The 9 Best Gym Machines You Can Use to Sculpt Your Abs

Sure, planks and crunches can help you strengthen your core. But are there machines for getting stronger abs at the gym? Yes, and there's something to be said for taking your abdominal workouts off the mat and onto these machines.

Integrating gym machine abs workouts into your routine helps you strengthen your core in more dynamic ways, says Jessica Mazzucco, CPT, a NYC-based certified personal trainer and founder of The Glute Recruit.

Think about it: Cardio machines like treadmills and ellipticals let you work your abs for 10, 20 or 30 minutes at a time for improved muscular endurance. (They also burn abdominal fat if you're wondering, ‌how do I target my belly fat at the gym?‌) And strength machines like the glute-hamstring developer increase the intensity of tried-and-true isolation ab exercises like sit-ups.

But you can't hop on just any exercise machine and hope for a six pack — no piece of gym equipment just makes your stomach flat. You need a plan. Here are nine trainer-approved cardio and strength gym machines for your abs. Plus, the best ones you can buy to outfit your home gym.

Ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines are pivotal abs machines for building functional core strength and offer a great core workout at the gym. After all, just like you need to brace your abs when running and cycling, having a strong, stable core helps you more easily take on everyday activities.

But cardio machines don't just sculpt your abs by building muscle. As part of a regular exercise routine — and coupled with a balanced diet — using them can help you change your body composition and ultimately reveal your six-pack (if that's your goal).

Does the stationary bike work your abs directly? It can. Your core stabilizes your pelvis and keeps your hips square in your seat. For the best ab burn possible, tuck your tailbone, brace your core and keep your upper body steady as you ride.

Don't bypass the elliptical machine the next time you hit the cardio floor. It may seem low-key with its gliding foot plates, leading you to wonder, "Does the elliptical work your abs?" But it can, in fact, provide a great workout for your midsection.

To get the most ab burn on the elliptical, focus on standing up tall and not leaning forward. This will force your core to work harder to stabilize you.

When you're pounding the pavement or working up a sweat on the treadmill, your core is in charge of your running posture. It's also the link between your arm and legs — in charge of transferring force from your upper to lower body.

Just don't hold the handrail while you run or walk. Only use it when getting onto and off of the machine. If you lean on the handrail, you not only take work away from your abs, but you also cheat yourself out of caloric expenditure.

Rowers are famous for their back-strengthening abilities, but they work the front of your torso equally hard. During your rowing workouts, your back should be straight but slightly leaned back from your hips. With correct form, you'll feel a bit like you're almost (but not quite) at the top of a sit-up.

Each of the gym machines listed below can help you strengthen all the muscles in your core, including your rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle), obliques (in the sides of your torso) and transverse abdominis (the deep ab muscle).

The cable machine is one of the most versatile strength machines at the gym. Just about every cable exercise will work your core to some degree. But cable exercises like the Pallof press and horizontal wood chop are among the most effective abs cable workouts anyone can add to their routine, Mazzucco says.

Good news for those who can't quite do a pull-up... yet. You can also use the pull-up bar at your gym to sculpt your abs with exercises like hanging leg raises, Mazzucco says. Any time you're hanging from the bar and bracing your core, you're working your abdominal muscles.

The captain's chair is an effective ab machine that you'll find in many gyms. And if yours has one, take advantage of it with leg lifts, says certified strength and conditioning specialist Henry Halse, CSCS.

With the chair, you place your forearms on two raised handles. Then, supporting your body through your arms and shoulders — and your back against the pad — you use your abs to raise your legs in front of you.

Many CrossFit boxes and gyms feature a machine nicknamed the GHD (short for glute-hamstring developer). But, despite its name, it isn't just useful for lower-body workouts that target your glutes, quads and hamstrings. It'll give you a fierce ab workout, too. All you have to do is get on it face-up with your feet against the plate and torso hanging off of the large pad. Then you can use the GHD for sit-ups or crunches.

But be aware: This machine isn't for newbies or those with back problems or tight hip flexors. You need to have a strong core before working with the GHD.

1. Sit on the GHD machine face-up with your feet against the plate and torso hanging off of the large pad.
2. Exhale as you lift your entire torso up toward your feet in one fluid motion.
3. Touch your feet with your arms if you can.
4. Reverse the motion and repeat.

When you do sit-ups or other abs exercises on a decline bench, you're increasing the amount of gravity you're bringing into the equation. It works your muscles in a different way and adds intensity to your sit-ups.

1. Sit toward the front of a decline bench and hook your feet in the foot pads.
2. Place your hands behind your head.
3. Inhale as you brace your core and lower your torso onto the bench.
4. Exhale as you lift your entire torso up off the bench in one fluid motion.
5. Repeat.