We all have to start somewhere so this article outlines the lifting exercises that are suitable for beginners with an emphasis on developing the abdominal muscles. Abdominal Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

First of all you have to acknowledge that most beginners can struggle with abdominal exercises for beginning bodybuilders. Because these muscles take a long time to develop and need a low level of body fat to be seen.
The three main muscles in abdominal muscle group consists of :
- Rectus abdominis – well known as the abs, this is a large flat muscle wall that runs from the lower chest to the pubic bone.
- Obliquus abdominis – commonly known as the obliques.External obliques runs diagonally downward along the side of the mid-section from the lower rib cage to the pubic area. The internal obliques lie underneath the external obliques.
- Transversus abdominis – this is a thin strip of muscle that runs horizontally across the abdomen.
If you want to deepen the knowledge you can check Physiopedia.
You can target these muscles effectively by performing the following abdominal exercises for beginning bodybuilders:
- Crunches – 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This exercise will work the upper abs. The bicycle crunch is the best abs exercises you can do, reaching not only the usual abs but also the deep abs and the obliques.
- Pelvic tilts – 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This exercise will target the lower portion of the abdomen below the navel.
- Side bends – 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This exercise will work the obliques.
- Plank hold – 3-4 different planks in series of 3 x 30 – 60 seconds. You can rather start from shorter time and add 10 second every day. Sky is the limit. Hence the current Guinness World Record is 8 hours 15 minutes 15 seconds.
Daily routine
You need to decide about scheduling the exercise of specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your abdominal exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:
- Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs
- Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs
- Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves
- Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs
For the first couple of weeks consequently complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.