Let’s face it: There are few things more frustrating to deal with than a beer belly. Whether you enjoy a few too many on Friday nights, or simply live a sedentary lifestyle, the gut and midsection fat can quickly creep up. A well-defined, sculpted midsection is an absolute must if you are after a classic male physique that turns heads at the pool and makes you feel comfortable wherever you are. If you’ve struggled with sculpting your abs in the past, don’t worry. This workout includes five daily exercises for men to get more defined abs. You can add it to your current free weight routine, or perform it as a standalone exercise program.
When combined with a healthy nutrition approach to keep your body fat down, and an overall active lifestyle, you’ll look forward to taking your shirt off and showing off your hard-earned, washboard abs. Perform these exercises daily at least five days per week. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions on movement-based exercises, and three sets of 30-second holds on isometric exercises. Rest for 60 seconds between sets.
Keep reading for our five daily exercises for men to get more defined abs. And next, don’t miss the Simple Yet Effective Exercises for Instant Abs That Trainers Love.
The plank is a fundamental core exercise that improves your core stability and strength while sculpting a more defined midsection. This move hits most of your core muscles, including your rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques.
To perform a plank, start in a pushup position with your elbows bent and your forearms resting on the ground, directly below your shoulders. Engage your core muscles, and keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, maintaining a neutral spine. Keep your feet hip-width distance apart, and balance your weight between your forearms and toes. Hold this position without letting your hips sag or rise too high. Visualize drawing your lower rib toward your pelvis and engaging your abs. Repeat for the target time.
The Russian twist is a great rotational dynamic core exercise that targets the obliques, helping to define your V-taper along the side of your abdominals.
To perform a Russian twist, sit on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat, leaning slightly back to engage your core. Hold a weight, such as a dumbbell or medicine ball, with both hands in front of your chest. Engage your core, and lift your feet off the ground, maintaining balance on your sit bones. Rotate your torso to the right, bringing the weight to the outside of your right hip, then rotate to the left, moving the weight to the outside of your left hip. Avoid shrugging throughout the range of motion. Repeat for the target repetitions.
The hanging leg raise is a challenging and effective exercise for targeting the lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors. These muscles don’t always get the attention they need in traditional core routines, and I always include them whenever possible for the best results.
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To perform a hanging leg raise, hang onto a pullup bar with your arms fully extended and your hands shoulder-width distance apart. Engage your core, and keep your legs straight or slightly bent, depending on your flexibility. Slowly raise your legs toward your chest, maintaining control throughout the movement. Lower your legs back to the starting position with control, avoiding any swinging or momentum. Repeat for the target repetitions.
Side planks are an excellent exercise for targeting the oblique muscles as well as your quadratus lumborum, a deep core stabilizer in your lower back.
To perform a side plank, lie on your right side with your legs straight and your right elbow directly under your shoulder. Engage your core, and lift your hips off the ground, balancing on your right forearm and the outside edge of your right foot. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, and maintain a neutral spine. Hold this position without letting your hips sag or rise too high. Visualize drawing your lower rib toward your pelvis and engaging your abs. Repeat for the target time, then switch sides.
Bicycle crunches combine a traditional ab crunch with leg and rotational components. They target your entire core region for some serious midsection sculpting.
To perform bicycle crunches, lie on your back with your hands placed lightly behind your head and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, feet off the ground. Engage your core, and lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor. Extend your right leg as you rotate your torso to the left, bringing your right elbow toward your left knee. Avoid pulling on your neck or head. Switch sides by extending your left leg and rotating your torso to the right, bringing your left elbow toward your right knee, maintaining control and balance throughout the movement. Repeat for the target repetitions, alternating sides in a continuous motion as if pedaling a bicycle.
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