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The 15 Best Abs Exercises Of All Time Prepare to transform your core

 

The 15 Best Abs Exercises Of All Time Prepare to transform your core



There is SO much more to your core than having six-pack abs. Want to squat heavy? You need a strong core. Want to improve your balance? You guessed it: strong core. Whatever your goals are, though, getting there means incorporating the best-of-the-best abs exercises into your routine.

Technically, your core consists of all of the muscles between your chest and your hips. However, you’ve probably heard the most about your rectus abdominis (a.k.a. your six-pack muscles, which run down the front of your stomach), transverse abdominis (deep abs muscles that wrap around your stomach like a corset), and obliques (a.k.a. side abs, which help you rotate).

A solid abs workout incorporates moves that fire up all of these major muscles—and particularly exercises that work them all at the SAME time, like deadbugs, hollow holds, and side planks. It makes sense: If you want to see major results, you have to train your abs from every angle.

No matter what move you’re working on, focus on pulling your navel in toward your spine to keep your abs muscles engaged. If you’re doing a movement on your back, make sure to press your lower back into the floor so your abs do the work—not your spine.

The 15 moves below are some of the best abs exercises you can do. Mix and match ’em to create an abs workout that’ll get you strong and toned in no time.

Time: 10 to 20 minutes

Equipment: Resistance band (optional: yoga block)

Good for: Abs, core

Instructions: Choose three exercises from the list below. Perform each for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

1. DEADBUG

How to: Lie on back with arms extended toward ceiling and legs bent to 90 degrees (knees above hips). Keeping low back pressed into the floor, brace core and slowly and simultaneously extend and lower right leg until heel nearly touches floor and left arm until your hand nearly touches floor overhead. Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abs

2. PLANK

How to: Start sitting on heels, then walk hands out and extend legs so that wrists stack under shoulders with arms straight and body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels. Balance on balls of feet, keep abs engaged, and gaze slightly forward. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: transverse abs

3. SIDE PLANK

How to: Lie on side with right forearm flat on the floor, elbow under shoulder, and both legs extended. Body should form a straight line from head to feet, which are either stacked or staggered. Engage your core and lift hips up. Continue for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side and immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: obliques, transverse abs, rectus abdominis

4. REVERSE CRUNCH

How to: Start lying on back, legs lifted so thighs are perpendicular to ground and knees are bent. Pressing lower back into mat, curl knees into chest to lift hips off the ground. Return to start with control. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis

5. HOLLOW ROCK WITH HOLD

How to: Sit on a mat with legs bent. (For an extra challenge, place a yoga brick between knees.) Squeeze legs together and engage abs to lift legs so calves are parallel to the floor. Roll body backward until your middle back touches the floor. Then, with control, engage abs and rock body back to the starting point. Pause here for three seconds. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis, transverse abs, obliques

6. LATERAL BEAR WALK

How to: Start in bear plank, with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, hovering a few inches off of floor. Keeping hips stable, head in line with tailbone, and knees lifted off of the floor, move hands and feet left for three steps. (Don’t let feet or hands cross.) Then, move hands and feet right for three steps. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abs

7. BEAR CRAWL

How to: Start in bear plank, with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, hovering a few inches off of floor. Keeping hips stable, head in line with tailbone, and knees lifted off of the floor, slowly step opposite hand and foot forward, repeating with other hand and foot for four steps total. Then, reverse the movement to step backwards and return to start. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis, transverse abs

8. HEEL TAPS

How to: Start on back with knees bent and feet on ground, hands by hips. Lift chest toward the ceiling, keeping neck relaxed and bringing shoulder blades off the ground. Tap right hand to outside of right ankle, flexing right obliques in the process. Come back to center, keeping shoulders off ground, then tap left hand to outside of left ankle. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: obliques

9. BEAST HOLD

How to: Start in bear plank, with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, hovering a few inches off of floor. Keeping hips stable, head in line with tailbone, and knees lifted off of the floor, squeeze core to remain still. For an extra challenge, lift one hand up off the floor for a few seconds, then repeat with the other hand. Hold 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abs

10. SEATED ROTATION

How to: Sit on the floor and lean upper body back until abs are engaged. Legs should be lifted and bent at 90 degrees, and arms should be bent, hands clasped, with elbows wide. This is your starting position. Rotate torso to right side so that right elbow is hovering just off mat. Keep lower body still while rotating upper body to left side until left elbow is just off mat. Return to start. Gaze follows hands as you move. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: obliques

11. BANDED BIRD DOG

How to: Start on all fours, with hands stacked directly under shoulders, knees below hips and a resistance band wrapped around feet. Keeping torso still and core engaged, simultaneously extend right arm straight out in front of body and left leg straight back behind body. Then, bring right elbow and left knee in beneath torso to touch. Repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Continue for 30, then repeat on the other side and immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis, transverse abs

12. CROSS-BODY ISO DEADBUG

How to: Start by lying on back with hands at sides and legs straight, feet flexed. Bring left knee and right hand together at hip level and actively push them into each other until abs begin to tremble. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch sides. That’s one rep. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side and immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: obliques, rectus abdominis

13. STIR THE POT

How to: Start in kneeling plank position with forearms on stability ball and body in a straight line from head to knees. Engage abs and move forearms in a full circle (so the stability ball moves as well) while keeping the rest of your body still. That’s one rep. Continue in one direction for 30, then repeat in the other direction and immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abs

14. TRIPLE TRIPLE

How to: Start on back, with knees bent, feet on floor about six inches from butt, and hands behind head. Crunch chest up toward the ceiling three times, keeping lower back pressed into the mat. Then, bring shoulders down to rest on mat. Keeping feet flexed, lift heels straight up toward the ceiling three times, bringing hips two to three inches off the mat each time. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis

15. V-UP

How to: Start lying on back with legs extended and arms by sides, both on mat. In one movement, lift upper body, arms, and legs, coming to balance on tailbone, forming a “V” shape with body. Lower body back down. That’s one rep. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue onto your next move. Once you’ve completed all three of your exercises, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for three to five total rounds.

Good for: rectus abdominis



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