Bodyweight AB Exercises to Chisel Your Core

Ready to give the heavy iron a rest? Put your own body weight to work and start forging a strong core with these challenging, core-strength-enhancing moves. All you need is, to perform these core exercises in some space, a few minutes, and a motivated attitude—no suspension trainers, stability balls, or dumbbells are necessary. The one apparatus you might want on hand is a foam mat to protect your lower back from whatever firm surface you’ll be doing these exercises on.

Getting a stronger core doesn’t have to involve shunning carbs and spending hours in the gym. Enter a simpler way to tone and strengthen your stomach. Ab exercises can improve your posture, reduce and prevent lower back pain, and advance your athletic performance. With enough reps and a good meal plan, these exercises might even trim up your waist a bit more.

How to use this bodyweight core workout?

Proper nutrition plays a huge role in getting the results you want, so be sure to supplement your workouts with healthy meals and high-protein snacks. Mix and match any of these exercises in the gym or at home. Do this at the end of a session a couple of times a week, and keep changing the exercises to keep your abs guessing. And always stretch afterward with some yoga movements.

Choose from these abs exercises to update your workout routine.

Plank

Why: By keeping your belly button drawn in and challenging your stability throughout your shoulders, core, and hips, you’re building strong abs.

How:

Lie in a prone pushup position with forearms resting on the floor, elbows under shoulders, and bent 90°.
Push up off your elbows, tucking your chin so your head is in line with your body.
Keep your head in line with your spine, and the belly button is drawn in.
Hold for one minute.

Prescription: 2 sets of 60 seconds with 60 seconds rest between sets.

Side-plank

Why: The side-plank targets the oblique more than a traditional plank.

How:

Start on the ground on your left side with your left forearm on the ground and your elbow under your shoulder.
Push up off your elbow, creating a straight line from ankle to shoulder.
Your hips should be off the ground and only the side of your bottom foot, and your elbow should be on the ground.
Hold for 30 seconds or do 10 reps of 3 seconds each.

Prescription: 2 sets of 60 seconds with 60 seconds rest between sets.

Oblique Mountain Climbers

Why: Like a mountain climber working a wall, you’re using the abs and hip flexors to “climb”. This variation really targets the oblique as you bring your legs across your body while crunching.

How:

Start in the pushup position, with the balls of your feet on the ground.
Alternate driving your knees forward to the opposite arms, twisting your body to that side, for 30 seconds.
Keep your hips down for the entire motion.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets.

Burpee

Why: This full-body exercise challenges your cardiovascular system and ratchets up the intensity of your workout.

How:

From a standing position, squat, place your hands on the ground, and “jump” your feet out into a pushup position.
Perform a pushup and then jump your feet to your hands.
Then jump as high as you can, throwing your hands over your head.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

V-Sit Crunch

Why: It keeps you from putting unnecessary torque on your neck and using momentum to complete the crunch.

How:

Begin on your back with hands extended over your head.
Lift your legs and crunch up at the same time, forming your body into the shape of a V.
Exhale as you lift your legs, and crunch and inhale as you return to the starting position.

Prescription: 2 sets of 30 seconds with 60 seconds rest between sets.

Half Boat

Why: This yoga move is a variation of the V-sit crunch that targets the rectus abdominals.

How:

From a sitting position, extend your arms out, palms facing each other.
Extend and lift both legs, keeping them bent at the knees, with the insides of your feet touching.
Extend your arms on either side of your legs. Use your abs to keep your back straight.
Stay in this position for five deep breaths, roughly 10 seconds.

Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

Heel touch

Why: Far harder than it looks, this move works your upper abs and oblique.

How:

Lie with your upper back off the ground, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor.
Crunch and reach forwards with one straight arm to touch your ankle, then go back to the start and repeat on the other side.
Keep your upper back off the floor throughout.

Prescription: 2 sets of 30 seconds with 30 seconds rest between sets.

Bicycle crunch

Why: It primarily works your oblique, but your upper and lower abs are also heavily recruited to keep your upper back and feet up off the floor.

How:

Lie on your back, then crunch your torso up while lifting your feet from the floor.
Crunch and twist your torso so your elbow comes forwards while bringing in the opposite knee, so they meet over your body.
Reverse the move to the start position, then repeat with the opposite elbow and knee, making sure you keep your feet off the floor for the full 20 seconds.

Prescription: 2 sets of 30 seconds with 30 seconds rest between sets.

You can use these exercises as a warm-up, part of a regular workout, or as a standalone circuit. If you do a circuit, do two circuits with 10 reps per exercise. After all, your abs exist for more reasons than looking good at the beach. Your core is composed of the oft-mentioned upper and lower abdominals as well as the side, back, psoas, and glutei muscles. Your core provides a muscular framework that protects your internal organs, aids movement, and provides balance and stability to your whole body.

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