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Rectus Abdominis腹直肌
Function
Trunk flexion and posterior pelvic tilt; together with the transversus abdominis it builds intra-abdominal pressure — your natural lifting belt for heavy squats and deadlifts. Its tendinous bands create the visible six- or eight-pack.
Best Exercises & Form Cues
-
Hanging Leg Raise
- Equipment
- Pull-up bar
- Sets & Reps
- 3-4 sets × 10-15 reps · rest 90 s
- How to do it
- From a hang, tilt the pelvis slightly back first; raise straight or bent legs past hip height, curl the abs at the top; 3-second descent without swinging.
- Common mistakes
- Raising the legs without curling the pelvis (hip flexors take over), big swings, shrugging
-
Crunch
- Equipment
- Bodyweight/weight plate
- Sets & Reps
- 3-4 sets × 15-20 reps · rest 60 s
- How to do it
- Low back flat on the floor; exhale as the ribs curl toward the pelvis (shoulder blades off the floor is enough); pause 1 second at the top; lower slowly.
- Common mistakes
- Pulling the neck, sitting the whole torso up (hip-flexor takeover), rushing
-
Ab Wheel Rollout
- Equipment
- Ab wheel
- Sets & Reps
- 3-4 sets × 8-12 reps · rest 90 s
- How to do it
- Kneeling, pelvis locked in posterior tilt; roll out only as far as the core can hold; pull back with the abs, not the arms.
- Common mistakes
- Lower back sagging (lumbar hyperextension), rolling out past control, arms doing the work
-
Weighted Crunch
- Equipment
- Weight plate/med ball held to the chest
- Sets & Reps
- 3-4 sets × 12-15 reps · rest 60 s
- How to do it
- Hold the weight on the chest (never the neck); low back flat; exhale and curl the shoulder blades off the floor; 1-second pause; lower without fully unloading.
- Common mistakes
- Weight behind the neck, rigid straight-back sit-up (hip-flexor takeover), neck jutting
Stretching & Recovery
- Cobra pose
- Upward-facing dog
- Swiss ball backbend
Other muscles in the Core
External Oblique · Internal Oblique · Iliopsoas · Transversus Abdominis
Explore the Rectus Abdominis in the 3D anatomy tool →