The 9 best home ab exercises to target your core from every angle! This 10-minute ab workout is the best way to build a strong core at home. Strengthen your core to provide stability during daily movements, reduce back pain and prevent injury. Includes beginner and advanced options for every exercise.
Build strength and definition in your core with this quick and intense Ab Workout At Home.
Our 18 Best Ab Exercises for Women workout is one of the most popular on the blog. Today’s home ab workout increases the intensity even more by adding weights.
This home ab workout is strength training for your core, targeting the:
Erector spinae (lower back muscles)
Obliques (muscles along the sides of the body)
Rectus abdominis (“six-pack” muscles)
Transverse abdominis (deep core muscles)
Posterior and anterior deltoids (back muscles)
The 9 exercises found in this workout focus on the abs, but also engage the surrounding supporting muscle groups, including the back, shoulders, chest, glutes and pelvic floor.
These muscle groups work together to provide strength and stability to the body in both your workouts and daily life.
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10-Minute Ab Workout FAQs
What Is The Best Ab Workout At Home?
The best ab workouts strengthen each part of your core. That includes the abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, lower abs, back, glutes and pelvic floor.
Can You Actually Get Abs At Home?
The best ab exercises can be done at home, with little or no equipment. Core training is actually more effective with free weights (such as dumbbells) rather than gym machines because your abs have to work to stabilize your body through the full range of motion.
Is 10 Minutes Enough For An Ab Workout?
10 minutes is the ideal amount of time for an ab workout, especially if it includes intense exercises. Short workouts are easier to fit into busy schedules, and allow you to focus on performing each move with good form. Additionally, 10 minute ab workouts are perfect for adding on to other strength workouts.
Is It OK If I Do Abs Every Day?
Your abs are a muscle group that require rest and recovery time, just like any of your other major muscle groups. Overtraining can lead to muscle imbalances, burnout and injury. For the best results, follow a well-rounded workout program that builds in core training 2-3 times a week.
What Are The Benefits Of A Strong Core?
A strong core makes everyday activities (such as carrying groceries, bending and lifting kids, and sitting at a desk) easier. It also reduces your risk of injury while performing all of these daily tasks. Additionally, strengthening the core can also improve posture, improve balance and stability, and reduce lower back pain.
10-Minute Home Ab Workout
Strengthen and tone your entire core with these 9 Intense Ab Exercises – combined in one fun and challenging No Repeats 10-Minute Ab Workout.
These core exercises can be scaled from beginner to advanced to build core strength and definition, improve posture, and reduce lower back pain.
Add this home ab workout to your workout routine as you feel capable. Start with 1-2 times a week and scale up to 3-4 times a week. I recommend alternating this workout with our other ab workouts to avoid workout boredom.
Workout Equipment:
Medium Set of Dumbbells.
I recommend between 5-15 lbs depending on your fitness level. We used 10 and 15 lb dumbbells in today’s workout. Option to drop weights at any time and do this workout with just your bodyweight.
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Targets: Transverse abdomen (deep abdominal muscles below your rectus abdomen or six pack ab muscles), lower abs and hip flexors.
How To Do V-Sit Toe Touches
Start sitting on your mat on your “sit bones,” knees bent at a 90-degree angle and feet planted on the floor.
Pull your belly button towards your spine, then lean back about 45-degrees. Lift your heels off the mat, forming a “V” shape between your torso and thighs.
Perform two alternating toe touches, tapping opposite fingers to opposite toes. First, straighten your left leg and reach your right fingers to tap your left toes. Then straighten your right leg and tap your right toes with your left fingers.
Then, reach both hands towards your toes as you straighten both legs, performing a double toe touch.
Modification: Keep heels on the ground rather than floating both legs. Tap opposite hand to opposite knee with knees bent rather than extending legs straight.
Push Up and Arm Extension
Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, back and core.
Although push ups are traditionally thought of as an upper body exercise, they also strengthen the lower back and core.
How To Do A Push Up and Arm Extension
Start in a high plank position, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged.
Perform a push up by lowering your chest towards the ground, elbows falling back towards hips.
Press evenly through your hands to push back to high plank, returning to starting position.
Then, balance on your left arm as you lift your right arm out in front of you, raising right hand to shoulder level.
Return your right hand to the mat, then perform another push up before returning to high plank position.
Then, balance on your right arm as you lift your left arm out in front of you before returning it to the mat.
Modification: Drop to your knees, or place your hands on an incline (such as a bench).
V-Sit Shoulder Press
Targets: Deep transverse abs, rectus abdominis, lower abs, shoulders, top of the thighs and hips.
How To Do A V-Sit Shoulder Press
Start sitting on your mat on your “sit bones,” knees bent at 90 degrees and feet planted on the floor. Hold a dumbbell horizontally between your hands at your collarbones.
Engage your core as you lean back and lift your heels off the ground. Your body should form a “V” shape between your torso and knees.
Exhale as you press the dumbbell overhead, performing a shoulder press.
With control, lower the dumbbell to shoulder height, returning to the starting position.
Modification: Keep heels on the ground rather than floating your legs for additional core support.
Forearm Plank Reaches and Plank Up
Targets: Upper abs, obliques, transverse abs, shoulders and back.
How To Do Forearm Plank Reaches and Plank Up
Start in a high plank position, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged, feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower down to the elbows, one elbow at a time, finding a low plank position (also called forearm plank). Keep your hips in line with the rest of your body to avoid sagging hips or piked hips.
Alternate reaching one arm straight in front of you at a time. Fully extend your right arm and tap the mat in front of you, then return to the starting position. Then fully extend your left arm and tap the mat in front of you. Try to keep your hips stable and square to the mat as you alternate reaching your arms straight out.
Then, perform a plank up (or “army crawl”) by pressing your right palm, then left palm into the mat, pushing up into high plank position.
Modification: Drop to your knees to reduce the intensity.
Rolling Side Plank and Toe Touch
Targets: Internal and external oblique muscles (the muscles that run along the side of your core), transverse abdominus and shoulders.
How To Do A Rolling Side Plank and Toe Touch
Start in a low plank position, except with your forearms perpendicular to your body rather than parallel. Shoulders are stacked over elbows and core is engaged.
Roll to your left forearm, body opening to the left into a side plank position. Left shoulder is stacked over left elbow, right arm extended straight overhead, right foot stacked on top of left foot.
Crunch through your outer abs to bring your left arm and left toes to meet, before returning to side plank position.
Then, bring your right forearm to the mat and roll to your right forearm, opening your body up to the left and performing a side plank.
Crunch through your outer abs to bring your right arm and right toes to meet, before returning to a side plank position.
Modification: Drop your inner knee to the ground for the side plank, and omit the toe touch.
V-Sit and Dumbbell Pass
Targets: Transverse abdominal muscles, lower abs, inner thighs and hip flexors.
How To Do A V-Sit and Dumbbell Pass
Start sitting on your mat on your “sit bones,” knees bent at 90 degrees and feet planted on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand near your right hip.
Engage your core as you lean back and lift your heels off the ground. Your body should form a “V” shape between your torso and knees.
Hold this “V” shape as you curl the dumbbell towards your right shoulder, before returning it to hip level.
Then exhale as you pull your knees towards your chest. As your legs come in, pass the dumbbell behind your thighs from right hand to left hand.
Then lean back, once again finding a “V” position, this time holding the dumbbell in your left hand at your left hip.
Curl the dumbbell to your left shoulder, performing a bicep curl before returning it to hip level.
Exhale, pulling knees to your chest and transferring the dumbbell back to your right hand, returning to starting position.
Modification: Keep heels on the ground rather than floating your legs. Option to omit the bicep curl as well.
Dumbbell Chest Press and Leg Lowers
Targets: Deep core muscles (transverse abdominis), lower abs, hips, chest, shoulders and triceps.
How To Do Dumbbell Chest Press and Leg Lowers
Lie on your back flat on the floor, performing a slight pelvic tilt to press your lower back into the mat. Lift your knees, extending your legs straight above your hips.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your hands straight overhead toward the ceiling.
Lower the dumbbells towards your chest, elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. As you lower the dumbbells, lower your right leg towards the mat, hovering your right heel a few inches off the ground.
Then, exhale to press the dumbbells overhead. As you press the dumbbells up, “scissor” your legs, dropping your left leg towards the floor as you simultaneously extend your right leg up towards the ceiling.
Modification: Reduce range of motion of your legs, performing bent leg lowers rather than extending the legs fully.
Scissor Kick and Dumbbell Pass
Targets: Rectus abdominis, transverse abs, and lower abs.
How To Do A Scissor Kick and Dumbbell Pass
Start lying on your back. Press your low back firmly into the mat and think about “wrapping” your abdominal wall around your core. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand.
Straighten your legs and extend them over your hips, the bottom of your feet facing the ceiling.
Slowly lower your right leg towards the ground, keeping both legs as straight as possible. Hover your leg a few inches off the floor. Focus on keeping your lower back pressed into the mat.
Hold this position as you transfer the dumbbell behind your left thigh, moving it from your right hand to your left hand.
Alternate legs, lowering your left leg towards the ground while raising your right leg to extend overhead.
Hold this position, transferring the dumbbell behind your right thigh, ending with it in your right hand.
Modification: Perform this move with just your bodyweight, performing a “hand clap” behind the leg extended overhead rather than transferring the dumbbell.
Plank Hold
Targets: Transverse abdominals, upper abs, lower abs and shoulders.
How To Do A Plank Hold
Start in a table top position with shoulders stacked over wrists (soft bend in the elbows) and hips over knees. Drop down to your forearms, shoulders stacked over elbows and hands in front of you.
Then step both feet back and extend legs long, balancing on your toes. Pull up on your kneecaps and push back on your heels to keep your core engaged. Body forms a straight line from your head through your heels.
Hold this low plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
Modification: Drop to your knees or place your hands on a raised surface (such as a chair, couch, or countertop).
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