

Progression/regression:

• Regression: Limit limb range of motion or keep knees bent.
• Progression: Add ankle weights or perform on a Swiss ball to add instability.

Tip: Quality beats quantity — fewer clean reps build better motor control than many sloppy ones.

4) Hanging Leg Raise (or Captains Chair)

Why it’s effective:

• Strong combination of hip flexor and rectus abdominis activation, especially when you emphasize a pelvic tilt and begin the movement from the ribs.
• Allows full range of motion and increased loading potential compared with floor exercises.

How to do it:

• Hang from a bar with scapular depression, draw the pelvis upward and raise legs (bent or straight) to ~90° hip flexion or slightly lower if mobility is limited.
• Control the descent to avoid swinging.

Progression/regression:

• Regression: Bent-knee raises, knee tucks on a captain’s chair.
• Progression: Straight-leg raises, toes-to-bar, or weighted ankle cuffs.

Caution: If hip flexor dominance causes lumbar extension, focus on initiating from the ribs and slowing the eccentric phase.

5) Bicycle Crunch

Why it’s effective:

• Highly effective for oblique and rectus abdominis activation when performed with controlled tempo and full torso rotation.
• Combines rotation and flexion, matching many real-world and athletic demands.

How to do it:

• Lie supine, hands lightly behind head, bring one elbow toward the opposite knee while extending the other leg; rotate the torso rather than just moving the elbow.
• Move deliberately to avoid momentum-driven reps.

Progression/regression:

• Regression: Slow, smaller-range movements; keep one foot on the floor.
• Progression: Increase tempo slightly while maintaining full control, or add an isometric hold at peak contraction.

Putting it together: sample 20-minute core circuit

• A1: Plank — 3 x 40–60 seconds (or to technical failure)
• A2: Dead Bug — 3 x 10–12 reps per side (slow tempo)
• B1: Hanging Leg Raise — 3 x 8–12 reps
• B2: Cable Crunch — 3 x 10–15 reps, controlled tempo
• Finisher: Bicycle Crunch — 2 x 30 seconds

Rotate A/B pairs with 60–90 seconds rest between sets. Adjust volume based on experience: beginners can reduce sets and time, advanced trainees can increase load or hold times.

Training tips backed by research

• Prioritize technique: EMG and performance studies emphasize quality of contraction over sheer repetition.
• Train the core from multiple angles: anti-extension (plank), flexion (cable crunch), anti-rotation/stability (dead bug), hip-flexion power (leg raises), and rotation (bicycle).
• Frequency: 2–4 focused sessions per week typically yields improvements in core endurance and strength when combined with full-body training.
• Progress slowly: Increase load, time under tension, or complexity before drastically increasing sets.

Conclusion

If you want a class-based way to build core strength while improving posture and mobility, consider trying a local studio like Barre Groove: Boston’s Best Fitness Studio for Women | Cardio You for guided sessions that integrate core-focused movements into full-body classes.