Four moves to help you build abs and a stronger core at home

Try out this short sequence of abdominal exercises to help tone your stomach muscle

Woman completing an ab workout at home
(Image credit: Getty)

If you've conquered leg day, trained your upper body, smashed some cardio, and now need some form of core training this week, these four moves will come in handy. This ab engaging routine can either be added to the end of another workout or you can complete it on its own at the gym or from home as it requires no equipment.

You will find some of the best workouts for abs included in this session as you put your rectus abdominus to work. This key area of your stomach is responsible for forming a six-pack. It's composed of two connected muscle bands that run parallel to one another down each side of the abdomen.

Most ab workouts don't require any additional equipment and instead rely on your body weight and the way in which you engage your muscles to get notable results. This workout shared by the fitness TikTokers Aubri & Liv is a great example of how convenient ab training can be.

If you're waiting on your dinner to cook, need a break from your WFH desk, or have it in you to extend your training session at the gym, give this four-move ab circuit a go. The only thing your back and butt will benefit from is one of the best yoga mats placed under you for some padding and support.

It won't feel like a piece of cake if you haven't trained your abs in a while but it does pay to build a strong core. A healthy and muscly core can help with back pain, improve stability and balance as well as improve your performance in other activities such as running.

Having good form will really boost your ab workout and results, so make sure you watch Aubri perform each exercise first to ensure you are completing each move correctly.

Watch Aubri & Liv's Four-Move Ab Workout

@aubri.and.liv

♬ Dead to Me - Chloe Adams

Training and isolating your abs every day won't necessarily build you a six-pack, nor is just doing this a very sustainable training program. Instead, mastering key moves like the ones above that complement weight training, such as how to deadlift with dumbbells, and eating healthy, protein-packed meals (using some of the best protein powders for weight loss) to reduce body fat and promote the growth and repair of muscles will be essential.

The moves and order of this excellent ab workout are listed below and if you really fancy finishing your core routine off with a real bang, you should try adding one of the best ab rollers to the end of your session.

  • Toe taps
  • Elevated Scissor Kicks
  • Knee Taps
  • Russian Twists

The benefits of ab workouts are far greater than the visual outcomes they can have but, of course, you should be proud of yourself if this is a fitness goal you have achieved through training.

But various research has revealed how ab training can enhance other areas of your life. For example, one study published in the PLOS ONE journal found that eight weeks of core training can improve static balance, core endurance, and running economy.

Additionally, according to a separate research paper published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, core workouts can even improve lower back pain, especially routines that really target your deeper core muscles including the transverse abdominis and multifidus. Another exercise that can help relieve back pain is learning how to plank, as this can help stabilize your back.

Jessica Downey

Jessica is an experienced fitness writer with a passion for running. Her career in journalism began in local news and she holds a Masters in journalism. Jessica has previously written for Runners World, penning news and features on fitness, sportswear and nutrition. 

When she isn't writing up news and features for Fit&Well covering topics ranging from muscle building, to yoga, to female health and so on, she will be outdoors somewhere, testing out the latest fitness equipment and accessories to help others find top products for their own fitness journeys. Her testing pairs up nicely with her love for running. She recently branched out to running 10Ks and is trying to improve her time before moving on to larger races. Jessica also enjoys building on her strength in the gym and is a believer in health and wellness beginning in the kitchen. She shares all of this on her running Instagram account @jessrunshere which she uses for accountability and for connecting with like-minded fitness lovers.