Five moves and a set of dumbbells are all you need to torch your midsection and, over time, strengthen your core. This routine fits perfectly at the end of any existing workout, or you could even roll out your mat and quickly power out the moves at home in your spare time.
If you don’t currently own any dumbbells, a set of the best adjustable dumbbells can save you some space while allowing you to add load as your core gets stronger.
Otherwise, if you’re already set and ready to go, read on for the full routine and the benefits.
What are the 5 abs exercises?
Before we go to the moves, if your goal is to get more defined abs, just remember, this is different from strengthening the muscles that comprise the core. Definition is the result of building muscle and losing enough body fat to show more of that muscle.
So if a snatched waist and rippling six-pack abs are the goals, the workout alone won’t get you there — I recommend checking out our macro guide for beginners to help you learn more about nutrition and fueling your body for workouts.
However, what this workout will do is help you build stronger, more stable core muscles, which, in turn, can help protect you from injury and boost exercise performance.
Here are the exercises and a short workout to follow:
1. In and outs
Up first: in and outs. These target the hips, lower abs and deeper core muscles that help stabilize the spine and trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure. Sexy. Check out our video to see how to do them properly. I use a kettlebell, but you can stand a dumbbell on one end instead.
The name might not be imaginative, but the move does the job, setting your abs on fire as you lift and lower your legs over your dumbbell.
2. Reverse crunches
Another tick for the lower abdominal muscles. Reverse crunches use the same crunching motion as standard crunches, but in reverse. As the name suggests.
I like this move because it also tests your coordination skills, and the variation places less pressure on the neck and upper back.
3. Bear squats
You might read “squat” and feel confused, but the bear squat is no ordinary squat. Instead of moving vertically, this variation is performed horizontally, with your hands and feet on the ground. Rather than lowering your butt toward the floor, you’ll push your hips backward toward your heels.
Gravity does the work for you, creating intensity for your core muscles, which stabilize your torso. Your hips, quads, glutes, hamstrings and shoulders also work hard.
To make the move even more challenging, see if you can incorporate a bear crawl, stepping forward with the opposing hand and foot, performing the squat, then repeating with the other hand and foot.
I like to hold a set of dumbbells throughout to alleviate pressure on my wrists, but it also increases the load if you add the crawl, as you’ll hold onto the weights throughout.
4. Plank tuck jumps
Again, you can use the dumbbells to protect your wrists or place them to one side for a moment. Elevating your hands can also be helpful if you have long legs or tight hips and struggle to jump your feet close to your hands.
Plank tuck jumps require explosive core power to jump your feet forward, then back again. I like to move fast, staying on the balls of my feet throughout.
5. Alternating arm and leg planks
Finally, we have the alternating plank. As the name suggests, simply lift one arm and the opposing leg into the air while holding a high plank position. Then, switch sides.
I like to hold dumbbells throughout this exercise, lifting one into the air at the same time as my leg. I recommend opting for a lighter weight that allows you to keep your hips aligned with the ground below while raising your leg to hip-height and arm to shoulder-height.
Squeeze your shoulder blades and glutes as you move and focus on a strong, powerful plank position without collapsing your hips to the floor.
Throughout the workout, focus on control and range of motion — maximize the tension of each movement by engaging your core (think about bracing your stomach for impact) and moving as far into each exercise as possible.
A good example is your alternating plank — your arm and leg should lift high into the air without you swinging any limbs around. It’s not about momentum!
This routine works best for me when I reverse down from 20 reps. I start with 20 repetitions of each exercise, then drop to 18, then 16 and continue until I get to 2. If you don’t have time, you could set a target, drop by more reps each round, or even choose a time cap.
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