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Best Ab Exercises That Aren't Crunches

Sculpt Strong, Sexy Abs Without a Single Crunch

Crunches are awesome, said no one ever. Not only are they downright boring, but there are also more effective moves that will help you get the abs you desire. Think beyond the basic crunch and opt for exercises that work multiple areas instead. With that said, taking a full approach vs. targeting a specific area (spot reduction doesn't work, by the way!) is really the way to go. So, add the following 23 moves into your fitness routine ASAP!

Image Source: Unsplash / Sweet Ice Cream Photography

Plank and Rotate

  • Begin in a plank position, holding a five-pound dumbbell in each hand and 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.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Plank With Bunny Hop

  • Begin in a plank position with feet touching.
  • Pull your abs in and jump your feet to the right, bringing your knees toward your right elbow. Your torso will twist to the right.
  • To complete one rep, jump your feet back to plank.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Standing Ab Rollout

  • Place your palms on the ball and stand with your legs wide, about three or so feet apart. Walk the ball out so your back is straight and your hips are in the same line as your ankles.
  • From here, lean your body forward, allowing the ball to roll down your forearms. Stop once your elbows reach the ball and you're balancing on your tiptoes.
  • Then use your core and legs to get your body back to the starting position. Keep your abs engaged throughout this move.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Ball Pike to Plank

  • Start in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your shins on the ball.
  • Do not allow your lower back to arch. Keep your feet, pelvis, and shoulders in one long line.
  • On an exhale, pull your abs deeply to your spine and use your abs to fold your body in half, pulling the ball forward toward your hands as your pelvis moves up in the air.
  • Your toes will move onto top of ball and your back will become perpendicular to the floor like a handstand. Allow your head to fall between your arms, keeping your neck long and in line with your spine.
  • Lower yourself back into a plank position and do not allow your pelvis to sag below your shoulders.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

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Elbow Plank With Hip Dips

  • From an elbow plank position, slowly rotate the spine to lower your right hip to just above the floor. Come back to elbow plank.
  • Now lower the left hip toward the floor.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Twisting Side Plank

  • 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 ribcage 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 starting position. This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Reverse Crunch

  • Lying on your back, lift your legs in the air with your knees bent. Place your hands on the floor beside you.
  • Without momentum, use your lower abs to slowly curl the hips off the floor and into your chest. Slowly lower them back to the starting position.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Dumbbell Crossover Punch

  • 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.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Ball Pass

  • Lie on your back holding an exercise ball above your chest, extending your feet up toward the ceiling.
  • On an exhale, move your arms and legs away from each other, lowering both toward the ground. Inhale to bring them back toward each other, and transfer the ball from your hands to your legs.
  • Then lower your arms and legs toward the floor away from each other.
  • Bring them back together, transferring the ball back to your hands to complete one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock

Mountain Climbers

  • Start in plank with your shoulders over your hands.
  • With your core engaged, bring your left knee forward toward your chest. Switch legs, bringing the right knee forward while moving the left leg back. This completes one rep.
  • Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.
  • Repeat for 45 seconds.

Side-Plank Crunch

  • Begin in a side elbow plank with your left elbow down and your right hand behind your head.
  • Keeping your torso stable and your waist lifted, bring your right leg up toward your shoulder to lightly tap your right elbow.
  • Lengthen your right leg back to the starting position to complete one rep.
  • Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds and then switch sides for another 30 seconds.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

Knee Driver

  • Begin in an elbow plank position with the abs engaged.
  • Draw the left knee into the chest. Then step the foot back to the elbow plank position. Now draw the right knee into the chest and then step it back to the elbow plank position.
  • This counts as one rep.
  • Continue alternating sides and complete as many reps as you can in a minute.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

Double Leg Lifts

  • Lay flat on the ground with your legs extended straight up toward the ceiling.
  • Place your hands underneath the back of your head. For added stability, place your arms out to your side, allowing the palms to grip the floor much like you would in a push-up position.
  • Pressing your lower back into the ground, slowly lower both legs down toward the floor, then slowly raise them back up. This completes one rep.
  • If this is too difficult, lower them as much as you can, or lower one leg at a time.
Image Sources: POPSUGAR Photography and Unsplash / José Ignacio García Zajaczkowski

Towel Abs

  • Begin in plank position with two towels under the balls of your feet (or paper plates if you're on carpet).
  • Slowly bend both knees in toward the chest while keeping the arms straight, shoulders over the wrists, and maintaining a flat, tabletop back. If this is too difficult, draw one knee in at a time.
  • This counts as one rep.
  • For a variation, draw both knees to the right foot, straighten the legs back behind you, then draw both knees to the left foot.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Sources: POPSUGAR Studios and Unsplash / José Ignacio García Zajaczkowski

Plank With Shoulder Tap

  • Begin in a plank variation with your feet slightly wider than your hips for added stability.
  • Keeping your torso stable, bring your right hand to your left shoulder, then return your right hand back to the mat.
  • Bring your left hand to your right shoulder and return it to the mat. This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kyle Hartman

Seated Russian Twist

  • Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
  • Lean slightly back without rounding your spine at all. It is really important, and difficult, to keep your back straight, but don't let it curve.
  • Hold a weight or a medicine ball just below your chest. Keep the weight close you and progress by moving weight further away from your body.
  • Pull your navel to your spine and twist slowly to the left. The movement is not large and comes from the ribs rotating, not from your arms swinging. Inhale through centre and rotate to the right. This completes one rep.
Image Sources: POPSUGAR Photography and Unsplash / José Ignacio García Zajaczkowski

Side Plank Dips

  • Begin in a side elbow plank on your right side with your heels stacked.
  • Inhale and lower your pelvis to the floor so your right hip hovers just off the floor. Exhale and press up through your right waist to lift your pelvis and return to side plank. Pull your right shoulder blade down your back to stabilize your shoulder.
  • This completes one rep.
Image Sources: POPSUGAR Photography and Unsplash / José Ignacio García Zajaczkowski

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