32 best ab exercises to choose from for your next core workout

When it comes to functional strength, safe movement, and improved posture, strong abdominal muscles are crucial for providing spinal stability and ensuring your trunk is supported. That's why you need the best ab workouts - and a strong core as a whole - to ensure you're moving as optimally as possible and avoiding injury.

We’ve filtered the best ab exercises - from lower-ab exercises to ab exercises to do at home and standing ab exercises - that can both be done to target your abs from all angles, plus the benefits of ab exercises and how often you should be doing them.

These are the abdominal muscles you mean when you refer to your 'abs':

1. External obliques (obliques are the muscles on the side that make the 'hourglass' definition)
2. Internal obliques
3. Transversus abdominis (acts like a corset around your midsection)
4. Rectus abdominis (commonly called the 'sit-up' and 'six-pack' muscles, they start from the pubic section and extend the entire length of your trunk)

What's the difference between my abs and core?

When you refer to your abs, you're referring to the specific abdominal muscles above, whereas your core is literally everything housed in the trunk of your body such as the diaphragm, pelvic floor muscles, your l0wer-back muscles and your abs.

Your core = everything; abs = specific abdominal muscles.

1. Russian twists

A) Sit on the floor, with your knees bent and the soles of your feet flat on the ground. Lean yourself back until you feel that you need to brace your abdominals to stop yourself falling backwards, your upper body should be at around 45 degrees to the floor. 'At this point, try not to round your shoulders – it's easily done,' Andrews says.

B) Once your upper body position is set and abdominal wall is still braced, lift your feet off the floor. You can leave your knees bent, and at this point your body will be forming a V-like shape. Ensure you’ve got your balance, link your hands together in front of your chest.

C) Keeping your legs relatively still, rotate your arms all the way over to one side, return to centre and then twist to the other side. Continually twist from one side to the other, maintaining a straight spine as best you can.

2. Dead bug

A) Lie face up on floor with your arms and legs in the air, knees bent 90 degrees.

B) Maintaining contact between low back and floor, brace your core, then slowly and simultaneously lower your right leg until your heel nearly touches floor and your left arm until your hand nearly touches floor overhead.

C) Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep.

3. Side plank

A) Lie on your right side with your right forearm on the floor, elbow under your shoulder and legs extended, feet stacked.

B) Leaning on your forearm, lift your hips, forming a straight line from your head to your feet.

C) Engage your core as you bend your left knee to meet your left elbow. Return to start position. That's one rep.

4. Bird dog

A) While on all fours, position your spine into into a pain-free position. Your thoracic spine (middle section) is curved slightly upward. Engage your abs to control your torso and ensure that movement will be focused just around your hips and shoulders.

B) Kneel down on all fours and then raise the opposite arm and leg simultaneously. Do not raise the arm higher than the shoulder, nor the leg past the height of the hips. The objective is to be able to hold the limbs parallel to the floor for about six to eight seconds.

C) The bird dog is improved by 'sweeping' the upraised hand and knee along the floor between 'holds'.

5. Hollow hold

A) Start lying on back with with your arms extended overhead on floor and legs straight resting on mat.

B) At the same time, and with control, lift arms, head, shoulder blades, and legs off the floor.

C) Hold for 20 seconds then return to starting position. Rest for 10 seconds.

Watch the video above for demos on each of these lower ab exercises to add into your ab workout:

1. Boat tucks
2. Flutter kicks
3. Leg raises
4. Scissor kicks
5. Supine leg circles
6. Suitcase sit-ups
7. Bicycle crunch
8. Reverse crunch
9. Jackknife
10. Mountain climbers
11. Plank jacks

Ab workouts should target your entire core, not just your ’lower abs’

You probably don't incorporate lower-ab exercises into your ab workouts enough. Making sure your entire core is strong, not just the upper abdominals, is key. Hollie Grant, expert Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates PT explains:

'The abdominal muscles run across the front section of the core, and they overlap and interplay with each other – they don’t work on their own, they tend to work as a team. However, muscles like to be tested and pushed to fully lengthen, and contract, to be functional.

'If we always do the same movements, we start to notice that we get dominant muscles that do all the work, and weaker muscles then struggle to do their job when needed.

'What we need to do is think about the direction muscles are trained in. When we do crunches we are focussing on a top-down movement eg the rib cage moves down towards the pelvis. But we also need to encourage movements that are from a bottom-up direction e.g. the pelvis comes up towards the ribcage. An example of that would be a reverse crunch, where we are lifting the pelvis off the floor using our abdominals to draw the pelvis up to our ribs.'

Making sure your entire core is strong is also crucial for pregnant or post-natal women. Find out more about diastasis recti or training your core post-pregnancy.

It’s also key to remember that fat is stored differently in women than men. The lower-belly area is a common one for women to store body fat and contributes to healthy hormone function and organ and uterus protection.

'We all have a different personal blueprint when it comes to body fat and women should try to sustain at a healthy level to support ovulation and uterine protection. Fat tissue also helps to store energy for long-distance and endurance sports and plays an important part in immune function,' says Maria Eleftheriou, Head of Barre at Psycle London.

With this in mind, trying to lower your body fat beyond a healthy body fat percentage can play havoc with your hormones, even if it means losing that little fat deposit at the bottom of your core. Focusing on a healthy, balanced lifestyle will serve you, your body and your menstrual cycle much better.

'Rather than focusing on body fat alone, you should always be considered an overall healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced diet, exercising more and incorporating "hybrid training" including weightlifting sessions and barre or Pilates into your routine,' says Eleftheriou.

Is there anyone who shouldn't perform lower ab exercises?

There are some people who'll need to think a little more carefully about what exercises they're performing within ab workouts and why.

'Some women during and post-pregnancy should avoid performing lower ab exercise,' says Josh Davies, PT at Aimee Victoria Long. 'If they are working with a trainer or attending classes then modifications should be made and trainers will be able to provide an alternative exercise. Plus, anybody who suffers from disc issues in their back should avoid lower ab exercises and concentrate more on compound exercises that target the core, like plank holds.'

1. (Forearm) plank

A) Start on the floor on your hands and knees. Get onto your elbows and stack them directly under your shoulders. Step your feet back, one at a time. For more stability, bring your feet wider than hip-distance apart, and bring them closer for more of a challenge.

B) Maintain a straight line from heels through the top of your head, looking down at the floor, with gaze slightly in front of your face. Now, tighten your abs, quads, glutes, and hold.

2. Mountain climbers

A) To start with, get down into a high plank, keeping your back straight and your head in line with your spine. Your hands should be directly beneath your shoulders, your arms fully extended and your fingers facing forward, slightly spread apart.

B) From this position, you’ll be working your upper and lower abs. Now pump your knees toward your chest one at a time, trying not to rock your torso from side to side. Breathe through it.

3. Heel taps

A) Lie on your back, with knees bent and feet planted on the ground.

B) Raise your shoulders and try touching your heels with your hands, alternating between left and right.

1 Medicine slam ball

View full post on Youtube

A) Lift the ball straight up overhead (not behind you). Keep your back straight and stay on your toes – your feet should be shoulder-width apart.

B) Bend your knees as you slam the ball down into the ground. Contract your abs throughout the move.

C) Pick up the ball, trying not to round your back

2. Dumbbell side bend

View full post on Youtube

A) Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, arms straight and core engaged.

B) Without twisting your upper body, slowly bend to the left as far as you can, lowering the weight toward your left knee.

C) Pause, then slowly return to an upright position. Repeat, bending to the right side. That's one rep.

3. Front squat

A) If you're doing the move with dumbbells, place two dumbbells onto the front of your shoulders.

If done with a barbell, place the barbell across the front of the shoulders, resting it on your collarbone. Ensure elbows remain high and the upper arms are parallel to the floor. This is the form you should perfect before performing a front squat.

B) Sort your stance by standing with feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart and maintaining a straight posture.

C) Lower into the squat position, driving your body down while maintaining a strong grip on the barbell. Ensure your hips lower either to the same point as or lower than your knees. Return to standing.

4. Pallof press

View full post on Youtube

A) Position a cable machine at chest height and attach a handle.

B) Stand sideways relative to the machine with feet hip-width apart and hold the handle to your chest with both hands.

C) Press the handle horizontally and extend your arms in front of you as you brace your core. Return to the starting position.

There are demos of each of the best weighted ab exercises to include in your ab workouts in the video above, and here’s a list for you to make note of:

1. Weighted sit up
2. Sit up with overhead press
3. Sit up with forward press
4. Alternating side bend
5. Side bend
6. Kettlebell sit up
7. Straight leg sit up with bent arms
8. Straight leg sit up with straight arms
9. Crunch with pull over
10. Plank with lateral pulls

Weighted ab exercises can be a brilliant way to increase the difficulty of the core exercises you're doing within ab workouts, and to build strength throughout your trunk –the technical word for your abdominals, back and pelvic floor.

'Adding weight to your core exercises allows you to increase the load you're putting through your core,' explains personal trainer and founder of the Body Beautiful Method, Aimee Victoria Long. This extra load forces your body to work harder to stabilise as you move, making the exercise much harder.

Is there anyone who shouldn't do weighted ab exercises?

• Anyone with back or disc issues
• Pregnant women
• If you have weak abdominal or back muscles

'If you have any back issues or if you are pregnant, this adds a level of complexity, so you must ensure you have sign off from a doctor or physio and that your exercise selection, rep range and use of weights is correct for your personal needs. If you’re still unsure, I would always advise working one-on-one with a coach,' advises Head of Strength at Psycle, Ryan Baronet.

1. Improves balance
2. Increases coordination
3. Can contribute to better posture
4. Stabilises your lower back
5. Increases power in larger compound exercises

'When you train your core, your lower back also gets stronger and healthier, making you less likely to suffer from back pain,' explains David Wiener, training specialist at AI-based fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics. 'This is especially important if you spend a lot of time sitting down, or work in a sedentary job.'

'Not only that but as your back and abdominal area become stronger, the body’s balance and coordination will also improve. In addition, when you do core exercises it stimulates a particular area in the brain called the cerebellum which affects coordination, spatial awareness and balance. These exercises are not only a workout for your body, but also for your brain.'

Indeed, before we go any further, we want to clarify that the point of workouts which strengthen your core are is so much bigger than the pursuit of a six pack. Hyper visible or not, a strong core means that you’ll be less likely to get injured from exercise, you’ll be able to lift heavier weights, and you’ll have better balance and posture – to name just a few of the rewards you’ll reap from giving your mid section some love.

Russian twists are commonly included in an ab workout

'I would go for 5 – 15 minute sessions 2-3 times a week depending on your other regular exercises,' says Sweatband consultant personal trainer, Ruth Stone.

Making sure your entire core is strong is also crucial for pregnant or post-natal women. Find out more about diastasis recti or training your core post-pregnancy.

If you don’t have a membership to do ab workouts at the gym, don’t fret. You absolutely do not need any gym equipment to train your core effectively, says PT Aimee Victoria Long. 'Some of the hardest core exercises use purely body weight. Exercises such as side planks, TRX knee tucks and pikes are all just bodyweight exercises and are still incredibly effective.'

For the following exercises (both lower ab exercises and weighted ab exercises), all you'll need is either a kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells).

Hex Dumbbell 10kg

£35 at Decathlon

SONGMICS Hex Dumbbells Set

£42 at Amazon

Anchor's Adjustable 20kg Dumbbells

£30 at Amazon

Umi Neoprene 1kg Dumbbells

£14 at Amazon

If you're up for trying some more advanced ab exercises, celebrity personal trainer Peter MacIver is a big fan of ab rollers, which he says his client Rochelle Humes swears by.

'Too many people are scared to try this exercise out of fear they can’t do it,' he says. 'This is hands down the BEST exercise for your abs, so if you’re not doing it you’re missing out! The ab roller is a fantastic exercise for not only building your abs, but also shoulders, arms, chest and back.'

Make your own gym ab workout: Long advises choosing 3 lower ab exercises from below, then scroll down and choose 3 weighted ab exercises. You should now have 6 exercises. Perform each for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds, then move onto the next. Aim to repeat the whole circuit three times through.

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Bridie Wilkins

Fitness Director

As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.

Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.

Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram. 

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Kate Cheng

Health and Fitness Writer

Kate puts together fitness content that covers functional and strength training, cardio, workout challenges, interviews and news. She's often doing gym laundry or listening to music.