Start Building a Six-Pack: No Gym Required
You don’t need a silly gadget or a space-hogging machine to train your abs and core. Here are the best ab exercises you can do anywhere.
THE BEST AB EXERCISES: NO EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
Every dedicated lifter wants defined abs. It’s even the most desired physical trait for those who don’t lift. There are hundreds of different ways to train your midsection, but here are ten best ab exercises you can do with zero equipment. They go from beginner level to advanced.
- Middle Plank Hold – It’s one of the most effective foundational exercises to strengthen your core. (Here’s a cool trick to help get your form right.)
- Side Plank Hold – This is a more advanced version of the plank that strengthens your transverse abdominis, obliques, and shoulder girdle.
- Hollow Hold – This is the most foundational abdominal exercise for gymnastics. Make sure to actively press your low back into the ground while maintaining the hollow hold.
- Hollow Rocks – Rock back and forth (similar to a rocking horse), keeping your low back pressed into the ground.
- Leg Lift or Flutter Kicks – It’s a deceivingly challenging exercise that strengthens the lower abs and hip flexors. Make sure your hands press firmly into the ground and are NOT tucked under your hips.
- Toe Touch – It’s similar to the basic ab crunch with knees bent, but it’s significantly more challenging with straight legs. You have to reach higher to touch your toes.
- Tuck-Ins – This is a great exercise to strengthen your abs and hip flexors. Maintain the hollow position, keeping your low back pressing into the ground. The tuck-in is a prerequisite for the V-up
- V-Up – Similar to a tuck-in, but with straight legs. The V-up is a more advanced exercise that tests your ab strength and hamstring flexibility.
- Pike Pulse – Sit on the ground with your legs together, straight in front of your body. Then try to lift your legs off the ground while keeping your chest as forward as possible. This exercise requires a tremendous amount of strength in your lower abs and hip flexors.
- L-Sit Hold – This is the hardest ab exercise you can do with zero equipment. The L-sit requires a high degree of relative strength to support your body weight using your arms/upper body, and a ton of strength from your abs, hip flexors, and quads to hold your leg up off the ground.