There have been several debates on whether to do abs with reps or time under tension, and which is better. Many professionals however, say implementing both would enhance the core building endurance, and strengthen the specified muscle groups. What people aren’t aware of is that the abdominals are divided into four main muscle groups.

Rectus Abdominis 

What people identify as the six pack muscles which is the straight vertical line from the top of your breast bone to pubic bone.

Transversus Abdominis

Identified as the deepest of the core muscles and inner abs responsible for protecting internal organs by holding them in place, stabilizing the spine and pelvis, the muscle fibres run horizontally around the mid-section like a belt. 

External obliques/Internal obliques

Ab muscles located on the lateral sides of your abdominals, known as the external and internal obliques. Activating these ab groups consist of rotating motion abs workouts to strengthen them. They are considered the thickest and run from lower rib iliac crest

Ab exercises are good to do if you want a strong core, and there are several workouts to do that are essential for any beginner trying to create a strong structure, in order to improve your balance and stability. Time under tension is one of the best types of method for training abs, meaning giving yourself a 30-45 seconds to a minute consistent non-stop ab workout variation that strains those muscles, excessively repeating the variation known as ‘reps’ till you’ve exhausted the muscle group a number of times.

Body weight planks

 with his exercise it’s important to keep your back  muscles engaged as you place your elbows on the ground, keeping your back straight and squeezing the core as if pulling your belly button inward with your lower body stretched out and toes stabilizing the plank. You want to aim for 45 seconds, and repeat 3 times, this will ultimately lead you to feeling the burn and activating all transverse, rectus and oblique ab groups. 

Lying leg raises

 Laying on your back, keeping your legs straight, and lifting your legs upwards then down making sure you keep your legs an inch bellow the ground. It’s advisable to control this movement making sure the lower back doesn’t come up from the ground, placing both hands on your gluteus if you’re struggling with stability. These work outs are on your lower abs

Plank hip dips/side to side

 These engage your transverse abdominals and obliques. Positioning yourself in the plank position as stated above and rocking your hips by rotating them from side to side will engage your core.

It’s recommended to do ab exercise such as those identified above if one is interested in creating a strong core. It’s also necessary to understand that strengthening the core is different from revealing the abs, since having a strong core already hidden in fat cells is apparent in many people that train. One’s body fat needs to be low enough to see the abs regardless of how many ab workouts the person does.