Strengthen your abs and core at home with this 10-minute daily ab workout! 10 of the best, no equipment ab exercises that will target the upper abs, lower abs, obliques and total core. This daily ab workout can be added to any workout or done entirely on its own.
Build a strong core with this 10-minute daily ab workout!
To sculpt a strong, toned core, you need to functionally train the muscles that criss-cross around the trunk of your body. We often do this functional core training in my home workouts, but it’s great to train abs separately a couple times a week.
Some of my favorite core exercises are planks, dead bugs and bear crawl variations. They’re efficient because they target multiple ab muscles at the same time and can be done with just your bodyweight (or add dumbbells to increase the intensity).
This 10-minute daily ab workout is a great way to train the core functionally using just your bodyweight.
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Daily Ab Workout FAQs
What Exercises Should You Do Every Day To Build Strong Abs?
Planks, bear crawls and dead dugs. These exercises hit all parts of the core and train the abs to stabilize the trunk of the body. The bicycle crunch is another one of the most effective ab exercises according to this study done by the American Council on Exercise.
Is It Ok To Do Ab Workouts 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.
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.
10-Minute Daily Ab Workout
Strengthen and tone your entire core with these 10 bodyweight ab exercises – combined in one fun and challenging, no repeats 10-minute daily 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:
None, just your bodyweight.
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How To Do An Alternating Knee Pull and Straight Leg Pull
Lay flat on the floor, lower back pressed into the mat with feet together. Bring your arms overhead so your biceps are near your ears.
Raise your neck and shoulders as you pull your right knee in to meet your chest, bending the right leg as you do so. Feet are flexed and left left remains straight out. Bring your fingertips to meet your right knee.
Then, send the arms back overhead as you kick the right leg back out so both legs are kicked straight out again.
Repeat the movement, this time performing a straight leg pull. Raise your neck and shoulders as you pull your right leg straight overhead. Feet are flexed and left left remains straight out. Bring your fingertips to meet your right ankle.
Then, send the arms back overhead again as you lower the right leg back to the ground.
Repeat, alternating the knee pull and straight leg pull.
Modification: Option to perform alternating knee hugs.
2 Dead Bugs and Crunch Up
Targets: Transverse abdomen (deep core muscles below your rectus abdomen or six pack ab muscles), rectus abdominis (six pack ab muscles), lower abs and hip flexors.
How To Do 2 Dead Bugs and a Crunch Up
Lie on your back, performing a slight pelvic tilt to press your lower back into the mat and drawing your belly button towards your spine. Think about wrapping your abdominal wall around your torso.
Then bring your legs up, knees bent at 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor. Extend your arms straight overhead, wrists stacked over shoulders.
Contract your ab muscles to engage your core as you extend your right arm overhead while simultaneously straightening your left leg. Return to the starting position.
Then extend your left arm overhead while simultaneously straightening your right leg. Return to the starting position.
Then perform a crunch up by lifting your head, neck and shoulders off the ground as you roll up onto your sit bones. Brace your core, engaging your abdominal muscles to lift you up.
Hold at the top for a moment, then lower to the ground with control and repeat the sequence of two dead bugs and one crunch up.
Modification: Option to omit the crunch up and perform dead bugs throughout the timed interval. Reduce range of motion to reduce the intensity. You can keep bends in both knees rather than kicking straight out to scale this exercise as well.
Modified Side Plank Clamshell and Leg Lift
Targets: Gluteus medius (which lays on the outer edge of the buttocks and is responsible for stabilizing your pelvis), gluteus minimus (hip extension), obliques and core.
How To Do A Modified Side Plank Clamshell and Leg Lift
Lie on one side, with legs and feet stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle.
Rest on the forearm of the lower arm, shoulder stacked over elbow.
Exhale to engage the core and stabilize your spine and pelvic floor.
Use your outer glutes and hips to lift your resting hip off the floor. As you lift your hips off the floor, open your legs, raising your upper leg as high as you can to perform a leg lift. Avoid shifting your hips or pelvis.
Pause, and hold at the top of the movement for a moment. Then return to the starting position.
Bear Crawl Shoulder Taps
Targets: Deep transverse abdomen muscles, rectus abdominis (six-pack ab muscles), oblique muscles, shoulders, back, legs, glutes and quads.
How To Do Bear Crawl Shoulder Taps
Start in a table top position, quadruped on all fours, shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees, pelvis even.
Inhale as you let your belly slightly drop, raising your gaze up as you breathe through into your belly.
Exhale, drawing your belly button towards your spine. Tuck your toes under and lift your knees one inch off the mat, finding a bear crawl.
Hold this bear crawl position, then perform a shoulder tap, tapping the left shoulder with the right hand.
Return your right palm to the mat and repeat on the other side. Tap the right shoulder with the left hand, then return it to the mat.
Continue this pattern, alternating shoulder taps.
Modification: Perform bird dog by finding a quadruped position, then extending your right leg back, floating it off the ground. As you extend the right leg back, extend the opposite arm, left arm, straight out in front of you. Return to the starting position and repeat this movement on the other side of the body.
3-Count Bicycle Crunches
Targets: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominal muscles and obliques.
How To Do 3-Count Bicycle Crunches
Lie on your back, lower back pressing firmly into the mat. Bring your legs to a raised 90 degree bend.
Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the ground. Place your hands behind your head and think about pressing your head into your fingertips.
Lift your right elbow towards your left knee as you extend your right leg long.
Slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Pulling your left elbow towards your right knee as you extend your left leg long.
Slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the right side again. This time, hold for a moment as you pull your right elbow towards your left knee.
Return to the starting position and repeat this ‘bicycling’ movement, alternating knee to elbow crunches and holding for a moment at every third crunch. Think, “one, two, three and hold.”
Modification: Perform with knees bent, reducing the range of motion.
Double Alternating Leg Lowers
Targets: Rectus abdominis, transverse abs and lower abs.
How To Do Double Alternating Leg Lowers
Lie on your back. Press your low back firmly into the mat and think about “wrapping” your abdominal wall around your core.
Straighten your legs and extend them over your hips, the bottom of your feet facing the ceiling.
Slowly lower one leg towards the ground, keeping both legs as straight as possible. Focus on keeping your lower back pressed into the mat.
Hover your heel above the mat, then pull it back up to starting position.
Then repeat on the same leg for a double leg lower.
After you’ve completed two leg lowers on the same leg, repeat, this time alternating legs.
Modification: Bend both knees, shortening the distance each leg travels.
Sprinter Sit Up and Jab
Targets: Abs, core and back.
How To Do A Sprinter Sit Up and Jab
Start seated with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Keeping your core engaged, lean your torso back to lay flat on the ground. Send your arms overhead and your legs long, body forms a straight line.
Explosively pull your torso back to an upright position to perform a sit up while pulling your right knee toward your chest and shooting the left arm forward, performing a jab. (The motion looks somewhat like you’re sprinting.)
With control, lower back down to the mat.
Repeat for the timed interval, alternating the leg that pulls in and the arm that punches across with each rep.
Modification: Option to omit the sit up and perform seated alternating jabs.
Seated Twist
Targets: Upper abs, lower abs, obliques, core and hips.
How To Do A Seated Twist
Start in a seated position, sitting on your sit bones as you lean back; heels resting on the ground (option to float one or both feet to increase intensity).
Pull your right elbow back towards your right hip as you rotate through your torso to tap your hands to the mat near your right hip.
Use your obliques and abs to return to center.
Then reverse the movement, pulling your left elbow back towards your left hip as you rotate through your torso to tap your hands to the mat near your left hip.
Reverse Crunch and Single Leg Kick Out and Lower
Targets: The lower abs. Also improves stability throughout the lower back, hips and spine.
How To Do A Reverse Crunch and Single Leg Kick Out and Lower
Start lying on your back, core engaged, legs extended out from your body and floating off the mat (the closer your legs are to the mat, the harder this exercise will be).
Engage your upper abs to perform a sit up as you engage your lower abs to pull your knees towards your chest. Rest your forearms on the mat and maintain this position throughout the timed interval.
As you hold this position, extend the right leg long to 45 degrees. Both feet are flexed, left knee remains bent.
With control, use the core to pull the right leg and left knee towards the face, lifting the right leg as high as you can (aiming to find a 90-degree angle). Think about rocking back and forth, but use your core to move you rather than momentum.
Hold for a moment, then slowly lower the right leg back down to a 45-degree angle. Left knee remains bent the entire time.
Then switch legs, pulling the right knee in as you extend the left leg long, finding a 45-degree angle. Repeat the reverse crunch.
Modification: Option to omit the leg lift and lower, performing alternating straight leg kick outs.
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2 comments
Love all these exercise
If I do these daily I’ve got this. Thank you
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Daily Abs
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Daily Abs
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Love all these exercise
If I do these daily I’ve got this. Thank you
Yeah Deborah! You’ve got this! -Lindsey