There are plenty of Abs exercises that you can do at home to get the six-pack of your dreams. Home is a great place to carve up your core—after all, a six-pack is mostly made in the kitchen. There’s no such thing as spot-reduction of tummy fat. Six-pack is indicative of overall health and whole-body fitness, healthy lifestyle, and nutrition-rich diet.
As long as gravity exists, your own body weight can provide a vigorous home workout that is, fat loss, improving strength and endurance, building muscle mass, and six-pack abs.
Some of these abs exercises may be challenging for beginners, while others may be interesting for intermediate and advanced exercisers.
Regardless of what your fitness level, something is always better than nothing. If you find yourself stranded without your regular exercise equipment, you’ll still be able to do these abs exercises at home.
This blog contains detailed descriptions of all major best abs exercises that you can do at home and that focus on the core muscles, including Rectus abdominis and Obliques.
Know About Your ABS Muscles
Your waist is made up of two muscle groups: the rectus abdominis (known as your “six-pack” muscles) in the front and the obliques on each side.
Rectus Abdominis
The Rectus abdominis muscle arises from the lower margin of the rib cage and sternum and passes vertically downward to attach to the pubic bone.
The two rectus abdominis muscles (one on each side) are encased in a sheath of fascia that forms the central demarcation down the middle of the abs, known as the linea alba. Fascia divisions in the muscles are responsible for the “six-pack” appearance.
Obliques
The external oblique is the outer visible layer that passes run diagonally on each side of the rectus abdominis. They can be found between the lower rib region and the pelvis. These muscles help with side-to-side bending, flexion of the spinal column, torso rotation, and compression of the abdomen.
The internal oblique muscles lie under the external obliques and run into the lower back or erector spinae. The fibers of the two muscles pass at right angles to one another, therefore they are often referred to as opposite-side rotators.
The deepest part of the abdominals is the transversus abdominis, which lies horizontally across the abdominal wall. It also helps with the stabilization of the spine.
18 Best Abs Exercises That You Can Do At Home
Easy-to-follow core exercises for beginners, which don’t require any equipment.
1. Bicycle Crunch
Back in 2001 ACE sponsored a study to find out exactly what the best abs exercise was, comparing 13 of the most common moves. In that study, the bicycle crunch was found to be the most effective.
Compared with the standard crunch, the bicycle crunch was found to produce 148% more mean activity in the abs and 190% more mean activity in the obliques. The bicycle crunch is a great abs exercise that you should add to your home workout.
To make it beginner-friendly or easier to do the exercise you can make the angle that your knees make smaller and to make the exercise harder you can make the angle between your legs bigger.
Execution Technique
- Lie on the floor with your legs straight and low back are flat on the floor.
- Place your hands behind your head and raise your feet and upper back a little off the floor.
- Slowly start raising your knees about a 45-degree angle.
- Go through a bicycle pedaling motion with your legs as you alternately touch your elbows to the opposite knees, twisting back and forth.
Tips
- Keep your neck neutral and your lower back pressed against the floor.
- Make sure that you don’t pull your neck with your hands, else you can get a neck strain.
2. Crunches
Crunch is one of the all-time favorite Abs exercises that you can do at home. The crunch motion occurs in the upper spine, and your shoulders rise a few inches off the floor.
Your lower back remains in contact with the floor, and there is no motion at the hips. This is In contrast to the sit-up, where the movement occurs at the waist and hips.
You may position your hands at your sides or across your chest, or you may interlock them behind your head. As your hands shift position from your sides to your chest to your head, the resistance increases.
Execution Technique
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent, feet and low back are flat on the floor.
- Place your hands behind your head, contract through your abs to lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor.
- Hold this position for a second before slowly lowering back to the starting position, making the negative portion of the rep as slow and deliberate as the positive portion.
- Repeat the desired number of reps.
Tips
- Keep the movement slow and controlled. Don’t use momentum.
- Don’t pull on your neck with your hands, this will strain the neck.
- Breathe out as you crunch, maintain your core muscles tight and engaged.
3. V-Up
The V-Up also known as a jackknife is a great abs exercise to add to your home work out routine. It is a full-body move that works your core, legs, back, and shoulders.
The exercise works the upper abs and lower abs muscles simultaneously. If you want to do this at home, sit on the floor or a mat and position your body in a V shape.
It requires you to lift the weight of both your arms and legs by using your abdominal muscles.
Execution Technique
- Lie down on the floor on your back with your arms extended straight back behind your head. Your legs should also be extended.
- Exhale and bend at your waist while raising your legs and arms to meet in a jacknife movement. Try to hold the contracted position. Squeeze the abs.
- Lower your arms and legs back to the starting position, inhaling as you do so.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Tips
- Keep the movement slow and controlled.
- Try to keep your back as straight as you can during the V sit up.
4. Mountain Climber
Mountain climbers are one of the best Abs exercises to include in your at home workout regime.
It is an explosive bodyweight exercise that engages multiple muscle groups at once, helping to improve your balance, agility, coordination, strength, flexibility, and blood circulation. Almost like getting a total-body workout with just one exercise.
As you perform the move, your shoulders, arms, and chest work to stabilize your upper body while your core stabilizes the rest of your body.
You will get heart health benefits and burn calories because it is a Cardio exercise.
Execution Technique
- Start in the push-up position with your arms completely straight and directly beneath your shoulders.
- Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
- Squeeze your abs, lift one foot off the floor and bring your knee up towards your chest while keeping your body in as straight of a line as possible.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your opposite leg.
Tips
- Don’t round your lower back.
- Don’t lift your hips too high. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
5. Frog Crunch
Frog Crunch is an abdominal exercise that strengthens the rectus abdominus and helps flatten your abs. As in other crunch variations, this leg position adds variety and hits the muscle from a different angle, shocking the muscle and giving it better overall development.
The point of the frog crunch is that by keeping your legs relaxed in the frog position, you reduce the extent to which your hip-flexing muscles, such as your rectus femoris and iliopsoas, can contribute to the exercise. In so doing, you help to isolate your abs and obliques.
Execution Technique
- Lying on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, keeping your feet on the ground and your knees flattened out.
- Place hands in position of choice. Either lightly behind your head, touching your temple, crossed over your chest or resting on your abdomen.
- Using the muscles of your upper abs, raise your shoulders and upper back off the floor. Hold this position for a count of two.
- Then lower your shoulders to starting position, lightly touching the floor. Repeat.
Tips
- Keep your lower back pressed against the floor.
- Keep the movement slow and under control. Avoid using momentum
7. Russian Twist
The Russian twist is a great way to make your Abs exercises at Home more interesting. It engages your core and strengthens your abdominal muscles as well as your lower back.
This exercise helps to tone and tighten your abs and obliques and to trim your waist. It also helps to improve your balance, stability, and posture.
A more advanced way of performing the Russian twist is to raise your feet a little off the floor and a weighted Russian twist.
Execution Technique
- Lie down with your knee bent at the knees and feet flat on the ground.
- Elevate your upper body so that it creates a V shape with your thighs.
- Begin to twist side to side while maintaining balance on your buttocks, keeping constant tension on the abs.
- Repeat this movement until the set is complete.
Tips
- Keep your back straight at all times and twist your torso only from the ribs up.
- Don’t move your head side to side.
- Use a slow, controlled motion to target the muscles.
8. Lying Straight Leg Raise
Lying leg raises are said to be a great abs workout for home. The hip flexors are actually benefiting from this move. Don’t be surprised if your hips feel a bit of the burn during this one.
Lying leg raises can also help alleviate low back pain since it improves the overall strength and stabilization of your core.
The straight leg raise exercise strengthens the muscles of the upper thigh, the quadriceps, without placing any stress on the knee joint.
Execution Technique
- Lie faceup on the floor/bench with your entire body straight and your hands at your sides to stabilize your torso.
- Hold your legs a few inches off the floor.
- Raise your legs up toward the ceiling until they are just short of perpendicular to the floor.
- Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.
Tips
- Keep your lower back pressed against the bench or mat.
- Move slow and with control, making sure not to arch your back at any point in the move.
9. Reverse Crunch
The reverse crunch is a challenging core exercise that primarily hits your rectus abdominis, the muscle in your abdomen that makes up your “six-pack. One of the challenging abdominal exercises can be added to a home workout regimen.
The reverse crunch is an intermediate-level variation of the popular abs crunch exercises. Your upper body remains on the mat as you contract your abs to draw your legs towards your chest.
A reverse crunch offers many of the same benefits as the traditional crunch. However, because your neck and most of your back, stay on the ground, it’s thought to be easier on your spine.
Execution Technique
- Lie faceup on the floor with your hands extended at your sides. Feet are up and thighs are perpendicular to the floor (your hips and knees should form a 90-degree angle).
- Slowly bring your knees toward your chest, lifting your hips and glutes off the floor.
- Try to maintain the bend in your knees throughout the movement.
- Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position under control motion. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
- Keep the movement slow and controlled. Do not use momentum.
- To make this exercise more difficult, perform it on a decline bench with your head on the high end.
10. Oblique Crunches
The oblique crunch is a bodyweight exercise that targets your core muscles—specifically the obliques on the sides of your abdomen.
It is a beginner core exercise that strengthens your abs, obliques as well as the other muscles of the core, including your transverse abdominus and medial glute.
Execution Technique
- Lie on the floor on your right side with your hips and knees bent. Place your left hand behind your head and place your right hand across your body and on the obliques.
- Placing your hand on your obliques can help you feel the muscles contract and enhance the mind-muscle connection.
- Contract your obliques to lift your shoulder off the floor. Hold this position for a second, contracting your obliques as hard as possible.
- Then return to the start position. Complete all reps on the left side and then repeat on the right side.
Tips
- To make this exercise more difficult, hold a weight plate on your chest.
- Perform this exercise slow and steadily to work the obliques.
- Your torso crunches 30 to 45 degrees upward from the floor.
11. Plank
The front plank is one of the best home workouts that you can do. It helps you to develop the strength and stability of your abs and core. Your muscles are exercised isometrically.
The plank is more of a strength-building exercise than a cardio exercise, engaging a range of muscles can also help to boost your calorie burn.
Execution Technique
- Start to get in a push up position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands.
- Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
- Brace your core by contracting your abs as if you were about to be punched in the gut.
- Hold this position as directed.
Tips
- Do not let your lower back sag or your butt rise. Ensure your body is straight and rigid.
- Keep your abs and core muscles contracted.
- Your neck should be in line with your body, not tilted up, which could strain the neck.
12. Side Plank
The side plank is one of the best abs exercises for strengthening the oblique abdominal muscles, which don’t get worked as much during abs exercises such as crunches.
You will hold your body on your side in a straight position, supported only by one arm and the side of one foot. Strong obliques can be quite useful as core stabilization muscles.
If you’re new to planking, you should master the basic forearm plank before moving on to the side plank variation.
If you find it hard to hold a side plank, that’s OK. You can try performing the exercise from your knees instead of your feet while you’re building your strength.
Execution Technique
- Get in a side plank position by lying on your right side on the floor with your left foot rested on top of the inner side of your right foot and your left arm rested on top of your left side.
- Raise your body by placing your right forearm flat on the floor so that it’s perpendicular to your torso.
- Lift your torso until your right upper arm is straight underneath you, with your elbow bent 90 degrees and your forearm flat on the floor.
- In this position, only your right forearm and the outer side of your right foot are making contact with the floor and your body forms a diagonal line that is at about a 20-degree angle to the floor.
- Keep your abs pulled in tight and hold this position for as long as you can, and then repeat on the left side.
Tips
- Keep your legs and body straight.
- Avoid letting your hips sag during the exercise
- Squeeze your abs and glutes throughout the movement for stability.
13. Side Plank with Hip Abduction
The side plank hip abduction is an advanced variation of side plank exercise that you can do to target the obliques and outer thighs.
The hip abductors move the legs away from the body and rotate them at the hip joint, so this plays an important role in keeping your knee and hip joints stable.
Execution Technique
- Lie on the floor, on your left side, side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your free hand on your hip.
- Straighten your body and legs. Your feet should be together, and your hip should be resting on the floor.
- Brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you’re balancing on your forearm and feet and your body forms a diagonal line.
- Lift your right leg at least 6 inches. Slowly bring your feet back together and lower your hip to the floor. Repeat on your right side.
Tips
- Do not let your hips or shoulder sag, do not let your body rotate.
- keep your core tight, so that your upper body remains stable, maintain your top leg straight.
- Breathe out as you lift your top leg and squeeze the outer thigh.
14. Side Jackknife
One exercise that trains both the internal and external obliques, as well as other abdominal muscles, is the oblique V-up, also known as a side jackknife. The Side jackknife is a moderate-level oblique exercise that only requires the use of a mat.
Once you master the basic oblique V-up, you can increase the difficulty of the exercise by raising both legs off the ground. The double side jackknife follows all the same steps as the side jackknife, except that you bring both your feet up while you raise your upper body.
Execution Technique
- Lie on your left hip, legs together and right leg on top of your left.
- Place your right hand behind your head and your left elbow stays close to your body for support.
- Use your oblique muscles to raise your top leg while simultaneously raising your torso to meet it.
- Lower in a controlled motion and repeat, until you complete your set. Then switch sides and repeat.
Tips
- Don’t rest your leg and your torso at the bottom of the movement.
- Make sure you get your upper body off the floor. Don’t move just your head.
- Hold a total contraction at the top of the movement for a count of two.
15. Lying Bent-Knee Oblique Twist (Obliques)
Lying Bent Knee twist is a beginner-friendly bodyweight exercise that builds muscle and strength in the obliques. This is a great moderate move and when done correctly, it can effectively target your core and abs.
The lying bent-knee oblique twist is an isolation exercise you can do the weighted version of the exercise with a ball in between your legs.
Execution Technique
- Lie on back on the floor or mat with arms extended out to the sides to keep your body stable during the exercise.
- Raise bent legs bend your legs at a 90-degree angle, so thighs are vertical and lower legs are horizontal.
- Keeping your shoulders in contact with the floor, slowly lower your legs to one side until you feel a mild stretch in your lower back.
- Now, rotate your legs all the way to the right. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Tips
- Maintain knee position throughout movement.
- Exhale as your legs rise, and inhale as they descend.
- Keep your core tight during the movement to activate your obliques against resistance.
16. Cross Body Mountain Climber
Mountain climbers are a great bodyweight exercise that work many muscles at once.
As you perform the move, your shoulders, arms, and chest work to stabilize your upper body while your core stabilizes the rest of your body.
Execution Technique
- Start in the push-up position with your arms completely straight and directly beneath your shoulders.
- Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
- Squeeze your abs, lift one foot off the floor and bring your left knee towards your right elbow while keeping your body in as straight of a line as possible.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your opposite leg.
Tips
- Don’t round your lower back.
- Don’t lift your hips too high. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
17. Bird dog
The bird-dog is a bodyweight floor exercise that strengthens the core—more specifically, the abs, oblique muscles, lower back, butt, and thighs.
The bird dog is an exercise that looks elegant and is also very effective for training the abs muscles. Several other muscles are also addressed, including the glutes.
The bird dog is a real stability exercise that ensures a stable trunk. It owes its name to the position, which alternates between sitting on hands and knees (dog) and stretching the arms and legs (bird).
Execution Technique
- Get on your knees and place your hands on the floor in front of your body at shoulder width.
- Keep your spine in neutral position and contract your abs and lift one hand and the opposite knee slightly off the floor.
- Now extend your arm and leg all the way out. Try to form a straight plane from your hand to your foot.
- Hold this position for about 10 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other side. Repeat the exercise alternately.
Tips
- Don’t raise your leg and arm higher than your back.
- Keep your spine neutral and engage your core to prevent your back from sagging.
- Keep your hips level and don’t rotate your pelvis.
18. Alternate Heel Touches
Alternate heel touches also known as lying oblique reach is an at-home workout exercise that targets oblique and also involves abs.
It is one of the great oblique exercises that can be done easily by a beginner to activate and grow their midsection.
The exercise mimics other oblique exercises such as the dumbbell side bend and oblique crunch.
Execution Technique
- Lie down flat on the floor, your back, and hips touch the ground. Bend your knees and place your hands extended along your torso.
- Now, contract your abs by pulling your belly button towards your spine and crunch your torso to the right until you can touch your right heel with your right hand.
- Pause for a second and feel the stretching in your abdominal muscles.
- Come back to the starting position, touch your left hand to the left heel, do the recommended number of repetitions every time with alternate hand side.
Tips
- Be sure not to strain your neck when doing any ab crunch work.
- Don’t jerk from side to side, focus on oblique muscles while during doing touching exercises
- Remain in constant motion during this exercise.
Conclusion
For anyone, who is interested in building abs muscles and gaining strength, these abs exercises are highly recommended adding to your home workout regime. It not only allows for targeted abs muscle development, but also provides overall strength to abs muscle.
It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details. If done these best Abs exercises At Home consistently, the results will speak for themselves.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your Abs exercises At Home!
Stay Fit, Life a Happy and Healthy Life
THE BEST AT-HOME ABS WORKOUT: MUST-DO ABS EXERCISES
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