You won’t find any ab exercises on this list because ab exercises don’t burn much fat in your midsection. High intensity compound movements do.
Abdominal exercises are generally low intensity, work small muscles, and don’t burn many calories. They will tone the muscles in your midsection, however you’ll never see that tone if there’s a layer of fat covering them.
The following exercises are all compound, multi-joint “Big Bang” exercises. They require a lot of big muscles to work at once, and thus burn far more calories and fat. Big Bang exercises also create an anabolic hormonal shift which lends itself to burning fat in the core. Most of your workout routines should include at least one Big Bang exercise. They give you the best Bang for your buck.
1) Squats
2) Deadlifts
3) Lunges
4) Pull-ups
5) Sprints
Every one of these exercises -except pull-ups- involves heavy glute incorporation. I always say “The path to a flat stomach goes through your butt”. The more your glutes have to work, the better your abs will look.
The most important exercise not mentioned on this list is the exercise of will power: keeping unhealthy foods out of your mouth. That is the biggest contributor to fat in the midsection, and should be addressed BEFORE you get serious about weight lifting.