Ab workout: a 10-minute core routine that builds strength

Your abs and obliques bend and turn the trunk, and they stop it bending and turning when you lift something heavy. Squats and deadlifts train the second job. A short ab workout covers the first and adds a little extra bracing work.

The 10-minute workout

1. Cable crunch: 3 sets of 10 to 15
2. Hanging leg raise: 3 sets of 8 to 12
3. Pallof press: 2 sets of 10 a side
4. Plank or side plank: 2 holds of 30 to 45 seconds

• Cable crunchAbs
• Hanging leg raiseAbs
• Pallof pressObliques, Abs
• PlankAbs
• Side plankObliques
• Ab wheel rolloutAbs

Train abs like any other muscle

• Add load. A cable crunch or a weighted crunch lets you add weight like any other exercise.
• Use a full range. Curl your spine on crunches; lift your hips on leg raises, not just your legs.
• Progress over time. More reps, more weight, longer holds or a harder version, like the ab wheel.

How often

Two or three times a week, at the end of a session so your core is fresh for squats and deadlifts. See exercise order.

Will an ab workout give me a six-pack?

It builds the muscle. Seeing it depends on body fat, which comes down to food. See lifting on a cut.