The abdominal muscle known as Rectus Abdominis extends from the diaphragm to the pelvis. The upper part of this muscle is what people refer to as ‘six-packs’ or ‘six-pack abs.’ This muscle works with other abdominal muscles such as transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, etc. Hence, when talking about upper abs workouts, there are no such exercises that solely target just the upper abs. However, below mentioned upper abs workouts mainly target muscles of the upper abs compared to other core muscles.
10 Best Upper Abs Exercises
Below, we have described some of the best upper ab exercises that you can adopt for your upper ab exercise routine.
1. Sit-Up
This bodyweight upper ab exercise mainly aims for the rectus abdominis muscle. Trainees experience extreme muscular tension in their upper abs while doing sit-ups. This practical exercise promotes muscle growth resulting in defined abs and hypertrophied muscles. Sit-up is a suitable upper ab exercise for beginners as well as others. It does not involve any exercise equipment.
Steps:
- Starting position: Lie down on the floor.
- Bend your knees, making 90 degrees with legs flat on the floor.
- Cross your arms over the top of your shoulders.
- Now lift your chest to the top of your knees by flexing your abs. Exhale while you come up.
- Do not lift the pelvis or arch lower back to lift upwards.
- Slowly contracting your core, move downwards.
2. McGill Curl Up
This endurance exercise for upper core muscles is best for people with lower back pain. It involves flexion and extension of the upper ab while keeping the lumbar spine neutral. Beginners can achieve the core stability with McGill Curl Up exercise with minimal stress on the lower back compared to other upper ab workouts.
Steps:
- Starting position: Lie flat on the back on the floor.
- Bend one leg, placing its foot flat on the floor.
- Keep the other leg straight.
- Insert both palms beneath the lower back curve to maintain the arch.
- Take a deep breath and lift your upper torso slightly above the ground, contracting the abdominals.
- Hold this position for 10-15 seconds, then lie down back and relax.
- Switch the side and repeat.
3. Sprinter Sit-Up
This fantastic upper abs exercise facilitates the strength of core muscles by utilizing body weight. It targets your core and back muscles. Hence, the sprinter sit-up exercise results in belly shaping and lower back strengthening.
Steps:
- Lie upon the back on the floor with legs extended.
- Now keep one hand on the table of the hip and the other on the floor.
- Crunch up, bringing the right knee to your shoulder and swinging forward the left elbow. Go straight up and do not go across.
- Lie back in the original position, extending the right leg.
- Switch and repeat the upper ab exercise, sprinting with alternating arms and legs.
4. Hollow Hold
This effective upper ab workout involves no exercise equipment. It builds great tension in your upper abs to keep you upright and balanced, sculpting your upper abs. Hence, hollow hold exercise is best for upper ab muscle toning. It is mainly adopted for posture and core training.
Steps:
- Starting position: Lie upon the back on the floor with arms extended over the head and legs placed close together.
- Make sure your lower back is firmly against the floor.
- Raise the legs 1-3 inches above the ground.
- Raise your arms and flex your upper abs by holding in the rib cage.
- Hold this position for 45-60 seconds.
- You can perform 3-4 reps per day of hollow hold.
One simplification of hollow hold involves bringing in arms and legs a little.
You can also rock back and forth while holding the hollow hold position. This is called hollow rock. It allows minimum movement of the shoulder and hip joints. Other variations include weighted hollow hold, uneven hollow hold, and gator roll.
5. Bicycle Crunch
This variation of crunch exercise targets muscles of the core, transverse abdominis, and obliques. It tests your coordination and balancing skills. It is easy to perform and is therefore suitable for beginners. The only requirement for bicycle crunch exercise is an exercise mat.
Steps:
- Starting position: Lie flat on your back on the floor.
- Make a 90-degree angle with your hip and knee.
- Breathe in, expand your belly, then exhale to draw your abdominal muscles inwards. This engages the transverse abdominis.
- Then to engage rectus abdominis, i.e., your six-pack, draw your belly inwards and flex the spine.
- Next, put your hands relaxed behind your head, opening the elbows.
- Now move your legs as if riding a bicycle, moving one leg in while the other out. Extend your legs as much as you can.
- Now add rotation by moving the opposite elbow towards the knee. Keep your shoulder blades above the ground to engage the rectus abdominis muscle.
- Repeat on the other side alternatively. Keep your heart and chest open without sticking your chin towards your chest.
6. 90-Degree Hold Sit-Ups
This easy-to-do upper ab bodyweight exercise engages the abdominal muscles. These 90-degree hold sit-ups enhance core and upper ab muscle activation. Trainees can achieve better core stability with this exercise which is necessary for various bodyweight exercises. Other than that, it also helps with posture improvement. The weighted sit-up is another form of sit-up which involves using a medicine ball, kettlebell, or dumbbells.
Steps:
- Starting position: Lie flat face-up on the floor. Bend knees at 90 degrees with the hip and keep your feet above the ground stationary.
- Keep your arms extended along with the shin bones.
- Lift your upper body towards the knees, engaging your core while crunching your abs.
- Move your arms up to your toes and hold for a while.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
Based on your ability, complete 10-15 reps and 2-3 sets of 90-degree hold sit-ups.
7. Abdominal Rollout
This intensive exercise effectively improves muscle growth, as it involves both rising and lowering actions. The upper abs are eccentrically strengthened with the help of this exercise due to the lengthening action. The core stability and upper ab muscle recruitment are attained in the extended position. For abdominal rollout, you need exercising equipment like a ball, an ab wheel, a barbell, etc.
Steps:
- Starting position: Sit down on your knees and hold your equipment with palms stretched along the wrist.
- Stretch your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lean forward facing the ground, extending hips, chest going downwards without arching your lower back too much. Keep your chin tucked in.
- Lean backward to the starting position while squeezing your latissimus dorsi muscles.
- Start with a shorter range of motion and move to a longer range as you adapt to this exercise.
- Repeat the exercise while keeping the right posture.
8. 90-Degree Toe Touches
This upper ab exercise targets the core muscle group, enhancing the core stability. Apart from this, 90-degree toe touches help tone and sculpt the upper ab muscles, trim the waist, and enhance flexibility, posture, and balance.
Steps:
- Start with lying flat on the surface, either on a mat or a bench.
- Extend your arms above the head.
- Raise feet hip-width apart above the ground, bending knees at a 90-degree angle.
- Raise your torso forward, crunching the abs, and move the arms from above the head towards the shins until you touch your toe.
- Return to the starting position slowly.
- Complete 20 reps of toe touches.
9. Strict Toes To Bar
This upper ab core strengthening exercise also offers hip flexibility. It also offers improved shoulder and upper back stability with enhanced grip. It is quite a tricky exercise and is usually done by athletes. Strict toes to the bar vigorously stimulate muscle activation and muscle growth and tone of the abs.
Steps:
- Jump and hold the bar with palms placed more than shoulder-width apart.
- Look forward with your head in the neutral position.
- Shoulders, hips, and hands must be aligned.
- Squeeze your ankles and thighs together and keep the knees, elbows, and arms extended.
- Slowly lift your feet towards the torso using the ab muscles and hip flexors.
- Touch the bar with your feet between the hands and lower them as you push the upper body forward, staying underneath the bar.
- Move your feet downwards. Do not swing your legs. Keep them under control.
- Return to the relaxed state while hanging and repeat the exercise.
10. Hanging Knee Raises
This helpful exercise engages both upper and lower abs. Apart from ab muscle growth, it enhances body control, grip power, and coordination of the torso. Beginners can start with little and scale up according to their strengths. Hanging knee raises and leg raises require a standard pull-up bar or captain’s chair for beginners.
Steps:
- Grip the pull-up bar by extending your arms overhead slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep feet in front, squeezed together. Make sure all other muscles are nice and tight.
- Slowly bring your knees up at a 90-degree angle and keep moving towards your torso.
- Bring your feet down slowly, keeping control and not swinging your body.
- Repeat the exercise and strictly maintain proper form.
Increase the number of reps as you train for better core stability and building upper abs. Adding a dumbbell between your knees can also increase the difficulty level.
