Are you looking for a new and existing way to strengthen the core and build a 6 pack abs? Look, there is no doubt that the resistance band ab exercises will make a difference at the level of these areas, because the resistance band is a piece of gym equipment that helps you do exercises anywhere and at any time, and it will also encourage you more to focus on the abdominal muscles only at home.
Whatever your level of physical fitness, whether beginner or professional, you are here to get killer exercises for the abdominal area, and adding these exercises to your training routine will make you develop your fitness and appear with an athletic body and sculpted muscles.
So in this post, we will get to know the most powerful resistance band exercises for abs and core, depending completely on bands.
We will learn about everything it takes to build the abdominal muscles and strengthen the core. You will also get a training program that includes the same exercises from the beginner level to the advanced level.
Let’s continue together!
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How are resistance band exercises for ab work?
The resistance band works by challenging the core muscles to work against the resistance of the band, that is, when you do an exercise using a resistance band, the band creates tension that forces the abdominal muscles to work against it to complete the movement, this added resistance forces your muscles to work harder compared to doing the same exercises without band.
How do I target abs and core with a resistance band?
Bodyweight exercises are often the ideal exercises to target the abdominal and core muscles, such as crunches, leg raises, Russian twists, planks, etc., so we will go with the same exercises, but we will add resistance bands as a form of challenge to tire the muscles and put them in front of difficult challenges, in return It will help sculpt the abs and core muscles very effectively.
Studies shows the effects replacing free weights with elastic bands
8 Best resistance band exercises for ab and core
Here are step-by-step exercise guides to train your abs with resistance bands. Try to be serious about your training and follow the instructions below, because it is essential to have proper form and technique to target your muscles well.
1# Banded russian twist
The Russian Twist is a strong exercise for the abs and core muscles, as it helps to strengthen and improve these areas well. Usually, people raise the intensity of an exercise by carrying a weight plate or dumbbells to provide some resistance, but we can do the same thing using a resistance band as well, and there is no doubt that the muscles will burn with every iteration.
How to do:
- Attach a resistance band to a low position, i.e. close to the ground.
- Pull the band to you until it becomes well tense, i.e. provides resistance to challenge your muscles.
- Now sit where the bandage is on your side and opposite your pelvis.
- Now try to keep your back for a little push back, at the same time lift your feet off the ground and keep your knees bent in front of you.
- Try to be the point of your balance in the muscles of the buttocks, and then start pulling your fists opposite to the place where you attach the band and roll your shoulders and chest muscles in the same direction.
- Roll your upper body to the other side in the same way, and so on.
Tips:
- Keep your core taut.
- Keep your fists holding the band in front of you the entire time.
- Do not pull the band with your hands, keep it holding the band, and try to pull the band by wrapping your body on both sides.
2# Banded bicycle crunches
Bicycle crunches are one of the most powerful abdominal and core exercises, so it is more challenging when doing a lot of repetitions, especially with the availability of proper form. It will make your muscles burn completely with this exercise, and when you add a band, you will get a high resistance that keeps your muscles tense with each repetition.
How to do it:
- First you need a short looped band with this exercise.
- Sit on the floor, insert your feet into the band’s loop.
- Lie on the floor, raise your knees and keep your legs parallel with the floor.
- Now lift your upper back muscles to contract your ab muscles, keeping your hands on the sides of your ears and your elbows out.
- Then push your right foot until it becomes straight, and at the same time roll your head and shoulder muscles until it becomes directed to the left.
- Return to the previous position and then push the left leg in the same way immediately after the first repetition.
Tips:
- With each repetition, when turning right try to bring your left elbow towards your right knee.
- When pushing one leg forward, keep your other leg rocking parallel to the ground and your knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Keep your abs and core engaged throughout the exercise.
3# Plank row with resistance bands
Planks are challenging exercises for the muscles of the core and abdomen, and in order to test the endurance of your muscles and at the same time it keep them tense throughout the exercise so that planks exercises help to strengthen the muscles of the core and abdomen effectively, and with the addition of a resistance band and a doing some rows as well, this will increase the intensity of the exercise There is no doubt that you will get a good training for your muscles.
How to do it:
- First, attach anchor straps under a closed door, insert a resistance band through it.
- Hold the grip of the band and pull it towards you until you feel the band become tense.
- Lower into a plank position, elbows on the floor, back straight with lower body.
- Tighten the core well, integrate your ab muscles as well.
- Now the hand that holds the band grip, extend it well towards the place where the band is attached, then withdraw your grip again and stop when touching your chest muscles, then extend it again and so on.
- Do the same with the other hand.
Tips :
- Try to incorporate the abdominal muscles and keep them tight throughout the exercise.
- Do not allow the pelvis to drop towards the ground.
4# Standing oblique crunches with resistance bands
The standing oblique crunch is also one of the effective exercises that can be done to strengthen the abdominal muscles and stimulate them to work. Usually people rely on a cable machine in the gym to do this exercise, but the resistance of the band can be used to do the same thing, and you will get a resistance similar to a cable machine and It will look as if you are training on a machine and you will definitely get a grueling workout for your muscles.
How to do it:
- First, attach the Anchor strap in a high position (above your room door, for example) and insert the band into the strap loop.
- Stand directly below where the band is attached.
- It is necessary for the band to be well taut and tense in order to get a more challenging resistance for your muscles.
- Now hold the band with both fists, keeping your hands in front of your shoulders, i.e. your hands touching the front part of your right or left shoulder, depending on your standing position and the track of the band.
- Spread your feet shoulder width apart, keep your abdominal muscles tight.
- Then start contracting your stomach by bending your back forward and pulling the band down.
- Try to pull the band sideways, that is, if your fists are on your right shoulder, try to bend your body to the right a little.
- Then do the same with the other side.
Tips :
- Try to make the band tense before the start of the exercise, we do not need it to be relaxed and it does not provide resistance at all.
- Then try to keep your hands holding the band well, but do not use your hands to pull the band, you must pull the band by bending your back in an arched way and contracting your stomach muscles.
- Try to take advantage of the full range of motion that is available to you to contract your abdominal muscles well with each repetition.
5# Banded leg raises
The leg raise is also one of the abdominal and core exercises, and it is a good exercise for chasing fat and building muscle strength, as well as improving the waist area completely, because the leg raises provide you with a large range of motion, and the lateral leg raises can be done to target the obliques more and so on, and with Adding a resistance band, we will increase the intensity of the exercise so that it becomes more challenging for the muscles.
How to do it:
- Sit on the floor, wrap the band around your feet or one foot.
- Lie on the floor and keep your back flat on the floor, and keep your fists holding the band in front of your chest.
- Lift your legs straight up until the band is well tensioned.
- Start by lowering your feet down until they are very close to the ground, then raise them again, and so on.
Tips:
- Keep your muscles tight with each repetition.
- Try to take advantage of the band’s resistance to exhaust your muscles. When lowering your legs, try to tense your abdominal muscles and stop when your feet are close to the ground, then raise them again.
- Keep your feet straight throughout the exercise while raising and lowering them, do not bend your knees because this will keep the abdominal muscles relaxed, but when we keep the legs straight, the weight of the feet falls on the abdominal muscles and the core tremendously.
6# Reverse crunch with resistance bands
Reverse crunches is one of the strong abdominal and core exercises, which makes you focus on keeping your muscles tense throughout the exercise. This exercise can also be relied upon to build and strengthen the abdominal muscles well, so that it is a challenging exercise for the core, and you can test the endurance of your muscles, as well as exhaust them and motivate them to work. And losing some fat.
How to do it:
- First, tie the band to a low position, you should have a circular band.
- Lie on the floor, pull the band to you until it becomes tense.
- Keep the band in front of the pelvic area, then bend your knees and raise them towards your stomach, keep your thighs bouncing off the ground vertically in order to prevent the band from slipping, and keep your legs parallel to the ground.
- Now keep your back straight on the ground, extend your arms back and hold on to something firm.
- Then start lifting your lower back off the ground, contracting your stomach, and bring your knees to your stomach muscles.
- Stretch the abdominal muscles and bring your feet close to the ground, and so on.
Tips :
- Try to keep your muscles engaged throughout the exercise and focus on contracting your stomach well with each repetition.
- The position of your feet must remain stable throughout the exercise. Raise your thighs perpendicular to the ground. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and keep your legs parallel to the ground. Keep your feet like this while contracting and extending the abdominal muscles.
- Try to pull the band with the hips and raise your lower back well so that you can contarct the abdominal muscles and tense them.
7# Banded V Sit-up
Sit-ups is one of the famous abdominal exercises because it allows to reduce the abdominal muscles significantly with the sitting position and is more challenging for your muscles as it helps you build strength and stimulate the muscles to work, and with the addition of a resistance band the exercise becomes more challenging for your muscles and you can exhaust them well throughout the exercise.
How to do it:
- Attach the anchor strap to the bottom of your room door, then slide a resistance band through it.
- Sit with your back against the place where the band is attached and try to make the band tense well before starting the exercise.
- Hold the band’s grips in front of your shoulders, i.e. above your chest muscles.
- Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
- Now start lowering back until your back is close to the ground.
- Then contract the abdominal muscles and return to the sitting position again, and so on.
Tips :
- Try to keep your feet firmly on the ground in order to provide some balance, if you are unable to do so, try to fix your feet with something in order to remain stable.
- Do not pull the band forward, that is, do not cheat. You must pull the band by raising your body and contracting the abdominal muscles.
- You can increase the intensity of the exercise by making the band more tense in order to provide reverse resistance, that is, the abdominal muscles will resist the resistance of the band while contracting your abdomen and even during its extension, and the intensity can be reduced by making the band a little loose.
- The most important thing is to keep your core muscles tensed and engaged throughout the exercise.
8# Side planks with resistance bands
The side plank is another exercise that effectively targets the core. It is also a challenging exercise for these muscles and testing their endurance. At the same time, it is a great way to strengthen the core and stimulate the muscles to work. Adding a resistance band to this exercise is a kind of challenge for your muscles and keeping them tense. For the seconds that your muscles will hold out during each set, plank exercises with all their variables will be a strong addition to the basic abdominal muscle training program.
How to do it:
- Attach a resistance band to a bench or any stable object at a height of 40 cm. It will be fine.
- Get down to a side plank position, that is, put your elbow on the ground directly under your shoulder, keep your body straight, that is, your back is straight with the lower part of the body.
- Pull the band to the side of the hip and place the upper hand over it (the band should be well taut).
- Try to hold the plank position without moving for the duration of the movement.
Tips :
- Try to keep your core muscles tight throughout the exercise.
- Do not allow the pelvis to sag or sway during the movement.
- Try to keep your hands placed on the band, but you should not control the resistance of the band, that is, you must face the resistance of the band through the resistance of the abdominal muscles and the foundation for it.
Resistance band Workout plan for abs and core
| EXERCISE | BEGINNER WORKOUT PLAN | INTERMEDIATE WORKOUT PLAN | ADVANCED WORKOUT PLAN |
| Banded Russian twisst | 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps | 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps | 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps |
| Banded Bicycle crunches | 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps | 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps | 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps |
| Standing Oblique crunches | 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps for each side | 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps for each side | 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps for each side |
| Banded Plank row | 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps for each side | 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps for each side | 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps for each side |
| Banded leg raises | 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps | 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps | 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps |
| Reverse crunches with bands | 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps | 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps | 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps |
| Side Plank with resistance band | 2 sets of 30 – 45 seconds per side | 3 sets of 45 to 60 seconds each side | 4 sets of 60 to 90 seconds per side |
| Banded V Sit-ups | 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps | 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps | 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps |
How to progress with resistance band ab exercises
There are several ways to progress with a resistance band and make your exercises more challenging, because the muscles quickly get used to the training programs that you follow, and for this you need to progress and develop good and advanced plans in order to target your muscles more.
1# Increase resistance:
The first thing that you should think about in order to progress is to raise the resistance, and here lies the effectiveness of the band and obtain a complete set of resistance bands so that you can obtain a resistance equivalent to 150 pounds. There is no doubt that doing exercises under this intensity will be exhausting and fatal for your muscles.
2# Extended range of motion:
Instead of relying on the same range of motion to stretch the abdominal muscles and keep yourself limited with a certain type of movement, try to get more room to contract and stretch your muscles well, for example, try to get your feet closer to your stomach while doing the leg raise exercise.
3# Slow down your movement:
This is also a kind of progression, so that slowness during the movement helps to make your muscles stay tense throughout the exercise as much as possible, this will be more challenging so that you can do some stops or keep the contraction longer for a few seconds.
4# Use isometric holds:
You can also develop exercises and raise their intensity, that is, instead of doing a full movement, you can remain steadfast in the most intense position in the exercise for a few seconds, for example, you can keep your feet close to the ground for a few seconds while doing a reverse crunches exercise, or hold out for a few additional seconds during Feeling of failure and giving up during a plank exercise.
5# Increase reps and sets:
This is common way that people rely on in order to progress and it is natural to increase the repetitions and counts in order to get more intensity and get more challenging and exhausting exercises for your abdominal muscles, so if you are used to doing 3 sets consisting of 8 to 10 reps, try to do 4 sets It consists of 10 to 12 reps, and so on.
Don’t have a resistance band yet?
If you are thinking of adding a resistance band to your gym equipment collection, this is a great thing. I encourage you to do so, and you will not regret it. The resistance band is effective and is a perfect addition to your training and adds a special touch to it.
Since there are several companies that market their products, you may get a kind of confusion in choosing the appropriate resistance band for you, so I would like to suggest an ideal resistance band that has all the characteristics that you may want and works with high efficiency, inevitably this will relieve you of the trouble of searching in the markets or fear of purchasing A product that does not meet your needs.
ResiTubes – Resistance Bands
Features :
- You get a full set of resistance bands with all the accessories you will need.
- It is easy to use and can be installed anywhere and start exercising quickly.
- It allows you to do a set of exercises that target the muscles of the entire body.
- Provides resistance of up to 150 lbs, equivalent to 68 kg.
- 30 days warranty on the product.
The ResiTubes bands comes in 11 different pieces, and all of these pieces work with a specific type of exercise, and here we are talking about 5 different straps that include two foam handles, two ankle straps for training leg muscles, an anchor door and 5 resistance bands that can be attached together to obtain a resistance of up to 150 pounds (68 kg).
The good thing is that it is suitable for beginners so that they can only rely on one band (that generates up to 10 pounds of resistance) during their first training sessions and then they can increase the resistance by adding more bands as their fitness improves.
In terms of material, the straps were designed from strong nylon to withstand the pressure of weights and can withstand the resistance of the band well, so that it was carefully sewn to carry out a heavy duty and withstand the pressure of exercises, and the band was wrapped with a thick rubber layer that can last for a long time.
Resistance band training for abs, what are the benefits?
- It strengthens the core well, and the resistance band allows you to perform multiple exercises in order to target a group of muscles, such as obliques, abdominal muscles, and also improves posture, balance, stability, and overall core strength.
- Increases muscle activation, the resistance band helps to develop and operate your muscles, which makes you get quick results.
- Safer exercises, you can get safe exercises to train the abdominal and core muscles by using a resistance band.
- You can get abdominal training anywhere, you can focus more on abdominal exercises at home, and you can also get resistance equivalent to weight pressure, and this will help develop your muscles and stimulate them to grow.
Studies shows the effects of resistance bands on weight loss
FAQ
Can resistance bands build abs?
resistance bands can effectively target and challenge your core strength, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. This can lead to increased strength and definition in your abs.
Do resistance bands tone your stomach?
Yes, resistance bands can help tone your stomach muscles when used in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercises. Resistance bands exercises challenge and strengthen your core muscles, leading to increased tone and definition in your stomach.
however, reducing overall body fat through a combination of diet and exercise is also important for achieving visible tone in your stomach
Are abs hard to train with resistance bands?
No, abs are not necessarily hard to train with resistance bands. In fact, resistance bands can be a very effective tool for targeting and strengthening your core muscles, including your abs.
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