The Top 15 Ab Exercises For Toning Your Entire Core

The rectus abdominis, also known as the six-pack muscle, runs from the bottom of your sternum to your pubic bone and makes up the center of your core. While it looks great, having strong abs isn’t just about aesthetics; having a strong core can improve your posture and lower back pain, among other things.

To make sure you’re getting the most out of your ab exercises, pay attention to these 15 tips below so you can tone up that core in no time!

1. Basic Crunches

Crunches are one of the best ab exercises you can do, but not all crunches are created equal. Make sure you’re hitting your entire core and not just isolating your upper abs by adding some variety to your routine.

2. Toe-Touch Crunches

Rest on your back with feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Put hands snug behind your head, make sure to keep your elbows out to your sides. Extend left leg and right arm, keeping them straight (pictured).

Curl torso up, reaching toward left foot with right hand while touching toes with left hand. Lower torso to start; repeat on opposite side. That’s one rep. Repeat 15 times on each side.

3. Twisting Crunches

Many ab exercises are for targeting individual muscle groups in your core, but these crunches will work just about every area of your midsection. Start by lying on your back with both legs extended and arms straight up at your sides.

Tighten your abs and raise both legs off of the floor while keeping them slightly bent; you should be looking like an inverted V. Twist your torso to one side as you raise one arm above your head; then alternate sides. Make sure not to allow either of your shoulders or hips to lift off of the floor at any point during these crunches.

Keeping a tight core will help support you through each repetition and rep. Again, do not use momentum to power yourself through these twists; they should be slow and controlled throughout each set and rep.

4. V-Ups

To do a V-up, you’ll need to start by lying face down on an incline with both hands pointed toward your feet, knees bent and legs together. Contract your abdominals, then lift both shoulders off of the ground so that only your arms and head remain on floor level.

Lift one arm off of the ground and extend it toward your opposite foot; then bring it back to starting position as you lift up through your shoulder blades before repeating with opposite arm.

5. Leg Raises

Place your hands behind your head and extend yourself out off of your chair as if you were doing a sit-up without actually coming up off of it. Pull yourself up until you get a good contraction in your abs, hold it there briefly then lower yourself back down slowly back into starting position until you feel your abs working again.

Repeat eight times and feel those ab muscles getting more defined with each repetition!

6. Flutter Kicks

Lie straight on your back, make your arms parallel to your legs. Flex and extend both legs up and down in rapid succession. If you want to make it harder, add a scissor-like movement to each leg. Keep doing these kicks until failure (which means you can’t keep them going).

You’ll be amazed at how quickly these fail! That’s OK though: they’re one of the greatest ab exercises for beginners!

7. Bird Dogs

Get down on the floor, hands and knees. Engage your abdominal muscles by pulling them in toward your spine and keep your back flat by engaging your glutes as well. Lift one arm forward about six inches, keeping it straight.

At the same time extend one leg back so that you’re balancing on one hand and one foot with your opposite leg slightly off of the ground. Hold it right there a few seconds then return to the start position.

8. Superman

To perform Superman properly: lay face down on an incline bench with your hands shoulder-width apart just above head level. Keeping your neck straight, slowly raise one arm and one leg in opposite directions without moving any other part of your body.

Go back to where you started slowly before repeating this again with the opposite arm and leg. Repeat until you have completed 15-20 repetitions for each side of your body. If you cannot perform a proper Superman due to lower back pain or injury, perform regular crunches instead.

9. Floor Bridges

Get down on your back, bend your knees and dig your feet flat into the floor. Lift your hips up to make a straight line from your knees to shoulders. As you press into heels, push through your toes and lift chest towards thighs.

Keep your arms at 90 degrees – avoid letting them bend or droop by sides. Hold this position at the top for about 2 secs. Do 10 complete reps of this and that will be one set. If it’s too difficult (or easy) try putting a towel under your hips to make it more challenging (harder).

Repeat two times with 20-second rests between sets and don’t forget about proper form!

10. Hot Potato

Begin by lying flat on your back with your legs up in a tabletop position, meaning that your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle and only a few inches off of the ground. Then, place one hand behind your head and bring your opposite elbow towards it while contracting all of those abdominal muscles as you tighten into a ball.

Next, repeat on each side 15 times (30 total). This will help activate that deep abdominal muscle known as transversus abdominis which will in turn help tone up all areas of your core!

11. Planks

Planks are also great because they don’t require equipment or much space—just make sure you’re driving those elbows into your ribs! I recommend getting at least four reps in; however, if you start feeling your abs burning within a few reps, just stop there so that you don’t get hurt!

12. Side Plank

The Side Plank is an awesome core exercise that will tone your obliques while strengthening your core. If you’re worried about toning up your obliques, then don’t be. The abs consist of more than just one muscle group, meaning there are numerous ab exercises you can use to target different areas.

The Side Plank targets not only your obliques but also your lower back muscles, making it a great overall workout and leaving you with stronger core muscles overall.

13. Three-Point Plank

This exercise is great for engaging all of your core muscles, including your transverse abdominis and obliques. Plus, it’s a more difficult version of your basic plank. To do it correctly, you’ll want to concentrate on keeping your body straight—as if you were balancing a broom across your upper back. Also, try not to let your hips drop toward the floor or sway side-to-side as you hold the position.

This helps ensure that you get maximum activation of your core muscles without adding unnecessary stress to those areas or sacrificing proper form.

14. Plank With Front Raise

Begin in a push-up position. Keep your elbows bent 90 degrees and support your weight with your forearms instead of on your hands. Hold for as long as you can, keeping straight from head to toe (no sagging).

When you feel that you’re about to falter, raise one arm off of the floor and hold for a few seconds before switching arms. Repeat until failure. This exercise works out all of your core muscles—especially those in your stomach—as well as giving your shoulders a good stretch to free up any tension there.

15. Dragon Flags

To perform a dragon flag, you’ll need to place a pull-up bar high enough above your head that you can hang from it with your arms straight and completely extended. Then simply lower your legs down toward the floor in a controlled manner, keeping your abs engaged throughout.

I mean it when I say keep those abs contracted! If you find it easier to execute these slowly, just know that going slowly puts more emphasis on stabilizing your core than anything else. So if it hurts but looks cool, take solace in knowing that pain is progress!