The upper abs are usually the first to show when you start training your core (both in the gym and in the kitchen). That’s because most people naturally carry slightly less fat across the upper portion of the rectus abdominis, and it’s these top two or three “blocks” that tend to pop first and create that sharp, sculpted look.
But here’s the thing, you can’t technically “isolate” your upper vs lower abs, but you can change how you train to place more emphasis on the upper portion.
In this article, we’ll break down what the upper abs actually are, how they work, and how to train them effectively, with science-backed tips, practical coaching cues, and workouts you can do - anywhere.
So whether you’re chasing a more defined look, building a stronger midline, or supporting your back training to create that wider, more pronounced V-taper, we’ve got you.
What Do We Mean by “Upper Abs”?
Think of your abs as a single long muscle with different neighbourhoods. The upper row is the part of the rectus abdominis that sits above the belly button. When people say “upper abs”, they’re usually talking about the area that lights up when you curl your chest toward the pelvis.
Different exercises bias the top or bottom of that sheet by changing the movement’s lever, angle, and whether the spine or the hips primarily move. EMG studies show the picture is mixed - some spinal-flexion (crunch-style) exercises produce higher activation in the upper rectus, while leg-lift and combined trunk/leg lifts can recruit the muscle differently depending on technique and skill level. This means the top of the rectus (“upper abs”) tends to light up most when you curl the ribcage towards the pelvis, but true isolation doesn’t exist - you bias, you don’t isolate [1].
Location cue: Tense your core and take a feel of the muscles located between your rib cage and above your belly button; these are your upper abdominals.
The science summarised:
Where are the upper abs muscles? The rectus abdominis runs vertically from your ribs/sternum down to your pubic bone. It’s one continuous muscle, not two separate muscles.
Because the fibres run the whole length, you can’t truly isolate upper vs lower, but you
can bias the top region by changing the angle of flexion, the way you cue the movement, the tempo, and whether you’re resisting gravity (e.g., decline crunches, high-to-low cable crunches).
Functionally, the upper abs are the part of the core responsible for crunching, straightening, and bending the torso (think crunching your ribcage toward your pelvis), and they help stabilize the upper torso during pressing and overhead work too.
Why focus on them?
Aesthetics: The top row is often what people see first when working toward a six-pack.
Function: It’s important to train upper abs to improve posture, help with trunk flexion in sports and lifts, and give more control when you’re moving from the upper torso (e.g., sit-ups, certain Olympic lifts like clean & jerk, snatch, and front squats).
Balance: Many ab workouts focus on lower abs or anti-rotation; adding upper-ab work will help fix imbalances and complete the midline picture.
Two practical research takeaways for programming:
Spinal-flexion (crunch) variations reliably bias the upper rectus and are useful when your goal is upper-ab tension and short-range control [1].
Controlled eccentrics and trunk-dominant variations reduce hip-flexor takeover, and eccentric emphasis improves strength gains in a wide range of muscles, including core muscles. That’s why slow lowers and tempo (3–1–1, 3–5s eccentrics) work so well for visible progression [2,5].
Essentially, any lift that requires you to maintain a rigid torso while the load moves vertically, especially when the bar is front-loaded or overhand, demands strong upper abs.
How to Train Upper Abs
Technique & Programming Tips
Spinal flexion is key
The key to activating your upper abs is spinal flexion, which is the movement of bringing your rib cage closer to your pelvis. Think of lifting your sternum (lifting from your chest) rather than yanking your neck forward. Keep your lower back gently pressed into the floor or mat so your core stays engaged the entire time. When you crunch, lift until your shoulder blades peel off the ground, then pause for a split second before lowering back down with control.
Research comparing different abdominal contraction strategies shows that focusing on drawing the ribcage downward and actively bracing significantly increases rectus abdominis activation [3]. This supports the idea that “sternum to pelvis” cueing is essential for getting the upper abs to fire.
Feeling it in your hip flexors?
That’s normal (to an extent), as the hip flexors are engaged during upper ab exercises that require you to raise your legs. But if you feel the strain more in your hip flexors than your abs, you’re probably overcompensating in the hips, due to weak abs or tight hips, so bring your focus back to flexing through the spine. Slow it down and focus on rounding your upper back slightly; that subtle curve is what fires the upper abs.
Step-by-step cues
Set the ribs: before you move, think ribs down, pelvis stable. This reduces hip-flexor contribution. (If your lower back arches, your hips are doing work for you.)
Chin and airway: keep a soft chin tuck - imagine holding a tennis ball under the chin. This prevents neck strain and keeps the movement thoracic (upper spine) dominated.
Initiate from the sternum: don’t use your hands to pull up if they’re by your temples in a crunch position, picture your sternum moving toward your pelvis first (this shortens the upper rectus).
Short-range control: for upper-ab emphasis, you don’t need to sit all the way up. A 4–8 cm curl that peels the shoulder blades off the floor can be enough, then pause and lower with intention.
Eccentric emphasis: slow lowers (2–4 seconds) = more strength. The lowering phase (eccentric) produces some of the biggest strength gains because you can generate more force and recruit more muscle during the eccentric part of a movement.
Tempo & rep‑range
For upper abs, slow it down to feel the burn. Eccentric (lowering) control is where most of the muscle-building magic happens. Try using a 3-1-1 tempo, lower for three seconds, pause for one, then lift for one. That controlled descent keeps tension high and prevents your hip flexors from taking over, because the whole time you should be squeezing your abs.
Stick to 8–15 reps per set for definition and strength, performing 2–4 sets per exercise. If you can breeze past 15 reps without really feeling it, it’s time to progress, either by adding load, changing the angle, or increasing time under tension.
Frequency & workout placement
Luckily for you, abs recover quickly! They are endurance-based muscles that work all day to stabilize your posture, so they’re used to the work. That being said, if you add load to your upper abs exercises, you should leave the same amount of time for recovery (48-72 hours) as you would for bigger muscle groups [7].
We’d recommend training your upper abs in isolation 1–3 times a week, depending on your overall routine. They fit perfectly at the end of an upper-body session or as part of a dedicated core circuit. But remember, compound lifts also train your abs organically.
For lifters, strengthening the upper abs also supports performance on compound moves like front squats, cleans, and jerks, helping keep your torso upright under load and improving control in the catch position.
Progressions & load
Start simple if you’re just beginning, and go for bodyweight crunch variations first. Once you can perform them with control and good muscle engagement, then you can advance the move - hold a plate across your chest, use a decline bench, or bring cables or resistance bands into play. Each change in angle or resistance challenges the upper abs differently because it changes the leverage and the primary action of the movement.
As a rule of thumb, only progress once you can feel the contraction clearly through the top of your abs. Don’t just move through the reps, or add on load before you really feel it - strength comes from connection as much as from load.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
Using momentum: If you’re swinging or jerking to get up, slow down. Focus on initiating the movement from your core, not your arms or hips.
Pulling on your neck: Hands should support, not strain. Keep your chin slightly tucked, as if you’re holding a tennis ball under it.
Arching your lower back: This breaks the tension. Keep your lower back pressed down to maintain engagement.
Letting hip flexors take over: Keep your knees bent and think of rolling your ribs downward rather than lifting your legs or hips.
Programming quick rules
Reps & tempo: 8–15 reps, 2–4 sets; use a 3-1-1 or 3-0-1 tempo to maximize tension.
Frequency: 1–3x per week, depending on volume. Abs recover fast, but if your technique collapses, stop. Make sure you’re tracking your form and fatigue.
Progression: increase load (plate, cable), modify lever (decline/angle), or increase TUT (longer eccentrics), and only progress when you can hold clean form.
10 Best Upper Abs Exercises
Research comparing upper vs lower rectus activation shows that spinal-flexion exercises like crunches stimulate the upper portion of the abs more than hip-flexion-dominated movements [1]. Trumping a regular crunch still is the Swiss ball crunch, which has been found to generate significantly higher rectus abdominis activation, particularly in the upper portion, than doing the movement on the floor [6].
Here are the top exercises that hit your upper abs with precision: movements that focus on curling your ribcage toward your pelvis, delivering the kind of upper-ab tension that builds strength and definition to help you achieve that well-rounded six-pack and toned stomach.
Bodyweight Exercises To Target Your Upper Abs (Beginner Friendly)
Supine Crunch (knees bent)
How to do a crunch:
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip‑width apart.
Lightly place fingertips behind your ears with your elbows wide or cross arms over your chest (avoid pulling your neck).
Before lifting, tuck your pelvis so your lower back presses into the mat to ‘switch off’ your hip flexors.
Exhale and slowly curl your ribcage toward your pelvis by lifting your shoulders and upper back only. Think about shortening the distance between the sternum and pelvis; the initiation should be a rounded thoracic curl, not a hip lift.
Pause 1 second at the top and intentionally squeeze the top of the abs.
Lower slowly until your shoulder blades just kiss the mat.
Form cues: Think about “peeling” each rib segment off the floor. Lead with the sternum, not the chin.
Mobility note: If you have tight hip flexors or lumbar sensitivity, shorten the range (mini crunch) and prioritize breathing and pelvic control.
EMG data consistently show that curl-up and crunch variations are among the most effective ways to activate the upper rectus abdominis, due to the high degree of controlled spinal flexion involved [5].
Hollow Hold
How to do a hollow hold:
Lie flat with arms extended overhead and legs straight (or knees bent for an easier version).
Press your lower back firmly into the floor so that there is no gap between your back and the floor; this is non‑negotiable for proper activation.
Lift your legs and shoulders off the ground at the same time, bringing your core up.
Create a shallow “banana” shape (shoulders and legs off the floor, lower back glued to the ground) while keeping ribs tucked and core braced.
Hold the position for 10–45 seconds, depending on ability, keeping tension consistent.
Form cues: Shorten the lever by bending knees if you lose lower‑back contact.
Bracing and maintaining spinal contact with the floor is an effective strategy for abdominal contraction, making hollow holds (a bracing movement) a strong upper abs workout [3].
Toe Touches
How to do toe reaches:
Lie on your back with legs straight up in the air above your hips, and your arms reaching up toward your toes.
Press your lower back down firmly to the floor.
Exhale and lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor, ****reaching your sternum and arms toward your toes until your fingers can touch them (or your ankles for those with lesser mobility).
Pause at the top and lower under slow control.
Form cues: Keep legs fixed. Movement comes from the spine curling, not hip flexion.
Mobility note: If you have tight hamstrings or struggle to extend your legs straight, keep a soft bend in the knees so the lever is shorter to make the exercise easier.
Swiss Ball Crunch
How to do a stability ball crunch:
Sit on an exercise ball and walk your feet out until your lower back rests on the ball.
Your feet should be flat, hip‑width apart; knees bent at around 90 degrees. Hands lightly behind your head, elbows wide or crossed over your chest.
Exhale and crunch up, drawing your ribs toward your pelvis while trying to keep the hips as still as possible so the ball doesn’t move.
Pause and squeeze at the top, then lower slowly, letting the ball support a gentle spinal extension as your back curves over the ball before crunching up again.
Form cues: Think about rolling the ribcage down into the pelvis. Avoid pushing through the legs.
Mobility note: The ball helps people with limited thoracic extension/rotation access a fuller curl, but only if the feet are firmly planted.
Stability-ball crunches provide not only greater ROM but also higher activation levels compared to floor crunches [6].
Intermediate Upper Ab Exercises
Decline Bench Crunch
How to do a decline bench crunch:
Set bench to moderate decline (don’t over-decline if you have lower-back issues).
Lie down on the bench, hook your feet under the pads, and cross your hands across your chest.
Keeping your hands crossed over your chest, begin to engage your core and slowly curl your upper body towards your thighs, focusing on the top half of the movement.
Pause for a second at the peak contraction, then lower yourself down slowly to maintain tension.
Form cues: Keep the movement small and controlled; the decline angle already increases resistance.
Arm position note: Placing hands overhead makes the exercise more difficult, while placing hands across your chest makes it easier, as the weight is closer to the body's center of rotation.
Cable Rope Crunch (kneeling)
How to do a cable rope crunch:
Set a rope attachment to the highest point on the pulley. Kneel facing the machine with your hips stacked over your knees.
Taking the rope in two hands, bring it down until it reaches the sides of your temples. Here, keep your elbows pointing down, rather than allowing them to flare out to the side - this will help you keep the tension in your abs, rather than it going to your shoulders.
Inhale. Then deeply exhale as you begin to round through your upper spine, pulling your ribs down toward your pelvis as you draw the rope down with you, keeping your hands positioned beside your head and your elbows locked in.
Keep your hips still as you curl; only your spine flexes.
Pause when your elbows move toward the floor, then slowly reverse the movement, keeping tension all the way back up.
Form cues: Keep hips still; imagine folding your ribcage downward.
Exercises that load spinal flexion, including weighted cable crunches, align with research showing higher upper-rectus activation when resistance increases during spinal flexion [4].
Medicine Ball Sit‑Up to Press
How to do a medicine ball sit-up to press:
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat, and the medicine ball resting lightly against your chest.
Inhale, then exhale as you sit up in one smooth motion, keeping the ball pressed to your chest until you reach the top.
Once upright, press the ball overhead in one swift motion without letting your ribs flare.
Bring the ball back to your chest and lower down slowly for 3 seconds.
Form cues: Use your abs to generate the sit-up, not momentum. Research shows that controlling the top half of the sit-up increases upper-rectus activation [5].
Hanging Knee Raise Crunch
How to do hanging knee raise crunch:
Hang from a pull-up bar with a shoulder-width grip, arms straight, and shoulders gently drawn down (keep some activation in the shoulders, so you’re not hanging passively).
Inhale, then exhale as you lift your knees toward your chest, stopping when your thighs meet your torso.
At the top, add a small crunch by rounding your upper spine, pulling your ribs toward your hips. Research shows top-end flexion exposes more upper-ab activation than the lower portion.
Lower slowly without swinging, keeping your core braced.
Form cues: Limit swinging by pausing between reps and engaging lats slightly. Keep the movement tight. If you feel it heavily in your hips, reduce the range and focus on curling, not lifting.
Advanced/Weighted Upper Abs Exercises
Weighted Decline Crunch with Plate
How do a weighted decline crunch with a plate:
Set up on a decline bench (moderate decline) and secure your feet under the rollers.
Hold a weight plate across your chest or just below your chin (not behind the head). Keep your elbows tucked slightly in your peripheral vision.
Exhale and curl up slowly, imagining your sternum lifting toward your pelvis.
Pause at the top, maintaining the curve through your upper back.
Lower for 3 seconds under control.
Form cues: Don’t let weight pull your head forward; keep elbows in peripheral vision. Avoid letting the plate drift too far from your chest. Keeping the load close reduces neck strain and keeps tension in the upper rectus.
Stability‑Ball Crunch with Twist & Pause
How to do a stability-ball crunch with twist & pause:
Sit on a stability ball and walk your feet forward until your lower back is supported and your feet are planted hip-width apart. Knees bent at roughly 90°.
Bring your hands lightly to your temples, keeping your elbows in your peripheral vision.
Engage your core and curl up, then twist your ribcage toward one side (the ribs lead the twist, not the elbows).
Pause briefly at the top, feeling the obliques and upper abs contract, then lower slowly back to the ball.
Repeat alternating sides.
Form cues: Think of shortening the distance from your sternum to your pelvis each rep. The ball allows for increased extension and flexion, enhancing top-end activation according to EMG-based findings.
Standing Cable Crunch
How to do a standing cable crunch:
Set a single handle or rope attachment to the highest pulley. Stand facing away from the stack and take the handle in both hands, bringing it just above your forehead with elbows slightly bent.
Step one foot forward into a split stance to stabilize yourself and gently lean forward until you feel light tension through the cable.
Inhale, then exhale as you curl your upper spine downward, bringing your ribs toward your pelvis. Think of “dragging your sternum toward your waistband” rather than hinging at the hips.
Pause briefly when you feel the peak contraction through the upper abs.
Return slowly for 2–3 seconds, stopping just before your spine fully extends. Keep the ribs slightly tucked so tension stays in the abs.
Form cues: Bring your chest to the floor in a short, controlled crunch. Avoid extending your back at the top to avoid unwanted strain on your lumbar spine.
Upper Ab Workouts to Try At The Gym & At Home
Now that you’ve got the movements down, here are a few ready-to-go upper-ab workouts you can plug straight into your training week. Each one uses the exercises listed above, with options for all fitness levels.
Upper Ab Workout Suggestions
Workout A (Beginner):
How to do it: Choose 3 exercises from the bodyweight list.
Perform each exercise for 3 sets of 12–15 reps (or 20–30 seconds for holds), resting 30–45 seconds between moves.
Once you can complete all reps with control and maintain a strong upper-ab contraction throughout, progress by adding a decline angle or introducing light resistance.
Example beginner upper-abs workout:
Supine Crunch (knees bent):
Focus on curling your rib cage towards your pelvis. Lift only your shoulder blades off the floor and pause for a second at the top before lowering slowly.
Toe Reaches:
Keep your legs stacked above your hips and reach toward your toes by lifting your upper back — not by swinging your arms. Think of “sternum up, ribs down”.
Hollow Hold – Hold for 20–30 seconds
Press your lower back into the floor and keep your ribs down. If your back starts to lift, bend your knees slightly to maintain tension.
Workout B (Intermediate/Advanced):
How to do it: Choose 5 exercises, mixing intermediate and weighted variations.
Perform 3–4 sets of 8–15 reps, resting 45–60 seconds between moves.
This workout steps away from basic mat work and moves you into positions that increase leverage, load, and range of motion.
Using cables, declines, and stability balls lets you train the upper abs through greater spinal flexion, more consistent tension, and in some moves, a mechanical disadvantage (when the setup makes the movement less efficient for your body but more effective for the muscle), making each rep harder and more targeted.
Example intermediate/advanced upper-abs workout:
Weighted Cable Crunch - 8–12 reps
Kneel and fix the rope at your temples. Curl your spine down segment by segment, letting your elbows travel toward your thighs. Slow on the way up.
Reverse Cable Crunch (with rope or straight-bar) - 8–12 reps
Keep tension on the cable and curl your upper spine off the pad before returning with a slow 3-second eccentric.
Decline Crunch - 10–15 reps
Set the bench to a low or moderate decline. Lock your hips in place and pull your rib cage toward your pelvis, pausing at the top.
Stability-Ball Crunch - 12–15 reps
Use the ball’s curve to increase the range of motion. Keep hips still and move through the spine with a 1–2 second squeeze at the top.
Toe Reaches - 10–15 reps
Lift into a vertical reach with slow control, avoiding swinging or using momentum.
Finisher Options:
If you want to leave the session with a serious upper-ab burn, add one of these finishers:
Decline Crunch SS Hollow Hold (Superset)
Perform decline crunches to technical failure, then immediately drop into a 30-second hollow hold.
1-Minute Density Set
Do as many toe reaches as possible in one minute while keeping your lower back pressed into the floor.
Micro-Drop Set (Weighted)
Start with a weighted cable crunch for 8–10 reps, immediately drop the weight by 30%, and perform another 8–10 reps with strict control.
When to Train Upper Abs
The goal is short, targeted sessions you can squeeze in after an upper-body workout, not hour-long ab marathons. Think efficient movement, not endless crunches.
Where in the week: After upper-body or as a short, standalone 15–25 minute session. Avoid doing heavy weighted crunches on a day you’ve already hammered your anterior chain (e.g., heavy squats + plate declines same day) unless you want extra fatigue.
Frequency: 1–3 focused sessions per week. If you’re doing daily short core blasters (hollow holds + planks), keep the heavy, upper-bias sessions to twice max.
Recovery: With heavy-loaded upper-ab work (weighted declines, heavy cables), give it 48 hours. Recovery is quicker for bodyweight endurance work.
Mix it up: Balance biased upper work with anti-extension (Pallof press), lower-bias moves (reverse crunches), and rotational work (Russian twists). Aesthetics and function come from the whole midline, not just crunches.
Nutrition & Visibility: Why Your Abs Might Not Be Showing
Okay, let’s talk about the part no one really wants to hear: you can train your abs perfectly with slow eccentrics, burning cable crunches, all of it - and still not see them. And it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong, it’s because training builds the abs… but nutrition decides whether the muscle is visible.
Everyone stores fat differently. Some people lean out from the top of their stomach first, and others lose fat everywhere else before the midsection even thinks about showing up. That’s genetics. Your body simply has its own way of operating.
There’s no doubt you can build dense, strong upper abs, but visibility? That’s more about what’s happening in the kitchen. This is where nutrition comes in.
To reveal muscle, you generally need to be in a calorie deficit - not an extreme one, just consistently eating slightly less than you burn so body fat gradually reduces [7]. High-protein meals help you stay fuller and hold on to the muscle you’re building, and a mostly whole-food diet makes the process feel a lot less miserable. It’s not about saying bye to carbs.
Strength training will also help massively here. Heavy, compound lifts burn more calories, support muscle growth and retention during fat loss, and will make your whole physique more defined, not just your midsection. And don’t forget progressive overload (think: adding load, slowing tempo, or increasing reps), it’s key to muscle development.
Bottom line: Visible abs don’t just come from more crunches, they come from smart, consistent nutrition + a realistic calorie deficit + strength training.
Answering Your Burning Upper-Abs Questions
Can I isolate my upper abs only?
The short answer is no, simply because the rectus (your abs) is one long muscle, so you can’t isolate the upper part in a strict anatomical sense. That being said, you can bias the upper portion (your upper abs) using different techniques; such as changing the angle of the movement, the tempo at which you do them, and your exercise selection (think: decline crunches, cable high-to-low, kneeling cable rope crunch) [1].
While these techniques and changes to your ab exercises will target your upper abs more, you’ll also see the benefit to the rest of your abs, too, helping you get that fully defined six-pack.
How often should I train upper abs?
Around 1–3 focused sessions per week works for most people.
If you do heavy weighted work, cap sessions at twice per week. Research shows that the core muscles aren’t “special” and heavy loading still requires 48-72 hours before repeating [8].
If your session is higher-rep and endurance-focused, up to 3 sessions per week is typically fine.
Why aren’t my upper abs showing, though I train my abs often?
Because upper ab visibility is less about reps and more about body fat distribution, diet, and genetics. Some people lose abdominal fat last, regardless of how many crunch variations they’re doing.
Some people naturally store more fat around the lower stomach, while others hold it across the whole midsection, and this is largely genetic. Fat distribution patterns are strongly influenced by genetics and hormones, meaning two people can train the same but reveal definition at completely different rates.
So… what should you actually do?
Create a consistent calorie deficit (the only way to reduce abdominal fat)
Keep training your abs, but progressively overload them
Add heavy compound lifts
Respect genetics (but don’t let them limit you)
Give it time
Does doing upper‑ab crunches help reduce belly fat?
No, spot reduction is a myth! And the research supports it too, with one particular study finding that six weeks of abdominal training increased ab strength but did not reduce abdominal fat [8]. Fat loss comes from:
A sustained calorie deficit
Increased activity
Dietary consistency
Remember: core training builds muscle, nutrition drives fat loss.
Will training the upper abs make your waist bigger?
The rectus abdomonis can grow in size (hypertrophy), but this growth is usually pretty small compared to muscle groups like the quads or glutes. Strengthening your abs won’t suddenly make your waist wide; if anything, a stronger core often makes your midsection look tighter and more defined once body fat drops.
If your waist is getting wider, this can be due to temporary muscle inflammation after working out, or water retention - your body holds onto extra water to repair muscles and replenish glycogen stores, which can cause temporary bloating
Remember: You cannot make your waist smaller by working out - to reduce your waist size, you have to lose body fat.
How can I advance my upper ab workouts?
Introduce roll-out style movements. Higher-intensity trunk curling and roll-out style drills can produce very high activation in the upper rectus when performed correctly, but they demand more technical control. So make sure you’ve mastered basic crunch mechanics before introducing them to your upper-ab routine.
References:
Electromyographic comparison of the upper and lower rectus abdominis during abdominal exercises — Kathryn M. Clark; Laurence E. Holt; Joy Sinyard. Sci-Hub+1
An electromyographic analysis of the Ab-Slide exercise, abdominal crunch, supine double leg thrust, and side bridge (St Mary’s PDF) — James W. Youdas; Benjamin R. Guck; Ryan C. Hebrink; John D. Rugotzke; Timothy J. Madson; John H. Hollman. St Mary's University, Twickenham, London
Comparison of Abdominal Muscle Thickness between the Abdominal Draw-in Maneuver and Maximum Abdominal Contraction Maneuver — Seo-Yoon Park; Seunghue Oh; Ki-Hyun Baek; Sung-Soo Bae; Jung-Won Kwon. PMC+1
Surface Electromyographic Activity of the Rectus Abdominis Upper (RAU) and Lower (RAL) Parts (MDPI / PMC) — Athanasios Mandroukas; Yiannis Michailidis; Angelos E. Kyranoudis; Kosmas Christoulas; Thomas Metaxas. NCBI
Core Muscle Activity during Physical Fitness Exercises: A Systematic Review— José M. Oliva-Lozano; José M. Muyor. PMC+1
Electromyographic Comparison of an Abdominal Rise on a Ball and Traditional Crunch — Aleš Dolenec; Mojca Svetina; Vojko Strojnik. PMC+1
Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution (PubMed PMID: 17200169) — Leanne M. Redman; Leonie K. Heilbronn; Corby K. Martin; Anthony Alfonso; Steven R. Smith; Eric Ravussin; (Pennington CALERIE Team). PubMed
The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training — Brad J. Schoenfeld. PubMed
The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat — Sachin S. Vispute; John D. Smith; James D. LeCheminant; Kimberly S. Hurley. PubMed
