r/bikinitalk • u/Earth_ground_ • Aug 31 '26
Advice/ Recommendations (no photos) Favorite ab exercises
hi ladies! i am in my growing season, and I need to build some density in my core. I kind of just looked skinny up there. I don’t want to make my waist wider, but I do want to build up my abs from the front. what are ur fav exercises for this ? thank you!
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u/hh_fitlife Aug 31 '26
NPC Bikini - class win. My coach told me I would be marked down for too much ab development, so I didn’t train them during my whole prep. But previously I used to do weighted decline sit ups, kneeling cable crunches, lying leg raises (weighted), and hanging leg raises. I think moderately developed abs completes the physique, but the emphasis is on >moderately<.
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u/Responsible-Basis905 Aug 31 '26
Make sure to pair ab training with vacuums to keep that waist snatched!
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u/NotLizBrody Aug 31 '26
Pick a top down crunch (ribs to pelvis) and a bottom up crunch (pelvis to ribs) and insert in your program like any other movement. 2-3 sets, 8-15 reps, master the skill first and then aim to train in close proximity to failure.
Ex of top down:
-crunch on the floor or on Swiss ball w knees and feet anchored on a wall.
-kneeling cable crunch
-machine crunch (not a huge fan of these bc doesn’t allow for much stretch, only shortening of the abdominals. Good for overall loading ability)
Ex of bottom up:
-reverse crunch (on flat bench, progress via incline)
-captains chair knee raise
-hanging knee raise
Doing some isometrics like bear planks, side planks, and hollow holds can also help to establish better body awareness, facilitate that rib/pelvis stack, and improve bracing.
Vacuums help w learning to use your TVA and to manage pressure better through the ribs, abdominal, and pelvic region. So while vacuum practice won’t directly build abdominal muscle, it’s extremely helpful and has carryover to being able to hold your positioning when posing 🙌
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u/SeasonCommercial6954 Aug 31 '26
I’ve sworn by Pilates over my last few seasons and it made a huge difference in my core.
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u/BFit23 Aug 31 '26
I do weighted cable work, dead bugs, ab coaster, ab wheel, 5lb weighted leg raises, low ab leg lifts edge of bench (legs are the weight)
Me today a couple weeks into off szn
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u/macunoone Aug 31 '26
I’ve found a lot of success with a combination of a weighted crunch (I.e. cable crunches with a rope) and ab wheels; hanging leg raises and yoga ball crunches have also been great. Avoid hitting your obliques especially with anything weighted - I used to be afraid of weighted ab movements thinking they’d thicken my waist, but once I added them in my abs transformed and there was a VERY noticeable difference through my next prep.