Carve a Strong, Chiseled Core With These 30 Ab Day Exercises

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a slight bend in your knees. Keeping your spine neutral, lift a five- to eight-pound medicine ball overhead.
• Begin to circle the ball to the left, in the largest circles you can make, while maintaining a still and stable torso.
• This completes one rep.

• Holding an eight- to 10-pound dumbbell overhead, twist to the left, pivoting your right foot as needed.
• Exhale and slice the dumbbell across your body to the right as you raise your right knee, bringing the weight to the outside of your right hip.
• Raise the weight back to starting position, and lightly tap your right toes to the floor. This completes one rep.

• Begin in a plank position. Jump your feet to the outside of your hands, coming into a deep squat and keeping your hands on the floor.
• Jump your feet back to a plank.
• Really engage the abs by trying to slow down the jump, aiming to land the feet softly, without making a sound.

• Begin in plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in one straight line, and your feet together.
• Like the motion of a jumping jack, jump your legs wide and then back together. Jump as quickly as you want, but keep your pelvis steady and don't let your booty rise toward the ceiling.
• This counts as one rep.

• Begin in a plank position holding a five-pound dumbbell in each hand, keeping your wrists stiff to protect the joints. Open your feet a little wider than hip distance.
• Lift your left hand to the ceiling, twisting through your entire torso — keep the motion smooth and controlled. Your pelvis will rotate, but keep it level without letting it raise or drop.
• Bring your left hand back to the floor, and repeat this action on the other side to complete one rep.

• Come into a side plank on your right side, with your feet stacked one on top of the other and your weight on your right elbow with your fingers reaching away from your body, palm down.
• Place your left arm behind your head and inhale to prepare.
• Exhale and pull your navel to your spine to engage your deep abs and rotate your left rib cage toward the floor. Stay there for a second, and deepen your abdominal connection by pulling your navel in toward your spine even more.
• Return to the starting position to complete one rep.

• Lie on your back and open your legs into a diamond shape (aka butterfly legs), with the soles of your feet pressed together and knees out wide. Extend the arms overhead.
• Inhale to curl the torso up, and tap the floor in front of your feet to stretch your glutes a bit.
• Slowly lower back to the starting position.
• This counts as one rep.

• Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, about two feet from your butt. Hold five- to eight-pound dumbbells in both hands at your chest with your elbows on the floor.
• Keeping your hands at your chest, roll up to a sitting position. Twist your ribs to the left as you "punch" your right hand to the outside of the left knee.
• Bring the right hand back to your chest as you untwist, bringing your torso back to the centre, and roll down to the ground.
• Repeat the sit-up, twisting to the right side to complete one rep.

• Start lying on your back with your arms reaching toward the ceiling.
• Exhale and roll up toward sitting while lifting your left leg up. Pause at the top and reach for your toes before rolling slowly back down to the mat. Then perform on the other side. This completes one rep.

• Lie on your back with your knees open and the soles of your feet together (in a butterfly position). Lengthen your arms overhead so they are resting on the floor.
• Exhale and bring your hands and knees toward each other, performing a full-body crunch. Your shoulder blades should be off the mat as you perform a small reverse crunch, lifting your pelvis a bit off the mat. Hold this position for a moment and really feel your abs squeezing.
• Slowly lower your arms and feet back to the starting position to complete one rep.

• Lie on your back with your arms reaching toward the ceiling, holding one weight with both hands. With the sole of your left foot on the mat, bring your right toes toward the ceiling.
• Exhale and lower your arms and leg toward the floor, keeping your lower back touching the mat.
• Inhale and return to starting position to complete one rep.

• Lie on your back with your hips and knees both at 90-degree angles, using your low abs to press your lower back into the mat. Holding five- to eight-pound dumbbells, raise your arms toward the ceiling, keeping the elbow joint slightly bent.
• Reach your arms overhead, tapping the dumbbells on the floor above your head. Do not let your back arch away from the floor as you lower the weights.
• Raise your arms back to the starting position to complete one rep.

• Using a pull-up bar, get a good grip with your palms facing out or toward each other.
• Start with your legs hanging straight down, and on an exhale, pull your abs toward your spine and bend your knees, lifting them toward your chest.
• Without swinging, slowly lower your knees, returning to a straight-leg position.

Dr. Wu told us the ab roll-up works all four abdominal muscles at once, while "assisting with segmental mobility and stability of the core."

• Lie on your back with arms overhead.
• Bring the arms forward until they are above your head (fingertips pointing to the ceiling).
• Lift the head and together with the arms roll your spine up one vertebra at a time, keeping your navel pulled into your spine.
• Roll up completely until you are bending forward reaching toward your toes.
• To return, stack your vertebra one at a time, until you are sitting erect, and then slowly roll down starting from the sacrum (pelvic tilt backward to touch sacrum down first) one vertebra at a time until you are lying flat on your back again with arms overhead.