Great news! You do not need equipment to strengthen your abs!
Here are 10 of my favorite abdominal exercises using your bodyweight.
1. Side Plank Reach
Primary muscles targeted: shoulders, obliques
– Draw your navel in toward your spine and squeeze your glutes throughout.
– Avoid allowing your hips to sink
2. Forearms To Hands Plank
Primary muscles targeted: Shoulders, rectus abdominis
– Stack your wrist directly beneath your shoulder.
– Avoid twisting your hips.
3. Kneeling Rotation
Primary muscles targeted: glutes, obliques
– Breathe calmy as you twist as far as you can.
– Squeeze your glutes to help keep stable.
4. Roll Up
Primary muscles targeted: rectus abdominis
– Sit up using your lower abs and reach forward stretching your hamstrings.
– If you have trouble sitting up you can use momentum.
5. Lying Toe Touch
Primary muscles targeted: rectus abdominis
– Reach straight up.
– Lower down one vertebrae at a time with control.
6. Scissor Kicks
Primary muscles targeted: rectus abdominis
– Keep your lower back flat.
– Breathe calmly throughout.
7. Spiderman Plank
Primary muscles targeted: rectus abdominis, glutes, obliques
– Hug your knee close to your side.
– Avoid sinking your hips.
8. Hollow Body
Primary muscles targeted: transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis
– Keep your lower back flat.
– Avoid holding your breath.
9. Seated Knee Tucks
Primary muscles targeted: rectus abdominis
– Keep your chest tall.
– Avoid holding your breath.
10. Plank Chest Taps
Primary muscles targeted: rectus abdominis, glutes
– Keep your abs and glutes engaged throughout.
– Avoid sinking your hips.
Watch me demonstrate the exercises in the video below!
Thank you for reading this blog post! Try the exercises and tell me what you think in the comment section below.
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Great exercises and ideas, thanks Kai! I already use many of these exercises in my boot camp classes, always interested in what other instructors are doing. Thanks for sharing!