The abs are one of the most underappreciated body areas in any workout. Ab training is performed with little to no equipment, with the goal of burning out the muscle rather than the quality of each rep and exercise. This post will give you some of the best ab exercises with no equipment for strengthening the core muscles and can be done at home.
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Best Ab Exercises With No Equipment
Side Plank
This abs workout is for people who have completed Planking 101 and are ready to move on to more advanced exercises. Because your complete body weight is supported by only two points of contact, your abs will have to work harder to keep you stable.
How to do:
- Lie down on one side with your elbow tucked under your shoulder and your legs stacked on top of each other.
- Place your hand on your hip on the side towards the ceiling.
- Brace your abs and push your hips off the floor until your body forms a diagonal line and you’re balancing on your forearms and feet.
- Hold for a half-minute while trying not to fall over.
Crunch
The crunch is still the most popular abs exercise, and for good reason. Every rep works the entire abdomen area and results in a strong contraction.
How to do:
- Lie flat on your back with your feet in front of you and your knees bent.
- Webbing your fingers together, place your hands on the back of your head.
- Sit up straight and raise your head to the ceiling, utilizing your core muscles.
Mountain climbers
Mountain climbers use both contraction and stabilization techniques. They can be used as a dynamic exercise and for conditioning to boost work capacity.
How to do:
- Assume the position of a press-up.
- Bring your right knee up to your chest while keeping your torso stable. With the ball of your right foot, you can either contact the ground or keep your foot hanging.
- Rep the motion with your left leg while bringing your right leg back to its starting position.
- To begin, do 20 reps on each leg for four sets.
Heel taps
How to do:
- Place your feet level on the ground and lie flat on your back.
- Your toes and knees should be tucked in close to your buttocks and your feet and knees should be together.
- Contract your left obliques to touch your left heel with your left hand while keeping your hands at your sides, and then instantly contract your right obliques to touch your right heel with your right hand while keeping your hands at your sides. This is a single rep.
- Rep this movement for the desired number of sets and reps.
- Start with three sets of 30 (each heel) and increase as you improve.
Bicycle
- Place your hands behind your head and draw your legs towards your chest while lying on your back. One leg should be fully extended while the other should be bent in towards your chest.
- Twist your abdomen toward the bent leg, then swap and straighten the bent leg before bringing the straightened leg in towards you.
- Twist and hold for three seconds in the direction of the freshly bent knee.
Leg Raises
This is an excellent exercise for the hard-to-hit lower abdominals.
How to do:
- With your legs spread and toes pointed, lie flat on your back. For further support, place your hands beneath your glutes.
- Raise your feet to about a foot above the ground and then slowly drop them.
- Do not put your feet on the ground again until the workout is completed.
- It’s possible to do this against the clock or through reps. Begin with 2–4 sets of 15 controlled reps.
Sit-ups
Similar to crunches, with the exception that you use your core power to push your upper body closer to your knees.
How to do:
- Brace your abs and pull your torso towards your knees, lifting your shoulders off the floor.
- Pull the upper body towards the knees using ab muscles.
- Return your upper body to its original position.
Hollow holds
This is one of the best ab exercises with no equipment to practice.
How to do:
- Lay flat on your back, pointing your toes.
- Your arms should be stretched vertically over your head, and you should be able to lift both your feet and arms about 8 inches off the ground by contracting your core.
- Maintain your current position.
- Start with a 20-second hold and work your way up to three sets.
