I believe that proper exercise selection is very important to help one achieve their goals. If you are going to be busting your butt in the gym you want to spend your time on something that will actually give you the results you are after. To that end I have compiled the 5 best exercises for the muscle group you want to work. But, it is important to know what specific goal you have. Are you trying to get stronger, get bigger, or build muscular endurance? To help you out I am going to list my top 5 exercises for abs (core) in each one of those categories.
| Abs Strength | Abs Size | Abs Endurance |
| Hanging Leg Raise | Cable Crunch | Plank |
| Inverted Sit-up | RC Leg Raise | Sit-up |
| Cable Crunch | Decline Sit-up | Crunch |
| Dragon Flags | Machine Crunch | Twisting Decline
Sit-up |
| Standing Ab Wheel | Dumbbell Side Bend | Wood chop/Rotations |
Remember, there are important training guidelines to follow for each goal:
- Strength: For most sets use a heavier weight, use lower reps (1-6), and take long rests in between each work set (2+ minutes). Be sure to incorporate progressive overload in your workouts.
- Size: For most sets use a moderate weight, use medium reps (6-12), take shorter rests in between each work set (1-2 minutes), and use a high volume of training (8-20 tough sets for the target area). Be sure to eat enough to facilitate growth.
- Endurance: For most sets use a lower weight, use higher reps (12+, often in the 20 range), and take shorter breaks particularly if training for multiple set endurance. Be sure to keep your cardio high enough and your bodyweight low enough to handle the demands of this style of training.
