RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Ab exercises for weight loss: build the muscle, lose the fat over it

Published October 29, 2026

Ab exercises do not burn belly fat directly; it comes off with the rest of your body fat when you eat in a calorie deficit. What they do is build the abs that show as the fat drops. The best ones are the dead bug, crunch, reverse crunch, plank and side plank at home; mountain climbers and shoulder taps when you want your heart rate up; and the hanging knee raise, cable crunch, Pallof press and ab wheel in a gym. Do 3 or 4 of them, 2 or 3 times a week, 2 to 3 sets each, after your main workout.

  1. Dead Bug Abs
  2. Reverse Crunch Abs
  3. Plank Abs
  4. Side Plank Abs
  5. Hanging Knee Raise Abs
  6. Cable Crunch Abs
  7. Pallof Press Abs

Floor exercises for beginners

These three build the front of your abs from your back on a mat. The dead bug teaches you to keep your lower back still, the crunch curls your upper body, and the reverse crunch curls your hips, which is the part people call lower abs.

Deep abs, lower-back control

Dead Bug

Abs

Lying on your back and lowering the opposite arm and leg teaches you to keep your lower back pressed down. It is the easiest ab exercise to control when you are new, and the base for planks and leg raises.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up, arms pointing up and knees bent at right angles over your hips.
  2. Press your lower back into the floor.
  3. Reach one arm overhead and the opposite leg out long, both hovering above the floor.
  4. Bring them back and repeat with the other pair.

Cues

  • Back glued down
  • Breathe out as you reach
  • Opposite arm and leg

Common mistakes

  • Letting the back arch when the leg goes long: reach less far.
  • Going fast: each rep should take about three seconds.

Swap for: Plank, Alternating Leg Raise

Build a session with Dead Bug
Log it in RIRLift

Upper abs, trunk curl

Crunch

Abs

A short curl of your shoulders off the floor trains the six-pack muscle through its main job. Slow reps with a pause at the top beat fast ones.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat, and your arms reaching straight forward at shoulder height.
  2. Breathe out and curl your head and shoulders up until the shoulder blades clear the mat, sliding your hands toward your knees as your ribs move toward your hips.
  3. Pause for a second when your shoulder blades are just off the floor.
  4. Uncurl slowly until your shoulders touch down, then start the next rep.

Cues

  • Ribs to hips
  • Reach, don't pull
  • Exhale up

Common mistakes

  • Jerking your arms forward to get up: the reach follows the curl, your abs start it.
  • Bouncing off the floor: lower under control so every rep starts from rest.

Swap for: Decline Crunch, Cable Crunch

Build a session with Crunch
Log it in RIRLift

Lower abs, hip curl

Reverse Crunch

Abs

Curling your hips off the floor toward your chest works the lower part of your abs. Think of it as a hanging knee raise done lying on a mat.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up, hands by your sides, knees bent and feet lifted.
  2. Pull your knees toward your chest and keep going until your hips peel off the floor.
  3. Lower your hips one vertebra at a time, then let your feet drift back to just above the floor.

Cues

  • Hips peel up
  • Slow way down
  • No swinging

Common mistakes

  • Throwing the legs back for momentum: the hips should curl up, not get flung.
  • Stopping when the knees reach the chest: the rep counts once the hips lift.

Swap for: Lying Knee Raise, Hanging Knee Raise

Build a session with Reverse Crunch
Log it in RIRLift

Planks and plank variations

Planks train your abs to hold your trunk straight instead of curling it. The side plank adds the obliques at your waist, and shoulder taps and mountain climbers turn the plank into something that also raises your heart rate.

Abs, front plank

Plank

Abs

The plank holds your trunk straight against gravity. The demo shows the harder version, with one arm and the opposite leg lifted; hold the standard plank first, then lift a limb once 45 seconds is easy.

How to do it

  1. Set your forearms under your shoulders and your feet behind you, body in a straight line.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and pull your ribs down toward your hips.
  3. Hold, breathing normally, without letting your hips sag or rise.
  4. For the harder version, reach one arm forward and lift the opposite foot, hold, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Glutes tight
  • Straight line

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging toward the floor: that hangs on your lower back.
  • Holding for minutes at an easy level: make it harder instead.

Swap for: Long Lever Plank, Plank Shoulder Tap

Build a session with Plank
Log it in RIRLift

Obliques, side plank

Side Plank

Abs

Holding your hips up on one side trains the muscles at the side of your waist that crunches miss. Build to 30 to 45 seconds per side.

How to do it

  1. Lie on one side with your elbow under your shoulder and your legs stacked.
  2. Lift your hips until your body is straight from head to feet.
  3. Hold, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Hips high
  • Stacked feet
  • Elbow under shoulder

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips drop toward the floor as the hold goes on.
  • Rolling the chest forward or back.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Plank, Copenhagen Plank

Build a session with Side Plank
Log it in RIRLift

Abs and shoulders, plank with taps

Plank Shoulder Tap

Abs

Tapping one shoulder at a time makes your trunk fight the rotation, so it is a plank that trains your obliques and keeps you moving.

How to do it

  1. Hold a straight-arm plank with feet a little wider than hips.
  2. Lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder.
  3. Replace it and tap with the other hand, keeping your hips from rocking.

Cues

  • Hips stay still
  • Feet wide for balance
  • Slow taps

Common mistakes

  • Rocking side to side: widen the feet and slow down.

Swap for: Plank, Push-Up Plus, Bear Crawl

Build a session with Plank Shoulder Tap
Log it in RIRLift

Abs and hip flexors, running plank

Mountain Climber

Abs

Fast knee drives from a plank train your abs and raise your heart rate. It is the ab exercise that does the most for the calorie side of the week.

How to do it

  1. Start in a high plank.
  2. Drive one knee toward your chest, then switch legs quickly.
  3. Bursts: 15 seconds at half pace, then faster.

Cues

  • Shoulders over hands
  • Hips level

Common mistakes

  • Raising your hips high.
  • Bouncing on your hands.

Swap for: Plank Jack, Mountain Climber Jump, High Knees

Build a session with Mountain Climber
Log it in RIRLift

Hanging and supported knee raises

Lifting your legs from a hang or the captain's chair is one of the hardest ways to train the lower part of your abs. Use the chair if you cannot hold a bar for 20 seconds yet.

Lower abs, hanging hip flexion

Hanging Knee Raise

Abs

From a hang, curling your knees up and your pelvis forward trains the lower abs hard and works your grip too. Aim for 8 to 15 slow reps.

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar with straight arms and your legs together.
  2. Draw your knees up toward your chest and curl your pelvis up at the top.
  3. Lower your legs slowly until they hang straight and still.

Cues

  • Curl the pelvis
  • Stop the swing
  • Slow down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging into each rep: pause at the bottom until you are still.
  • Lifting the knees only to hip height, which works the hip flexors more than the abs.

Swap for: Captain's Chair Knee Raise, Reverse Crunch

Build a session with Hanging Knee Raise
Log it in RIRLift

Lower abs, supported knee raise

Captain's Chair Knee Raise

Abs

Your forearms on the pads and back against the rest take grip out of it, so you can focus on curling your hips. It is the step before hanging raises.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the step, press your back to the pad and set your forearms on the pads.
  2. Lift your knees to hip height or higher and curl your pelvis up off the pad at the top.
  3. Lower your legs slowly until they hang straight.

Cues

  • Pelvis curls
  • Slow lower
  • Back on the pad

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the knees without curling the pelvis, which leaves the abs half used.
  • Swinging the legs up and dropping them.

Swap for: Hanging Knee Raise, Reverse Crunch

Build a session with Captain's Chair Knee Raise
Log it in RIRLift

Cable and wheel exercises for the gym

Abs grow like any other muscle: with load and reps near failure. The cable crunch lets you add weight, the Pallof press trains your trunk to resist twisting, and the ab wheel is the hardest anti-extension exercise on this page.

Abs, weighted standing crunch

Cable Crunch

Abs

The cable lets you add weight to a crunch in small steps, the way you would to a curl, so your abs can keep getting stronger. Sets of 10 to 15 near failure work best.

How to do it

  1. Attach a rope to a high pulley, turn your back to the stack and hold the ends behind your head.
  2. Step forward so the weight lifts, then brace your hips in place and curl your ribs down toward your pelvis.
  3. Pause when your trunk is fully curled, then let the rope pull you back up slowly.

Cues

  • Ribs to pelvis
  • Hips still
  • Round, don't hinge

Common mistakes

  • Hinging at the hips so the body weight pulls the stack down.
  • Pulling the rope with the arms instead of keeping the hands at the head.

Swap for: Machine Crunch, Decline Crunch

Build a session with Cable Crunch
Log it in RIRLift

Obliques and deep abs, anti-rotation press

Pallof Press

Abs

Pressing a cable straight out while it tries to twist you trains your trunk to stay still, which is what your core does in every heavy lift. It is done standing, with no floor work.

How to do it

  1. Set a cable at chest height, stand side-on to it and grip the handle two-handed at your chest.
  2. Step away until the cable pulls, feet hip-width.
  3. Press the handle straight out, hold for two seconds without turning, then bring it back.

Cues

  • Hands on the midline
  • Don't turn
  • Hold it out

Common mistakes

  • Standing too close, so the cable barely pulls.
  • Letting the arms drift toward the stack.

Swap for: Cable Woodchop, Landmine Twist

Build a session with Pallof Press
Log it in RIRLift

Abs, anti-extension rollout

Ab Wheel Rollout

Abs

Rolling forward on your knees and pulling back makes your abs stop your back from arching under a long lever. It is the hardest exercise here; start with a short roll.

How to do it

  1. Kneel with the wheel under your shoulders and your arms straight.
  2. Brace and roll forward, letting your hips follow, until just before your back starts to sag.
  3. Pull the wheel back to your knees using your abs, not your hips.

Cues

  • Tuck the pelvis
  • Roll only as far as you own
  • Arms straight

Common mistakes

  • Letting the lower back cave at the far end.
  • Sitting the hips back first on the return instead of pulling with the abs.

Swap for: Stability Ball Body Saw, Plank

Build a session with Ab Wheel Rollout
Log it in RIRLift

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Beginner, ten minutes at home

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets21 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentBodyweight

You are starting out, you train at home on a mat, and you want a short ab routine to add after your workout or walk two or three times a week.

Each routine is 7 short sets, so two or three sessions a week give your abs and obliques 14 to 21 sets, a dose a beginner recovers from because every set is a short curl or hold. Every set stops with 2 reps or 10 seconds left.

Abs A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dead BugPer side. 2 × 8–12 2 1 min
CrunchPause 1 s at the top. 2 × 10–20 2 1 min
PlankSeconds per hold. 3 × 20–45 2 1 min

Open Abs A in the session builder

Abs B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Reverse Crunch 3 × 8–15 2 1 min
Side PlankSeconds per side. Knees down if needed. 2 × 15–30 2 1 min
Mountain ClimberSeconds per set. 2 × 20–30 2 1 min

Open Abs B in the session builder

How to run it
Add Abs A or Abs B to the end of your workouts, alternating, two or three times a week.
How to progress
Add reps or seconds until you reach the top of each range, then make it harder: slow the lowering, lift a limb in the plank, or straighten your legs on the reverse crunch.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

In the gym, after lifting

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets16 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentAdjustable Cable, Pull-Up Bar, Ab Wheel, Dip Bar

You lift two to four times a week, you are dieting to see your abs, and you want ab work at the end of sessions that actually builds them.

Abs respond to load and effort like any muscle, so these routines use weighted crunches, hanging raises and the ab wheel near failure, about 8 hard sets each. Done twice a week, that is 16 sets for the abs on top of what heavy lifts already give them.

Core 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Cable Crunch 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Hanging Knee Raise 3 × 8–15 1 75 s
Pallof PressPer side. 2 s hold at full reach. 2 × 10–12 2 1 min

Open Core 1 in the session builder

Core 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Ab Wheel RolloutFrom the knees. Short roll at first. 3 × 6–12 2 90 s
Captain's Chair Knee Raise 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 30–45 1 1 min

Open Core 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Add Core 1 after your first lifting day of the week and Core 2 after a later one, with two days between.
How to progress
Double progression on the cable crunch: reach 15 reps on every set, then add a plate. On hanging raises and rollouts, add reps, then range: straighter legs, a longer roll.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

A larger belly, no floor work

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets16 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentAdjustable Cable, Dip Bar

You have a lot of weight to lose, lying on the floor and getting back up is uncomfortable, and you go to a gym twice a week.

Every exercise is done standing or supported: the cable crunch and Pallof press standing, the knee raise with your back against the captain's chair. About 8 sets twice a week trains your abs while you lose weight, with 2 to 3 reps in reserve.

Standing Core
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Pallof PressPer side. 3 × 8–12 3 1 min
Cable Crunch 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
Captain's Chair Knee RaiseKnees to hip height to start. 2 × 6–12 3 75 s
How to run it
Do Standing Core after both of your weekly gym sessions.
How to progress
Add reps first. On the cable crunch and Pallof press, add one weight step once every set reaches the top of the range. On the captain's chair, lift your knees higher before adding reps.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Can you lose weight with ab exercises?

Not by themselves. Ab exercises burn very few calories, and doing them does not take fat from your belly specifically. Lose weight with a calorie deficit and full-body training; ab exercises build the muscle that shows once you do.

What ab workouts burn the most fat?

The ones that move the most: mountain climbers and plank variations raise your heart rate more than crunches. Even so, a brisk walk or a full-body workout burns more than any ab routine.

How do I flatten my lower belly pooch?

Lower belly fat is often the last to go, so it needs patience and a steady calorie deficit. Reverse crunches and hanging knee raises strengthen the lower abs underneath, and planks and dead bugs help you hold your belly in.

How often should I do ab exercises?

Two or three times a week, 6 to 10 hard sets per session, is enough. Abs recover quickly but still need to be pushed close to failure to grow.

Are planks or crunches better for belly fat?

Neither burns belly fat. Planks train your abs to hold your trunk still and crunches train them to curl it; doing both builds the whole muscle.