Everyone wants to have a strong core and a slim waistline but there are so many different strategies in how to do it. The best way to have a slim waistline is to eat right. But to build a strong core, the best way to do that is with compound movements. Aside from that, you only need a few core moves. These quick but abs exercises at home consists of only eight core moves that when done right and consistently will perfectly tone your abdominals. You can add this workout to your cardio days on at the end of your strength routine.
Ab Workout #1: Russian Twist – Abs Exercises at Home
One of the absolute best moves abs exercises at home to whittle the waist, the Russian twist can be done on the ground, on a stability ball, with dumbbells, medicine balls, or anything else to add resistance. To do it right sit on the ground with your feet planted on the floor and create a “v” with your torso and legs. Make sure you keep your back straight and engage your abs as you bring your hands over and down to the floor at the side of your hips on the right, then over your stomach and then down to the floor on your left. Keep alternating your hands, weights, or ball from side to side for a total of 3 sets of 12 reps.
Extra challenge – Pick your feet up off the floor a few inches, keeping the “V” formation while you do your sets.
Ab Workout #2: Penguin Crunches- Abs Exercises at Home
These will effectively work your obliques, or side abs. Lay on the floor with your feet planted on the ground, knees bent, back straight on the floor, arms at your side. Keeping your gaze to the ceiling, raise your head and shoulders up off the floor about a couple of inches. Reach your right fingers to touch the side of your right heel, not twisting your torso, but bending to the side. Return to start position and repeat with the left side. Do not allow your shoulders to touch the ground through the entire set. Do 3 sets of 12 reps.
Extra challenge – Instead of touching the outside of the heel, try touching the inside of your heels.
Ab Workout #3: Flutter Kicks
Deceptively easy, this move will begin to burn before you know it. Again, lay flat on your back and lay your hands down at your sides. Lift your feet up off the floor, using your abs to keep your back from lifting off the floor and creating a dip. It’s important to do this to protect your back. Kick your feet up and down alternating between the right and left. Your left leg should be raising as your right is coming down, in fluid alternating movements like you would while you were swimming. Set your timer for 30 seconds and keep this movement for this interval twice.
Extra challenge – The lower you keep your legs to the ground during the movement, the harder your abs will be working.
Ab Workout #4: V-Ups – Abs Exercises at Home
This is a challenging move so don’t be disappointed if you can’t complete more than 10 or less at a time. Sit with your legs bent and your palms on the ground behind you facing your feet. Bend your elbows and pick your feet up off the ground. Simultaneously lower your torso and extend your legs out. Then bring both your torso up and your knees in toward your chest. Complete as many as you can in a set and repeat three times.
Extra challenge – This move is already challenging but if you really want to push yourself, try kicking your legs out the sides after you have extended them out, bring them back together and then bring your knees in to your chest.
Ab Workout #5: Wall-Sits – 8 Abs Exercises For A Stronger Core
One of the most amenable exercises to engage with in the comfort of your home is the wall-sit. It’s profoundly convenient, consisting of one only identifying the nearest available wall at home, on your balcony, or in your backyard or living room, to perform an initially comfortable mid squat and then holding it for a prescribed amount of time. It may seem like an easy exercise, merely sitting on the wall, but it is deceptively challenging. The benefits of wall-sits are numerous, including increased mental fortitude, improved overall posture, increased balance, and additional core strength.
Extra challenge – To increase the effectiveness of wall-sits, consider adding a weight once you’ve established endurance with the exercise.
Ab Workout #6: Full Body Crunch
A “full-body crunch” is simultaneously known as the “integrated crunch,” as it features a blend of varying muscle-work. A “full-body crunch” maintains fidelity with its namesake, integrating the legs, the shoulders and the core muscles. Relative to a standard crunch, a “full-body crunch” engages more of the muscles in your body, it doesn’t isolate activity upon a specific muscle. To properly execute a “full-body”crunch,” extend one’s arms and legs overhead, extend your torso overhead, and slowly reach your fingers to your feet.
Increased emphasis on the abdomen can yield numerous positive physical health outcomes, including improved physical stability, joint mobility, and markedly improved balance.
Extra Challenge: Upon extension, hold your stance at the conclusion of your motion. If you can, hold your position for as long as 30 seconds. The remarkable factor about a “full-body crunch” is that even without motion, in stance, or stasis, you will be inciting tension and recovery from numerous muscle groups.
Ab Workout #7: Stability Ball Knee Tuck – Push-Up
Looking to improve your posture? A stability ball knee tuck encompasses a range of muscles, yielding improvements across multiple muscle groups. If you’re placing an emphasis upon the abdomen, glutes, hip flexors, or biceps, indulging this sneakily fun exercise can become a remarkable credit in your exercise regimen. As with most complex, multiple-joint exercises, it improves bodily balance, fluidity, and overall endurance.
Extra Challenge:
After 5-10 abdomen tucks in multiple sets, along with ensuing sets of push-ups, end your exercise with an abdomen plank of 1-minute.
Ab Workout #8: Bicycle Crunch
Bicycle crunches combine a standing crunch with consistently adjoining hip movements, similar to the motion associated with riding a bicycle. As with any exercise endeavor, ideally aim to engage in 3 sets of a bicycle crunch, with 12 repetitions in each physical set.
Extra Challenge:
Once accustomed to the motion and activity of a bicycle crunch, 12 repetitions will quickly become a custom, rather than a challenge. Challenge yourself to engage in additional repetitions, ideally in the range of 50-100.