Building six-pack abs is not an easy task, and maintaining them is a bit more difficult than that. However, you can still manage to reveal your ab (if you’ve low body fat) with this 10-minute abs workout that requires no equipment except your own body weight.
This 10-minute ab workout is adaptable because you can do it anywhere you like, such as at home, on the ground, or in the gym.
In this article, I’ll share some of the best ab workouts that will help you strengthen your core and target all parts of your abdominal muscles, such as upper abs, lower abs, and obliques.
Best Bodyweight Ab Workouts to do at Home
Upper Ab Exercises
1. Standard Crunches
The standard crunches are the base workout of the abs training, and you should always start exercising with basics. Standard crunches are mainly effective for upper abs but also work on overall abs and obliques.
How to do standard crunches
- Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Keep your hands behind your head.
- Lift your shoulder blades off of the ground. Maintain breathing level, exhale when you crunch, and inhale when you return to the starting position.
- Do 15-20 reps in 30 seconds.
2. Tabletop crunches
The tabletop crunches build a stronger core as well as improve stability. This workout is effective for upper abs training.
How to do Tabletop crunches
- Lay down on your back with your legs in a tabletop position and hands behind your head.
- Brace your core and slightly lift your butt off the door.
- Start crunching up by squeezing your abs during movement.
- Try to do 15-18 reps in 30 seconds.
3. Modified V-sits
How to modify the v-sits exercise
- Sit on the floor with keeping your arms slightly bent at your sides for support. Bend your knees and keep your feet off the floor.
- lift your legs as close as your chest, keeping them straight and together.
- Keep your back straight and perform in a controlled motion.
- Squeeze for a moment and return to the starting position. That’s one rep!
- Do 12-15 reps in 30 seconds.
Lower Abs Workout
1. Air Plunge/ Pulse up
Air plunge abdominal exercise is a part of an intense abs workout. It is very effective for building your lower abs. Not only this, but air plunge crunches also strengthen hips, lower back, and abductors. This also makes your body flexible.
How to do it:
- Lie flat on the floor and keep your hands straight at your side for support and legs extended straight off the floor around 15-20 degrees.
- Brace your core and pull your knees above your abs, then push toward the ceiling.
- Hold for a second and squeeze your core, then return to the starting position. That’s one rep
- Try to perform 12-15 reps in 30 seconds.
2. Toe-touch crunches
How to perform Toe touch crunches
- lie flat on the floor and keep your legs straight toward the ceiling.
- Brace your core and start touching your toes with your fingers if possible.
- Hold for a second and squeeze your core, then return your upper body to the starting position. That’s one rep
- Try to perform 12-15 reps in 30 seconds.
Toe-touch crunches Benefits
- Tone your abdominal muscles and build a stronger core.
- It may reduce your back pain.
- Crucial for building lower abs.
3. Scissor Kicks
The scissor kicks target your core muscles, glutes, quadriceps, and abductors and strengthen your lower body. This exercise also tones your abs muscles and reduces the chance of back pain and injuries.
How to do it:
- Lie flat on a floor with your legs extended in the air.
- keep your hands under the lower back for support.
- Raise your leg alternately like scissor works.
- Engage your core and maintain your breathing level during the movement.
- Perform 15-20 reps in 30 seconds.
- You also make it more effective by keeping your head off the floor.
4. V-up crunches
V-up crunches are better for targeting all of your abs muscles, including your lower abs, obliques, and core. It is better than traditional crunches. This one is a bit tough but very fruitful when it comes to building a strong core and abs. If you aspire to achieve six-pack abs, then you must start doing v-up crunches.
How to do it:
- Lay down on the floor on your back, your arms extended straight overhead, and keep your legs straight.
- Now raise your legs and arms at the same time.
- Try to touch your toes with your fingers without bending your knees.
- Return to the starting position by lower your arms and leg at the same time. That’s one rep.
- Do 12-15 reps in 30 seconds if possible.
- Keep your core tight during the movement.
V-up crunches benefits
- If you did it properly, the results could give you goosebumps.
- This not only works on your abs and core but also strengthens your back muscles.
- v-up crunches are also helpful in weight loss as they burn more calories.
Oblique And Other Core Workouts
1. Russian Twist
The Russian twist is a popular workout for the side abs or obliques. This exercise targets all the muscles in your core, making it a great abs workout & it must be included in your workout plan. This is a great workout to boost obliques and core strength.
Russian Twist benefits:
- This improves your body balance, builds stability in your spine, and trims your mid-section all at once.
- It also burns calories and helps to reduce the excess fat at the side of your belly.
- Russian twist helps to reduce back pain and makes you a bit flexible.
- By doing this regularly, you can also help improve your body posture.
2. Side plank
The side plank is a great workout for strengthening the oblique and abdominal muscles. It is the best workout for building stronger obliques and abs. This is effective for people with lower back problems as this strengthens your joints and muscles.
How to do a Side Plank
- Hold your body at your side in a straight position supported by only one arm.
- Keep both your legs on the side, just above the ground.
- Be in the same position for 15 seconds for each side.
Side Plank benefits
- The side planks improve your body balance.
- Planks work on many muscles at the same time, from obliques and lower back to arms and shoulders.
- It helps in building six-pack abs promptly.
3. Mountain climbers
Mountain climber is a part of the “High-Intensity Interval Training” (HIIT) workout. This exercise is a great way to warm up the body. It works on several muscles at the same time and is best for improving endurability.
How to perform mountain climbers
- Get into a plank position
- Your hands should be shoulder-width apart.
- Pull your knees one by one toward your chest as close as you can.
- Make sure to engage your core muscles while doing it.
Mountain climbers benefits
- This exercise strengthens your core and enhances your stamina.
- Mountain climbing is a great way to burn more calories. Hence, it is effective in weight loss plans.
- Mt. climber works on the whole body. Apparently, it increases your body mobility and improves body flexibility.
4. Planks
The planks are a crucial exercise when it comes to abs workouts. It not only strengthens the core but is also great for helping other muscles in your midsection, such as your abdominal muscles. Abdominal muscles are crucial for supporting your back and spinal cord that are important in preventing any injuries.
Almost all fitness and sports persons do this workout to improve their core strength and overall body stability and metabolism.
Planks benefits
- The planks improve body postures and help you in weight loss.
- It strengthens your abdominal muscles.
- Planks can greatly improve your muscles down your whole body. Making them a hugely effective exercise to perform.
- This must include in your abs workout plan.
5. Bicycle crunch Abs
The bicycle crunch is one of the crucial exercises for building a strong core and obliques. It targets nearly all of your ab muscles and helps you to reveal your abs and core. In a study of Acefitness, bicycle crunches were proven to be one of the most effective abs workouts.
How to perform Bicycle crunches
- Lay down on your back with your legs in a tabletop position and hands behind your head.
- Kick your right leg out and pull your left leg’s knee to touch with your right hand’s elbow.
- Squeeze your abs for a second, then again kick out your left leg and pull your right leg’s knee to touch with your left hand’s elbow
- Squeeze your abs for a second, then continue doing it for 30 seconds.
10-Minute Abs Workout at Home without Equipment
I’ve designed the 10-minute core workout routine in a way that you can have a great core workout in a short amount of time.
For Beginners
Exercise | Reps/Time | Rest |
---|---|---|
Mountain Climber | 15 seconds | 15 seconds |
Reverse Crunches | 10 reps | 30 seconds |
Tabletop Crunches | 10 reps | 30 seconds |
Plank | 30 Seconds | 30 seconds |
Side plank | 15 seconds/side | 30 seconds |
Alternate Heel Taps | 10 reps | 30 seconds |
Scissor Kicks | 15 seconds | 45 seconds |
Leg Lifts/Raises | 10 reps | 30 seconds |
Mountain Climber | 15 seconds | 30 seconds |
Plank | 30 seconds | — |
For Intermediates
Exercise | Reps/Time | Rest |
---|---|---|
Mountain Climber | 15 seconds | 15 seconds |
Standard Crunches | 10 reps | 15 seconds |
Pulse up | 10 reps | 15 seconds |
Toe-touch crunches | 10 reps | 15 seconds |
Scissor Kicks | 15 seconds | 15 seconds |
Alternate Heel Taps | 10 reps | 15 seconds |
Russian Twist | 15 seconds | 30 seconds |
Leg Lifts/Raises | 10 reps | 30 seconds |
Mountain Climber | 15 seconds | 30 seconds |
Bicycle Crunch | 10 reps | 15-seconds |
Plank | 1-min | 15-seconds |
Side Plank | 20-sec/side | – |
The Bottom Line
You can perform this 10 minutes abs workout at home three times a week, depending on your fitness goal. If you do this consistently, you’ll see positive results in 30 days.
Some advertisements show you that you can have six-pack abs in just 21 days or 3 weeks. However, the reality is you can’t have visible abs in just 3 weeks unless you have a very low body fat percentage.
It takes great effort, strength, and proper nutrition. There are no shortcuts to getting stronger abs and core. Only regular workouts and a proper diet will help you achieve your desired result.
If you’re a fitness enthusiast who loves to exercise at home with little to no equipment, then this 10 minutes workout for abs may help you a lot.
Related Core Workouts: