Best Beginner Ab Workout: How To Build Abs of Steel

Having a flat stomach with those ripped abs popping out is a dream of every fitness enthusiast. Even a guy with 18-inch biceps and a tapered back would always wish to make his abs prominent.

If you are a beginner bodybuilder or your past gym workouts didn’t prove successful in achieving abs, we bring you the best beginner ab workout for displaying those coveted six-packs.

Working out your core holds a crucial role in the overall strength of your body. The six-pack seekers aren’t the only ones that should be paying attention to ab exercises.

A solid core goes a long way in developing a good posture, preventing back pain, and performing daily life activities with ease.

The benefits of training your core just go on. Before heading onto the core exercises for beginners, let’s have a look at some facts and common myths about training abs.

As a beginner in the fitness industry, you are more likely to fall prey to some common myths about building muscles instantly.

Remember that you can’t build a good body overnight and if your trainer tells you this then he is probably lying.

These are some common facts and tips you should keep in mind before you start your beginner ab workout.

The recovery period for every muscle depends upon the intensity of your workout. However, you need a minimum of three days to recover in between workouts. Doing abs exercises too often can result in muscular injury.

Get it straight, you can’t reduce fat from a targeted region in your body. We know that everyone wants a flat stomach even if they have fat accumulated in other regions of the body.

If you are planning to step into the beginner ab workout to cut down your waist without diet or cardio then stop. You can do crunches all day long but still can’t spot reduce your belly fat.

For making your abs visible, you can incorporate cardio, strength training, or various other exercise regimens that reduce the overall body fat.

By performing the core exercises for beginners you can develop ab muscles. But, they will be hidden under your skin due to the accumulated fat layer.

You will be able to feel strength in your core but the abs won’t be visible. The first thing you need to do for displaying those abs is to tactically manage your diet and exercise regimens.

Women can get visible abs at a body fat percentage of about 13 to 20. Whereas men need to cut their body fat percentage to about 6 to 12 for displaying their abs.

In the words of some famous fitness trainers around the world, abs are built in the kitchen. You must fill your diet with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, good fats, and high protein foods.

Make sure that you follow a caloric deficit diet if you have a high body-fat percentage. And, if you already have low body fat then track your maintenance calories and eat accordingly.

Don’t limit your protein consumption. Eat the required amount of protein because like every other muscle in your body, core muscles also require protein for development.

Poultry items that include chicken, lean beef, turkey. Fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Low-fat dairy items, eggs, and vegetables like tofu, beans, etc.

The recommended amount of protein for building abs is about 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kg of your body weight. If you eat more than the required amount then your stomach won’t be able to digest it.

As a beginner in the gym, you are most likely to lose all the motivation when you don’t develop abs despite all the hard work.

In the beginning, every gymgoer develops some muscle definition. This phenomenon is known as newbie gains. But, after some time they stop seeing improvement due to the lack of muscle hypertrophy.

Remember what we told you at the beginning that muscles don’t develop overnight. If you are true to yourself then you can easily develop abs although it requires both dedication and consistency.

To keep yourself motivated make sure to hit the gym in some performing workout gear.

Luckily, the beginner ab workout requires minimum equipment or no equipment at all. On days when you don’t feel like hitting the gym, you can also perform an ab workout at home.

So, without taking any more of your time let’s step into the best core exercises for beginners.

The mountain climber exercise is highly efficient for working on multiple muscle groups and joints. It engages your overall core muscles such as the back, hips, and abs.

Moreover, while doing the mountain climber exercise you use your legs, chest, and shoulder muscles as well which makes it a great exercise for burning calories.

• Start on all fours.
• Your knees and hands should be on the mat.
• Take a push with your right foot and bring your right knee near your right below.
• Bring it back, and in the same motion push your left leg towards your left elbow.
• Keep on switching your legs back and forth for about 30-seconds to a minute.

• Focus on your form, don’t lose proper form to increase your speed.
• Don’t arch your back and don’t lift your hips too high.
• Keep a steady speed, doing the exercise too fast won’t be any good.

The dead bug exercise is a safe and popular way to develop core strength and stabilization. As a beginner, you don’t have to worry about your form as your back stays on the ground.

It engages your whole abdomen section, relieves lower back pain, and prevents injuries.

• Lie with your back on the mat.
• Stretch your arms behind your neck, don’t let your arms rest on the mat.
• Bend your knees and lift your legs in such a way that your knees are directly above your hips.
• Exhale and lower your right arm and left leg, don’t let them rest on the floor. There should be a little gap.
• Inhale while bringing your leg and arm to the starting position.
• Repeat the same movements with the opposite side.
• Repeat for the required number of reps.

• Imagine that you are pressing your back and glutes heavily against the mat.
• Incorporate a resistance band around your lower thigh to increase stability.
• To make the exercise difficult, hold a weighted ball in your hands.

Even when you start developing abs, losing fat in the lower abdomen stays a challenge. Leg raises are one of the most beneficial exercises to get rid of lower belly fat.

This exercise is also helpful in toning and strengthening your hamstrings, calves, and glutes.

Incorporating leg raises in your ab workout is a great way to boost flexibility and strength in your core and lower body.

• Lie with your back on the mat.
• Your hands should be by your sides.
• Lift your legs in the air without bending your knees. Take help of your core muscles while lifting your legs.
• Lower your legs but don’t let them rest on the floor, keep them a little above the floor.
• Repeat this movement for the required number of reps.

• As a beginner, you can place your hands beneath the glutes to help you while lifting your legs.
• Don’t lift your shoulders, and don’t arch your back while bringing the legs down.
• Keep a mind-muscle connection, only then you would be able to target your core muscles.

Hanging the knee is one of those abs exercises that demand you to get yourself up from the ground. These exercises engage your abs, hip flexors, and some of the oblique muscles.

One remarkable benefit of hanging knee raises is midline stability. It refers to a lifter's athletic ability to protect their spine while performing rotational forces.

• Grab the pull-up bar with a wide grip and your palms facing outwards.
• Tighten your core and lift your knees towards the chest.
• Your thighs should be parallel to the floor.
• Slowly lower your legs and return to starting position.
• Repeat this movement for the required number of reps.

• Don’t arch your back as it can result in injury.
• Make sure that you don’t swing your legs while performing this exercise.
• While lowering your legs keep a slight bend in your knees.

Flutter kicks, also known as the scissor kicks, are a highly beneficial exercise for engaging lower abs, glutes, and thighs.

It’s a low-impact exercise but has great advantages for core strength and stability. To get a toned lower body, you must include scissor kicks in your beginner ab workout.

Lie with your back on the mat, your arms should be resting on your sides.

Keep your legs close and extend them forward by stretching your hamstrings.

Lift both your legs a little up. Now, move your legs up and down simultaneously.

Repeat this movement for about 20 seconds, then rest for a moment and start again.

• Don’t lift your legs a little higher as it will result in arching your back.
• Engage your abs by pulling them towards your belly as much as possible.
• Maintain a steady speed.

If you want to get rid of those love handles and get defined obliques then a grounded Russian twist is the exercise you should add to your beginner ab workout.

Seated Russian twists are beneficial in strengthening your lower back. It’s also helpful in improving your overall balance.

Once you learn to perform this exercise then this is the simplest exercise to help work out the whole abdomen region.

• Sit on the mat, keeping your knees a little bent. Your heels should be in contact with the floor.
• Lean a little back while ensuring that your back is not curved.
• Stretch your arms out, position your hands on top of each other.
• Inhale and try to pull your belly inwards. Now, twist towards your left.
• Make sure that the rotation is caused due to your ribs rotating and not your arms swinging here and there.

• Make sure that you don’t twist too much so that you end up causing strain in your spine.
• To add difficulty, try doing it without sticking your ankles with the floor.
• Keep a steady speed.

Plank is one of the simplest abs exercises that you can do. It’s very easy to do in its appearance as it doesn't require any movement but, someone has said it right that if you want to feel how long is a minute then try doing a plank.

The plank works on the majority of the muscle groups in your body due to which it’s a beneficial exercise for losing body fat.

Doing planks regularly can significantly improve your body’s balance, posture and develop flexibility.

• Start on all fours, lift your body taking the help of your toes and forearms.
• Tighten your core.
• Maintain steady breathing.

• Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise or you will end up getting your back strained.
• Don’t focus on keeping a plank for increased time, instead focus on your form.
• Always perform the exercise on a mat or your forearms will start hurting.