Standing abs workouts are a great way to work your core without doing a single mat exercise. A lot of people prefer to do standing abs exercises instead of floor work because it makes for a lot less strain on the neck and back. The standing versions of these exercises are more forgiving if your form is off (in terms of neck and back stress) but just as is true with your more traditional moves, you're going to need to focus on the way you hold your body and your form all throughout, in order to get the maximum benefit.
Workout Structure
50 On, 10 Off
1 Round
No Equipment
No warm up or cool down; both are recommended
Printable Abs Workout
Walkdown Full
Leg lift crunch (hands behind head alternating legs)
Side Lunge Oblique Crunch
Squatted Torso Twists
Standing Roll Up
Side Crunch Knee Up (elbow past knee)
Back Lean Crunch
Which do you like better - standing abs workouts or mat exercises? If you like the standing core exercises, be sure and check out our many other videos like this one - we have many:
- Standing Abs Workout to Tone Abs, Obliques & Lower Back
- Cardio Infused Standing Abs
- 10 Minute Crunchless Abs Routine
- 34 MInute Standing Abdominal Workout - Cardio & Core
- The Original: 10 Minute Standing Abs Workout
How often can I do this workout? Can you work abs every day?
Just like any other muscle group in the body, abs need time to recover after a tough workout. If this routine makes you sore, be sure and take a day or two of rest, instead focusing on upper or lower body. Otherwise, you can do a workout like this one every other day.
I feel it more in my thighs/glutes/arms, am I doing it wrong?
You should feel these exercises all throughout your core; your lower back, front abdominal panel ("upper" and "lower abs" - even though there is technically, anatomically no such thing), and obliques, or sides. However, those areas are not the only parts of the body where muscles are engaging (which is a good thing). You may also feel some of these exercises in your glutes, thighs, and even arms. If you're having trouble feeling any kind of burn within your core muscles, double check your form, and make sure that you are moving through this routine consciously; it's very easy to just go through the motions, but if you focus on working against yourself and contracting your muscles the entire time you will get much better results.