The best unilateral ab exercises to build a strong, stable core. These single sided ab exercises build deep core strength, increase core stabilization and reduce muscle imbalances. Each circuit includes an anti-rotation ab exercise, a rotational ab exercise and a stability ab exercise to build core strength from all angles.
Today’s workout takes that single-sided focus and applies it to all the muscles in the core.
Each circuit includes three different exercises: an anti-rotation exercise, a rotation exercise, and a stability exercise.
This combination effectively builds core strength for all the movements you perform in your daily life, improves athletic performance, and reduces injury risk.
Unilateral Core Exercises FAQs
What is Unilateral Training?
Unilateral training is any type of exercise that focuses on one side of the body at a time. This is compared to bilateral movements, where both sides of the body are engaged. Unilateral training turns on the muscles that surround the spine and core, increasing strength, stability and balance.
Do Unilateral Exercises Work Core?
Unilateral exercises are some of the most effective and functional core training exercises. Training one side of the body at a time forces the core to engage and stabilize – which mimics many of your everyday movements.
What Are The Best Ab Exercises?
The best ab exercises mimic what the core is designed to do: stabilize the trunk of the body while the limbs move away. Examples include dead bugs, plank reaches and bird dog variations. If you are pregnant, substitute Pregnancy Ab Exercises after the first trimester. If you are a beginner or postpartum, I recommend starting with Diastasis Recti Exercises to build a strong core foundation.
25-Minute Unilateral Core Workout (Stronger 25, Day 9)
Strengthen the core and improve balance and stability with this Functional Unilateral Core Workout.
Each circuit in today’s workout includes one anti-rotation ab exercise, one rotational core exercise, and one stability and balance exercise. These different types of movements are designed to compliment each other, targeting the core muscles from multiple angles to create strength and definition.
I suggest doing these standing abs exercises once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.
Workout Equipment:
One medium-to-heavy dumbbell. I suggest anywhere from 8-25 lbs. We used 10-20 lb dumbbells in this workout.
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A training shoe with a relatively flat, solid bottom will help with balance and stability during this workout!
Targets: Back, shoulders, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, obliques and core.
The “pendulum” swing constantly transfers weight from side to side, requiring all the stabilizing muscles in your core to turn on and engage.
How To Do Single Leg Deadlifts and Lateral Dumbbell Swings
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell vertically between your hands in front of you.
Balance on your right foot while floating your left foot off the ground, left knee bent and left thigh parallel to the ground.
Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbell down the front of your body. As you hinge, extend your left leg behind you, performing a single leg deadlift.
Hold this hinged position, as you begin to swing the dumbbell side to side, like a pendulum. Core remains engaged and stable. Aim to keep your hips in place as your shoulders move with the dumbbell, avoiding rocking open with each swing.
Modification: perform a staggered deadlift rather than floating your back leg, keeping 80% of your weight in your front foot and 20% in your back toes.
Lunge Hold and Dumbbell Chop
Targets: The deep transverse abdominal muscles, oblique muscles, legs, glutes, hips, hamstrings, quads, calves, back and shoulders.
How To Do Lunge Holds and Dumbbell Chops
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell horizontally between your hands at hip level.
Step your left leg back and bend both knees to 90 degree angles, finding a reverse lunge. Your front thigh should be parallel to the mat. Hold this low lunge position.
Then, keeping arms straight with a slight bend in the elbows, perform a dumbbell chop; swinging the dumbbell cross-body from outside the left hip to over the right shoulder.
Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbell first to your chest, then to outside your left hip, returning to starting position. Stay low in the lunge for the entire movement.
Start in a quadruped position on all fours, forearms flat on the mat, shoulder width apart. Stack your elbows under your shoulders. Place a dumbbell on a towel (if working out on a hard surface) or paper plate (if working out on carpet) next to your right hand.
Extend your legs straight out behind you, with your toes curled under, so that your body forms a straight line from head to toe. Pull your belly button in towards your spine to engage your core. Hold this forearm plank position as you begin to move the dumbbell with your right arm.
First, press the dumbbell straight in front of you, fully extending your right arm then pulling it back so the dumbbell is stacked under your shoulder.
Then, press the dumbbell out horizontally to the right, before pulling it back to center.
Finally, push the dumbbell down, sliding it towards your right hip, before pulling it back to center.
Continue this pattern, alternating a press forward, to the side, and down.
Modification: drop to your knees, performing a modified forearm plank. Option to perform with just your bodyweight, tapping your fingers in the direction of each push rather than dragging a dumbbell.
Single Sided Dead Bug
Targets: Rectus abdominis (six pack ab muscles), transverse abs (deep corset abs under the six pack ab muscles), obliques, hips, shoulders and back.
How To Do Single Sided Dead Bugs
Lie on your back flat on the floor, performing a slight pelvic tilt to press your lower back into the mat. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing in.
Lift your knees to form a 90-degree angle (knees stacked on top of hips), and extend your hands straight overhead toward the ceiling.
Inhale, engaging your core and simultaneously extending your right arm and left leg away from your body. Left arm and right leg remain in place.
Then exhale as you draw your right arm and back leg back to center, returning to starting position.
Modification: omit the dumbbell, performing this move with just your bodyweight.
Single Leg Glute Bridge March and Dumbbell Pullover
Targets: Gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hips, hamstrings, back and core.
How To Do Single Leg Glute Bridge Marches and Dumbbell Pullovers
Lie flat on the floor on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell horizontally between your hands, elbows slightly bent, hands shoulder width apart, palms facing in.
Press through the heels to raise your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. This is a glute bridge. As you lift your hips, press the dumbbell straight overhead, wrists in line with shoulders.
Hold this glute bridge position, then slowly lower the dumbbell overhead towards the ground. Keep your arms straight, with a slight bend in the elbows.
Engage the lats to pull the dumbbell back towards your chest. As you raise the dumbbell, balance on your left foot and drive your right knee towards your hands, right knee meeting the dumbbell when it is stacked over your shoulders.
Continue this pattern, slowly lowering the dumbbell overhead as you lower your right heel to tap the ground.
Modification: Omit the dumbbell, performing bodyweight glute bridge marches instead.
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4 comments
Thank you Thank You!! LOVE your workouts and the variety
Tamara! I’m so happy to hear you’re loving the workouts! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
I love your workouts!! Thank you! 🙂
Victoria! We love to hear it! Thanks so much for sweating with us and keep up the great work! -Lindsey
Unilateral Core
Unilateral Core
Thank you Thank You!! LOVE your workouts and the variety
Tamara! I’m so happy to hear you’re loving the workouts! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
I love your workouts!! Thank you! 🙂
Victoria! We love to hear it! Thanks so much for sweating with us and keep up the great work! -Lindsey