Ready to strengthen your abs? Many of us are still dreaming to get a strong core and tight tummy but we don’t know the effective way to train our abdominal walls. Having a strong core is always beneficial for our body. For training our abs effectively we need some best exercises that directly hit our muscles.
If you are also dreaming to get stronger abs then you are on the right page. In this workout routine, we are going to share the 12 best middle abs exercises that will help you in building strength. Before getting started let’s know-how training abs are beneficial for us.
Why you should train your Abs?
Having stronger abdominal muscles helps you in different ways. You must have noticed that people having a flat core always have a dashing personality. Here are some benefits of why you should train your abs.
- Reduces Lower Back Pain- Lower back pain is a major problem nowadays. Weak abdominal muscles lead to an increase in lower back pain. Training your abdominal walls directly hits your back muscles and the spine and helps in reducing lower back pain.
- Improve your Performance- If you are an athlete then training your core will help you in improving your performance. It helps you in building your strength and endurance of weaker muscles.
- Improves your posture and stability- Maintaining your posture is really important for avoiding lower back pain. Training your abs helps in improving your posture and stability of your body.
- Reduce Body Fat- By training your core muscles you can easily reduce your belly fat and get a slim tummy. There are various exercises to tighten your middle abs.
There are 3 types of muscles we should train to build perfect abs.
- Upper Abs
- Middle Abs
- Lower Abs
Read this article to know about the anatomy of abs.
In this training session we are going to know about the best middle abs exercises that will help you build stronger core. To train your complete core go through this Abs workout program.
Best Abs Workout Program For Building Stronger Core
12 Best Middle Abs Exercises For Strength
Have a short look at the exercises we are going to perform in this program.
| Best Deltoid Exercises For Mass | Sets | Reps |
| Mountain Climbers | 2 | 10-12 |
| Incline Leg Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
| Knee Raises | 3 | 10 |
| L Pull-Up | 3 | 4-5 |
| Sit-Ups | 2 | Till Failure |
| Reverse Crunches | 2 | 10-15 |
| Knee To Elbow KickBack | 2-3 | 8-12 |
| Pulse Ups | 2 | 10 |
| Plank | 2-3 | 40 to 50 secs |
| Flutter Kicks | 3 | 10-12 |
| Side Jacknife | 3 | 10-12 |
| Abs Extension | 3 | 10-12 |
1. Mountain Climbers
Another effective middle abs workout that will strengthen your core muscles. Mountain climbers is a compound exercise that helps you in burning body fat. It directly hits your core muscles and helps in building strength. Perform more repetitions to make it more effective. Have a look at this quick tutorial.
Targeted Muscles- Abdominal muscles
How to do
- Get down in an inclined position with your body straight.
- Pull your right leg towards your chest and your other leg straight backward. => Starting Position
- Now switch the legs position. Here is your one-rep completed.
- Continue switching your legs to complete your reps.
Complete at least 10 to 15 repetitions each leg.
2. Incline Leg Raises
Leg raise is a known exercise to train your abdominal muscles perfectly. Incline leg raises directly target your middle and lower abdominal muscles. Perform this ab exercise slowly to make it more effective and maintain stability during the workout. Here is a quick tutorial.
Targeted Muscles- Middle and Lower abdominal muscles
How to do
- Lie down in an inclined bench adjusted at a 45-degree angle.
- Keep your back straight and grab the bar above with an underhand grip. => Starting Position
- Now lift your feet from the ground to the top by keeping your leg straight.
- Pause and feel the stretch in your core section. Return and repeat.
Complete 2 to 3 sets with proper 10 to 12 reps each.
3. Knee Raises
A quite difficult middle abs exercise that will help you strengthen your tummy effectively. Knee raises targets your upper and middle abdominal section. You also need muscular strength and stability to perform this exercise. If you are a beginner then go for low reps. Here is the right tutorial to perform this ab exercise.
Targeted Muscles- Upper and Middle abdominal muscles
How to do
- Hang in the bar with an underhand grip and keep your body straight.
- Now bend your knees forward slowly to feel a stretch on your tummy. => Starting Position
- Pause for a while and then get back to the starting point. Repeat and complete your reps.
Complete 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps each.
4. L Pull-Up
An ultimate exercise to train your abdominal muscles. L pull up is considered in challenging exercises(calisthenic exercise) and directly hits your middle abs muscles. For beginners, it will be quite difficult to perform this exercise. Also, helps in building your muscular strength. Have a look at its quick tutorial.
Targeted Muscles- Middle abdominal muscles
How to do
- Hang on the bar with an underhand grip. Keep your body straight.
- Extend your legs forward such that they are parallel to the floor. => Starting Position
- Now start pulling your chest up to the bar. Pause and return back to the starting point slowly.
- Repeat the repetitions with the same form.
Complete at least 2 sets of 4 to 5 repetitions each.
5. Sit-Ups
We all have heard about sit-ups which are considered one of the best middle abs exercises to build strength and endurance. It directly hits your middle and upper abdominal muscles. Perform your crunches more slowly to make them more effective. Here is a how-to-do tutorial for this ultimate ab exercise.
Targeted Muscles- Middle and Upper abdominal muscles
How to do
- Lie down on the floor with your hands behind your hand.
- Keep your back straight and breathe. => Starting Position
- Now lift your upper body and feeling the stretch on your core. Do not move your lower body during this exercise.
- Pause at the top and breathe, return back to the starting point and repeat.
Complete 2 sets of crunches till failure.
6. Reverse Crunches
Other effective abs exercise that will help you strengthen your core muscles effectively. Reverse crunches directly target your upper, middle, and lower back muscles efficiently. Also, helps in building the strength and mobility of your body.
If you are a beginner then focus on your form during exercise. Here is a quick look at how to do this exercise.
Targeted Muscles- Upper, Middle, and Lower abdominal muscles
How to do
Get a flat bench exercise to perform this exercise.
- Lie down on the bench and hold the head of the bench with a neutral grip.
- Bend your knees up such that your feet are facing up. => Starting Position
- Now bring your knees towards your face as much as possible such that they are still facing up.
- Feel the stretch on your core muscles and slowly return back to the starting position.
Complete 2 sets of 5 to 8 repetitions per set.
7. Knee to Elbow Kickback
Knee to elbow kickback is a full-body workout that helps in getting a tight tummy. It directly targets your abdominals, glutes, and hamstring muscles. Also, helps in building muscular strength and endurance. Both beginners and professionals can easily perform this exercise. Here is a quick tutorial.
Targeted Muscles- Abdominal, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, and arms muscles
How to do
- Lie down in a plank position and keep your complete body straight.
- Bring your right knee forward towards your right elbow. => Starting Position
- Now extend your right leg behind and kickback.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the same.
Complete 2 to 3 sets of 12, 10, 10 repetitions each.
8. Pulse Ups
Adding this ultimate abs exercise to your workout routine will help you target your middle and lower abdominal muscles. Pulse-ups strengthen your core and increase your body flexibility. It also helps in curing lower back pain easily. Here is a quick tutorial for this abs workout.
Targeted Muscles- Middle and Lower abdominal muscles
How to do
- Lie down on the floor facing your back downwards.
- Lift your legs to the top such that they are perpendicular to the floor. => Starting Position
- Now lift your core section up without moving your chest portion.
- Return back and repeat the reps.
Complete 3 sets of 12 to 10 repetitions each.
9. Plank
To strengthen your core muscles plank is one of the best abs exercises. It directly targets your core muscles and helps in increasing the flexibility and strength of your muscles. Try to hold the position for at least 50 to 60 seconds.
Also, helps in improving your body posture and stability. Both beginners and professionals can easily perform this workout. Have a look at this quick tutorial.
Targeted Muscles- Abdominal muscles
How to do
- Lie down in a plank position. Look forward and keep your body straight. => Starting Position
- Hold on to this plank position until you start getting pain in your core muscles.
10. Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks are also considered ineffective middle abs workouts. It targets your middle and lower abdominal muscles. If you want to build a slimmer waist then this workout is beneficial for you. Beginners must focus on their form to make this exercise more efficient. Have a look at its tutorial.
Targeted Muscles- Middle and Lower abdominal muscles
How to do
- Lie down on your back and keep your body straight.
- Lift your legs slightly up from the ground. => Starting Position
- Now kick upward with your right leg and get back to the starting position.
- Repeat the same with the second leg. Keep switching your legs to complete repetitions.
Compete for 2 to 3 sets of 12 repetitions each.
11. Side Jackknife
Side jackknife helps you in building abs very quickly. If you want to get a slim tummy then this workout is beneficial for you. Also, helps in building obliques. Both beginners and professionals can do this exercise easily. Here is a quick tutorial on this move.
Targeted Muscles- Abdominal muscles, Obliques.
How to do
- Lie down from one side of your body. Keep your hand behind your head and another hand to support your body.
- Keep your right leg above your left leg. => Starting Position
- Now lift your right leg and your head up together. Pause for a while and then return back.
Complete your 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps each.
12. Ab Extensions
To isolate your middle abs muscles we are going to start with this effective exercise. Ab extension directly targets your middle and upper abdominal muscles. This workout is quite similar to ‘suspended plank’ and beginners can easily perform this exercise. Here is a quick tutorial of this middle abs workout.
Targeted Muscles- Middle and upper abdominal muscles.
How to do
- Kneel down on the floor and grab the hanging handles with an underhand grip. Keep your back straight
- Lock your arms and slowly lean forward with your knees until your body forms a 45-degree angle with the floor. => Starting Position
- Hold in this position for at least 3 to 4 seconds. Now return back to the starting position and repeat.
Complete at least 2 sets of this exercise.
Best Tips For Flat & Toned Belly
- Target your abs more consistently and effectively. To get amazing results it is very necessary to do a hard workout. Stay consistent.
- Eat healthily. A healthy diet is also necessary to get a flat tummy. Go with the best diet plan.
- Performing yoga and stretching will also help you strengthen your core muscles.
- Perform your abs workout after proper warm-up and stretching. Also, do 30-minute cardio workouts at least twice a week
How to Get Middle Abs Line
Some of us are still struggling to get the middle abs line. Here is a tip that will help you in building the middle abs line effectively.
Try focusing on hight intensity abs exercises. This will help you in burning your belly fat and your lines will start appearing.
5-minute Intense Abs Workout
Conclusion
These 12 abs exercises will help you in building your abdominal muscles. Follow this workout routine for at least 3 to 4 weeks to get amazing results. You can also follow a 5-minute workout routine to strengthen your core muscles. Also, go with these tips to get a slim tummy quickly. If you have any queries then please let us know in the comments. Stay strong. Buildingbeast.