Whether you’re a powerlifter who wants to lift as heavy as possible, a bodybuilder who wants to reveal six-pack abs or an athlete who wants to run fast or jump higher, you must bolster your abdominal strength for better performance.
A sturdy core provides stability to the upper body and spine, supports proper posture, prevents discomfort and pain in your lower back, enhances balance and muscle coordination, and improves athletic performance in various sports and activities.
In this article, I’ve shared an ultimate list of core exercises that you can add to your routine. These exercises will allow you to train your abs and obliques from all angles and help you build a sturdy midsection.
Depending on your fitness level, you can save as many exercises as possible from the list below and integrate them into your training program.
Contents
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List of Core Exercises for All Fitness Levels
High Plank
Russian Twist
V-Ups
Front Plank Leg Lift
Forearm Plank Leg Lift
Roll Out
Hanging Leg Raise
Oblique Crunch
Toes to Bar
Decline Bench Crunch
Side Plank
Boat Pose
Leg Raises
Floor L Sit
Renegade Row
Unilateral Side Bend
- Kneeling Cable Crunches
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Upper Abs
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Standing Cable Crunch
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Upper Abs
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Machine Ab Crunch
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Upper Abs
- Equipment Needed: Abdominal Crunch Machine
- Mountain Climber
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs and Arms
- Equipment Needed: None
- Flutter Kicks
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Bear Crawl
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs, Legs, Arms, and Shoulders
- Equipment Needed: Only Bodyweight
- High Knees
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Legs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Reverse Crunches
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: Only Bodyweight
- Alternate Heel Tap
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Obliques
- Equipment Needed: None
- Straight-arm Partial Sit-up
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Upper Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Leg Raises
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Cross Body Mountain Climber
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Oblique
- Equipment Needed: None
- Seated Knee Tucks
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Cat Cow
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Back
- Equipment Needed: None
- Glute Bridge
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Glutes
- Equipment Needed: None
- Plank Shoulder Tap
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Arms, Core, and Shoulder
- Equipment Needed: None
- Landmine Oblique Twist
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals and Shoulder
- Equipment Needed: Landmine Attachment, Barbell, and Plates
- Oblique Crunch
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Obliques
- Equipment Needed: None
- Plank Dumbbell Drag
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Shoulders and Abs
- Equipment Needed: A Dumbbell
- Dumbbell Side Plank
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Obliques and Shoulders
- Equipment Needed: One Dumbbell
- Pallof press
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Chest
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Dumbbell Plank Rotation
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: One Dumbbell
- Dumbbell Renegade Row
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs, Back, Arms, and Shoulders
- Equipment Needed: Pair of Dumbbells
- Dip/Leg Raise Combo
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Core, Triceps, and Delts
- Equipment Needed: Dip Stand
- Side Plank Hip Dips
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Shoulder and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Barbell Rollout
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Shoulder and Abs
- Equipment Needed: Barbell
- Incline Dumbbell Plank Row
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Lats and Abs
- Equipment Needed: One Dumbbell
- Lying Cable Crunches
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Plank Hip Twist
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals and Anterior Delts
- Equipment Needed: None
- Weighted Sit-up
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Shoulders
- Equipment Needed: Dumbbell/Weight Plate
- Hollow Body Hold
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Abdominal Decline Bench Crunch
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs
- Equipment Needed: Decline
- Weighted Plank
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Shoulder
- Equipment Needed: Weight Plate
- Roll Out
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Core and Delts
- Equipment Needed: Ab Wheel
- Toe Touch Crunch
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Dumbbell Leg Raise
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: One Dumbbell
- Reverse Cable Crunches
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Spiderman Walk
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Full Body
- Equipment Needed: None
- DB Reverse Crunches
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abdomen
- Equipment Needed: One Dumbbell
- Russian Twist
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Oblique
- Equipment Needed: None
- Low to High Wood Chop
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Oblique
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- High to Low Wood Chop
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Oblique
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Half-Kneeling DB Low to High Chop
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Oblique
- Equipment Needed: One Dumbbell
- Horizontal Cable Wood Chop
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Oblique
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Seated Barbell Torso Twist
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Oblique
- Equipment Needed: Barbell
- Bird Dog
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Lower Back and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Hanging Leg Raise
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Rectus Abdominis
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up bar
- Hanging Knee Raise
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up bar
- Hanging Side Leg Raises
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Obliques
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up bar
- Squat To Oblique Twist
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Legs and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Hanging Leg Circles
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Entire Core and Arms
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up bar
- Spider Mountain Climber
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Obliques and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Plank Jacks
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: None
- Pushup to Knee Tap
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Chest, Triceps, and Lower Abdomen
- Equipment Needed: None
- Dead Bug Isometric Hold
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- V-Sit Iso Hold
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Midsection
- Equipment Needed: None
- Scissor Kicks
- Exercise Difficulty: Beginner
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Inchworm
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Full Body
- Equipment Needed: None
- Standing Oblique Twist
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Side Stomach
- Equipment Needed: None
- Butterfly Sit-up
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Midsection
- Equipment Needed: None
- Floor Windshield Wiper
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs, Hips, and Lower Back
- Equipment Needed: None
- V-ups
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Core
- Equipment Needed: None
- Toes to Bar
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Arms and Abs
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up Bar
- Dragon Flag
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Full Body
- Equipment Needed: None
- Extended Plank
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Upper Body and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Weighted Hollow Hold
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Entire Abs
- Equipment Needed: Dumbbell/Weight Plates/Medicine Ball
- Medicine Ball Mountain Climber
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Shoulders
- Equipment Needed: Medicine Ball
- Hanging Windshield Wiper
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Core, Lower Back, and Upper Body
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up Bar
- Forearm Plank Leg Lift
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Delts and Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: None
- Hanging Knee to Elbow
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Arms
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up Bar
- Weighted Leg Raises
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Arms
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up Bar
- Dumbbell Rollout
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Upper Body
- Equipment Needed: Dumbbells
- Glute Bridge March
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Glutes and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Break Dancer
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Torso
- Equipment Needed: None
- Sliding Knee Tuck
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Shoulder
- Equipment Needed: Slider
- Cross Knee Mountain Climber
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Ab and Oblique
- Equipment Needed: None
- Stability Ball Rollout
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Upper Body
- Equipment Needed: Swiss Ball
- Single-Leg Tuck-up
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Cable Tuck Crunch
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Knee to outside elbow Mt. Climber
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Obliques
- Equipment Needed: None
- Plank to Squat Jump
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Total Body
- Equipment Needed: None
- Grappler Puhsups
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Chest, Shoulder, Triceps, and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Band Resisted Mountain Climbing
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Total Core
- Equipment Needed: Resistance Bands
- Side Plank Band Pull
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Back and Abs
- Equipment Needed: Resistance Bands
- Swiss Ball Crunches
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: Gym Ball
- Swiss Ball Knee Tuck
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs and Arms
- Equipment Needed: Anti-Burst Exercise Ball
- Swiss Ball Roll Out
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Shoulders, Arms, and Abs
- Equipment Needed: Stability Ball
- Swiss Ball Superman Pike
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Shoulders, Arms, and Abs
- Equipment Needed: Gym Ball
- Kneeling Cable Oblique Crunches
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: Cable Pulley
- Jumping Knee Tuck
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Full Body
- Equipment Needed: None
- Jackknife Sit-Up
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Entire Core
- Equipment Needed: None
- High to Low Boat
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Side Plank Leg Lifts
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Shoulders and Obliques
- Equipment Needed: None
- Overhead Weight Carry Walk
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Arms, Shoulder, and Abs
- Equipment Needed: Barbell/Dumbbell
- Sit Outs
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Upper Body and Abs
- Equipment Needed: None
- Kettlebell Swings
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Shoulders and Abs
- Equipment Needed: Kettlebells
- Decline Bench Russian Twist
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abdominals
- Equipment Needed: Decline Bench
- Hanging L-Sit
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Arms and Lower Abs
- Equipment Needed: Pull-up Bar
- Star Plank
- Exercise Difficulty: Intermediate
- Muscles Worked: Core and Arms
- Equipment Needed: None
- Straight-Leg Barbell Situp
- Exercise Difficulty: Advanced
- Muscles Worked: Abs, Arms, and Shoulders
- Equipment Needed: Barbell
How to Design a Core Workout Routine Using The Above Exercises?
You can pair ab and oblique exercises with any muscle groups, including the chest, arms, legs, and core, or you can make a separate core workout routine.
While designing a core workout plan, you must include a variety of exercises that reinforce your abdominal muscles from all angles and help build a defined and sturdy core.
I’ve designed a weekly routine, for example.
Instructions:
- Total rounds: Aim for three to five rounds.
- Rest between rounds: 2-3 minutes
- Intensity: Moderate
For Beginners
| Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|---|
| 15-sec High Knees | 10-sec Sprinter High Knees |
| 10 Hanging Knee Raises | 10 H2L Cable Wood Chop |
| 15 Kneeling Cable Crunches | 15-sec Flutter Kicks |
| 15-sec Mountain Climber | 10 Straight-arm Partial Sit-ups |
| 20 Alternating Heel Taps | 15 Seated Knee Tucks |
| 30-sec Forearm Plank | 15-sec Side Plank/side |
For Intermediates
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|
| 15-sec High Knees | 30-sec Bear Crawl | 20 Cable Crunches |
| 15 Kneeling Cable Crunches | 12 Landmine Oblique Twist | 10 Abdominal Bench Crunch |
| 15-sec Crossbody Mt. Climber | 12 Plank Dumbbell Drag | 10 Reverse Cable Crunches |
| 10 Hanging Knee Raises | 10 Hanging Leg Raises | 12 Russian Twists |
| 10 Dip/Leg Raise Combo | 10 Pallof press | 20-sec Spider Mt. Climber |
| 5 Ab Wheel Roll Out | 20 Side Plank Hip Dips | 10 H2L Cable Wood Chop |
| 1-min Forearm Plank | 5 Ab Wheel Rollout | 15-sec Scissor Kicks |
For Advanced Athletes
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Kettlebell Swings | 10 Jumping Knee Tucks | 10 Hanging Knee to Elbow |
| 15 Kneeling Cable Crunches | 10 Jackknife Sit-Ups | 10 Cable Tuck Crunches |
| 15-sec Crossbody Mt. Climber | 12 Plank Dumbbell Drag | 10 Reverse Cable Crunches |
| 15 Hanging Knee Raises | 10 Hanging Leg Raises | 12 Spider Mt. Climber |
| 10 Straight-Leg Barbell Situps | 10 Pallof press | 20-sec Toes to Bar |
| 10 Plank Jacks | 20 Side Plank Hip Dips | 10 H2L Cable Wood Chop |
| 15-sec Hanging L-Sit | 5 Ab Wheel Rollout | 5 Dragon Flags |
Related Ab Workout Routines:
How Often Should You Perform Core Exercises?
You can train your core as many times as you like, depending on your goal. For example, if you want to bolster your abdominal strength and reveal six-pack abs, you must train your midsection three to four times weekly. However, if your goal is to maintain your abs strength and appearance, training twice a week is fine.
