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Are “upper abs” a separate muscle?
No. The “upper abs” are the top section of one muscle, the rectus abdominis, which runs from the pubic crest at the bottom to the lower ribs (costal cartilages 5 to 7) and the bottom of the breastbone at the top (IMAIOS e-Anatomy). Its job is to bend the trunk forward.
When you curl from the top down, as in a crunch, the upper section does more of the work. When you curl from the bottom up, as in a reverse crunch, the lower section does more. You can’t fully isolate one end, so a good plan trains both: see lower ab workouts for the other half.
The muscle-activity data backs the crunch as a reference move. A 2014 study at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse measured the upper and lower rectus separately in 16 adults and found that no device or exercise tested activated the upper rectus more than the traditional crunch (ACE, April 23, 2014).
The 8 upper ab exercises at a glance
| # | Exercise | Level | Equipment | Also works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crunch | Beginner | None | none |
| 2 | Toe-touch crunch | Beginner | None | none |
| 3 | Sit-up | Intermediate | None | Hip flexors |
| 4 | Rowing crunch | Intermediate | None | Hip flexors |
| 5 | Weighted crunch | Intermediate | Dumbbell | none |
| 6 | Dumbbell toe touch | Intermediate | Dumbbell | none |
| 7 | Cable crunch | Intermediate | Gym | none |
| 8 | V-up | Advanced | None | Hip flexors |
How to do each upper ab exercise
1. Crunch
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat, fingertips behind your ears. Breathe out and curl your head, then your shoulders, until your shoulder blades leave the floor. Pause for one second and lower slowly.
Common mistake: pulling your head forward with your hands. Imagine holding an orange between your chin and chest.
2. Toe-touch crunch
Lie on your back with legs straight up toward the ceiling. Reach your hands toward your toes by lifting your shoulder blades, then lower. The raised legs stop you from using momentum.
Common mistake: rocking the legs toward your face. Keep them still and vertical; bend the knees slightly if your hamstrings are tight.
3. Sit-up
Start like a crunch, then keep curling until your chest reaches your thighs, and roll down one vertebra at a time. The sit-up adds the hip flexors in the second half of the movement.
Common mistake: hooking your feet under a couch and yanking yourself up. If you can’t sit up without anchoring your feet, stay with crunches for a few more weeks.
4. Rowing crunch
Lie flat with arms overhead and legs straight. Bring knees and chest together in the middle, arms reaching past your knees, then extend back out. It’s a full-body version of the crunch.
Common mistake: dropping the legs to the floor between reps. Keep your heels just above the ground to keep tension on the abs.
5. Weighted crunch
A crunch with a dumbbell held on your chest, both hands over it. Start with the lightest dumbbell you have and add weight only when 15 clean reps feel easy.
Common mistake: holding the weight behind your head, which pulls on your neck.
6. Dumbbell toe touch
The toe-touch crunch with a dumbbell held in both hands, arms straight. The load sits at the end of your arms, so a light weight feels heavy.
7. Cable crunch
Kneel facing a cable machine, rope attachment at the top, hands holding the rope beside your head. Curl your elbows toward your knees by rounding your back, then return slowly. Your hips stay still; the movement comes from your spine.
Common mistake: sitting back on your heels and pulling with your arms. If your hips move, the weight is too heavy. More gym options: workout at the gym for abs.
8. V-up
Lie flat, arms overhead. Lift your straight legs and your torso at the same time, reach for your toes at the top, and lower with control. It is the hardest move here: if your lower back lifts off the floor on the way down, go back to rowing crunches.
A 10-minute upper ab routine
Two rounds, 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest. Choose the column that matches your level.
| Slot | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crunch | Sit-up | V-up |
| 2 | Toe-touch crunch | Rowing crunch | Rowing crunch |
| 3 | Dead bug (back rest) | Plank | Hollow hold |
| 4 | Crunch, slow (3 s down) | Weighted crunch | Dumbbell toe touch |
| 5 | Knee plank | Reverse crunch | Lying leg raise |
Slots 3 and 5 are deliberately not upper ab moves. They give the upper rectus a short break while you still train, and they keep the session balanced between the top and bottom of the muscle and the deep core.
How many reps of upper ab exercises should you do?
Our starting point for most people is 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 slow reps, or 30 to 45 seconds of work, two or three times a week. When 20 reps with a 3-second lowering feel easy, move to the next exercise in the table or add a light dumbbell.
One older test is worth knowing when you choose. In a 2001 San Diego State University study of 30 adults and 13 exercises, the bicycle crunch activated the rectus abdominis more than any other move, and the plain crunch ranked 11th (ACE, May 14, 2001). The 2014 study above found the opposite for its own list, so the safest reading is that both moves belong in your routine.
Strong upper abs that don’t show
Upper ab lines only show once there is little enough fat over them, and training alone won’t decide that. Our free scan shows your score out of 100, a “visibility” sub-score, your weakest zone and a 7-day routine aimed at it, from one photo that is deleted after the analysis.
Workout and first scan free. Full program: $28.99, paid once. Pricing
Keep going
- Ab exercises library: all 45 moves.
- Lower ab workouts: the other half of the muscle.
- Ab workouts: complete sessions for every level.
This page is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if you feel neck or back pain, and ask a doctor before training if you have a back problem, a hernia, or are pregnant or postpartum.
Frequently asked questions
Are there upper and lower abs?
Anatomically it is one muscle, the rectus abdominis, which runs from the pubis to the ribs and lower sternum (IMAIOS e-Anatomy). Some exercises load the upper or lower part more, but you cannot switch the rest off.
Do crunches work the upper abs?
Crunches bring the ribs towards the pelvis, so they load the rectus abdominis. In the 2014 ACE study, no ab device beat a plain crunch.
Why do my upper abs not show?
Visibility depends on the fat layer over the muscle. The free ab scan gives a score out of 100 and a body-fat range from one photo.
How many reps of upper ab exercises?
The routine on this page gives work and rest times by level. Stop a set when your form breaks, not when you reach a number.
Written by the Abdocoach team. General information, not medical advice.
Sources
- IMAIOS, e-Anatomy: rectus abdominis muscle, undated page, read October 29, 2026.
- American Council on Exercise, study of ab devices and exercises, April 23, 2014.
- American Council on Exercise, study of 13 abdominal exercises, May 14, 2001.