Men's Ab Workouts

You've been dedicated to doing hundreds of crunches per night, but are not seeing the rock-hard abs you desire. Crunches alone will not put you on the path to a well-defined midsection. The key to developing the abdominals is targeting every angle of the muscles. Performing abdominal exercises that stimulate all of the muscles in the midsection will help tone and tighten your stomach.

Hanging Leg Raises

Doing hanging leg raises targets the lower abdominals. Hold a pull-up bar with your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with your legs perpendicular to the ground. Squeeze your abs, keep your legs straight and lift your feet up to hip-level. Slowly lower your feet down to the starting position. Repeat for four sets of 20 repetitions.

V-ups

V-ups engage the abs, external obliques and lower back. Begin seated on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands beside your hips with palms facing forward. Lift your feet off the ground and bring your knees into your chest. Extend your legs straight without allowing your feet to touch the floor, while slightly lowering your upper body toward the ground. Squeeze your abs and crunch inward, bringing your knees toward your chest. Repeat the motion for four sets of 20 repetitions.

Stability Ball Knee-tucks

Stability ball knee-tucks stimulate all of the muscles in the core. Start on all fours. Position the stability ball underneath your hips. Walk your hands forward until your feet are on top of the ball and your legs are straight. Roll the ball forward while bringing your knees in toward your chest. Slowly roll the ball back until your legs are straight, returning to the starting position. Repeat for four sets of 20 repetitions.

Planks

Planks recruit the abs, external obliques and lower back. Begin in a pushup position. Lower your body onto your elbows. Hold this position for 45 to 60 seconds. Make sure to keep your spine in a straight line the entire time. Repeat the exercise for four sets.