Every athlete wants a stronger core, but “what’s the best ab workout?” is a loaded question. The right answer depends on what kind of athlete you are, what your body needs, and what your goals are. Whether you’re a powerlifter, a strongman, a traditional sport athlete, or someone simply trying to get leaner, your ab training should reflect those priorities.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to build a well-rounded, sport-specific ab routine, the movements that matter most, and what it really takes to get visible abs.
What Makes a Good Ab Workout?
Popular ab exercises like crunches, sit-ups, planks, and leg raises get tossed around a lot. They all have value, but they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. The first step is figuring out which exercises support your performance goals.
For example, if you’re a strongman athlete, you may already train your abs every time you load a heavy stone. That motion puts your spine into flexion, which mimics the shape of a sit-up. In that case, adding more sit-up variations can reinforce the movement pattern and build strength where it counts.
If you’re a powerlifter, on the other hand, your goal is to brace hard and keep the spine rigid under load. A better fit might be a plank variation that emphasizes isometric control. Understanding these differences helps you choose the most effective exercises, not just the most popular ones.
You need all three planes of motion.
Most ab workouts stick to a sagittal plane, up and down, front to back, but a strong core needs to function across all three planes of motion:
- Sagittal (forward and backward): sit-ups, leg raises, crunches
- Frontal (side to side): side bends, suitcase carries
- Transverse (rotational): Russian twists, landmine rotations
Ignoring any one of these leaves a gap in your athletic foundation. Even if you don’t rotate when you sprint or lift, your body still needs the ability to resist unwanted rotation. That’s where anti-rotational strength comes into play. It builds resilience, not just aesthetics.
For well-rounded ab development, train in all three planes. Start with the movements that most closely support your sport, then build out from there.
And here's something surprising, a study has shown that age p
Ab Exercise Hierarchy: Not All Movements Are Equal
Once you know which planes to target, you can build a hierarchy. Ask yourself:
- Which ab movements directly support my sport?
- Which ones build a general strength base I’m missing?
- Which can I rotate in occasionally for variety or maintenance?
For most athletes, this means putting your highest priority movements first in the workout. If rotational strength is a weakness, tackle landmine rotations early. If your deadlift suffers from a weak brace, lead with a plank variation or isometric core hold.
The key is not to abandon one type of movement completely. Just prioritize based on your sport and cycle the rest intelligently. And don't forget to warm up. You can use the same process you use to warm up for powerlifting.
To give you a better idea of how this looks in practice, here are three sample ab exercises and who might benefit most from them.
1. Eccentric Sit-Up (Strongman or General Fitness)
In this variation, you can cheat the sit-up if needed, but the focus is on a slow, controlled descent. This targets the eccentric phase of the movement, the part where most strength is built. That slow return under tension builds fatigue and recruits more muscle fibers, especially in the rectus abdominis.
Eccentric sit-ups are a great option for strongmen who already encounter spinal flexion under load and want to reinforce their strength through that pattern.
2. Pushup Plank with Row (Powerlifters)
Powerlifters benefit from any movement that reinforces a strong brace. The pushup plank with a dumbbell row lights up the core while simultaneously engaging the lats, upper back, and posterior chain, all of which contribute to bracing during a squat or deadlift.
Hold the row for 10 to 20 seconds. If you want to increase difficulty, go heavier or shift from static holds to full rows. Either way, this builds functional strength, not just surface-level muscle.
3. Landmine Rotation (Traditional Sport Athletes)
From a half-kneeling position, landmine rotations challenge your core, shoulders, and coordination. The further your arms are extended, the greater the difficulty due to increased torque. For athletes in sports like football, basketball, or baseball, where upper-body rotation, reach, and stability are critical, this is a powerful choice.
You’re not just training your abs here. You’re improving body control and movement efficiency across the entire torso.
And here's the truth : Visible abs are mostly a product of body composition, not training volume.
If you have a layer of body fat covering your abdominal wall, it doesn’t matter how strong your core is. You won’t see it. That doesn’t mean your training is wasted. Strong abs still improve performance and reduce injury risk. But if the goal is visibility, you’ll need to focus on:
- Nutrition: a calorie-controlled, high-protein diet
- Hydration: proper water intake to regulate bloat and energy
- Cardio: consistent low to moderate-intensity cardio to support fat loss
Ab training alone won’t cut it. It has to be part of a complete body composition strategy.
There’s no single “best” ab workout for everyone. Your core routine should match your sport, your needs, and your goals. Cover all planes of motion. Prioritize movements that matter to your performance. And don’t forget that body composition plays a major role in whether your abs ever show.
Want to build a strong, functional core? Start training smarter, not just harder. And if you want help structuring your plan, leave a comment. We’re always here to guide you toward stronger lifting, better performance, and more complete training. And we also have powerlifting courses taught by champion powerlifters.
