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Best Beginner Ab Exercises for a Stronger Core

Build a Stronger Core With These 9 Trainer-Approved Beginner Exercises

Feb 8 2020

If exercising is new to you or you're beginning to get back into the groove, you should ease into a fitness routine. Doing so will allow you to focus on your form, can help you prevent injury, and keep you from feeling insanely sore.

No matter what your week of training looks like, I recommend implementing core workouts into your routine, because a strong core is essential to your everyday life as a strong core helps stabilise your spine, can prevent back pain, and even help improve your posture.

Ahead, you'll find some of my favourite exercises for beginners to improve their core strength. Once you've got these moves down pat, you can increase the difficulty. These nine exercises are not a workout, so don't do them all at once. Instead, choose two to three and add them into your workout. As a bonus, be sure to do a few of these core-activating exercises before your workout to make sure your core is firing and ready to work!

Image Source: Getty / Lorado

1. Side Bridge

  • Lie on your left side with your knee bent at a 90-degree angle and your elbow underneath your shoulder.
  • Push your hips forward, lifting your thighs off the ground. Rest your right hand on top of your right hip, and hold for 10 seconds.
  • Be sure to keep your knees, hips, and upper body aligned. If you experience discomfort in your shoulder, place your right hand over your left shoulder with your fingers spread apart, and pull your right elbow down across your chest.
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2. Bird Dog

  • Get on all fours, with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Remember to keep abs engaged and keep your back flat.
  • Reach out with your right hand and extend your left leg out behind you.
  • Round your back and head to connect your right elbow with your left leg under your body. This completes one rep.
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3. Dead Bug

  • Lie on your back with a neutral spine and your hips and knees at right angles with your palms pressed into your thighs just above your knees.
  • Pull your abs to your spine, keeping your ribs and pelvis still as you lengthen your right arm and leg out until they are almost parallel to the floor. Keep your torso and spine completely stable as the arm and leg move.
  • Return to the starting position, and repeat on the left side to complete one rep.
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4. High Plank

  • Start resting on all fours.
  • With your palms flat, raise up off your knees onto your toes. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders.
  • Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your bottom from sticking up. Remember to keep your belly button pulled in.
  • With your head and spine in line, keep your back flat — don't let it curve. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
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5. Pallof Press

  • Lower the carriage of a cable machine so that it's about chest height, and attach a D-handle to the pulley. Adjust the weight so that it's at 10 pounds. If this is too heavy or too light, feel free to change the weight.
  • Standing with the left side of your body closest to the machine, grab the handle with both hands and take two or three steps out so that there's tension on the cable. Hold your hands at your sternum, and make sure that your body is square. If you feel like you're getting pulled to the left, this is an indicator that you should lighten the weight.
  • On an exhale, press the cable straight out in front of your body. Be sure not to rotate toward the machine. Hold for two seconds before returning to the starting position. This counts as one rep.

This exercise can also be done with a resistance band.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett

6. Kettlebell Orbit

  • Stand with feet hip-distance apart and arms extended slightly out to your side. Hold a kettlebell in your left hand at one corner of the horn.
  • In a fluid motion, swing it behind you and reach your right hand back to grab it on the other side of the horn.
  • Keep the motion fluid as you swing it to the front of you and grab it with your left hand. It should feel like you are making the kettlebell orbit your waist.
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7. Side Elbow Plank

  • Begin by lying on your side. Bring your right elbow directly under your right shoulder. Engage your core, press your right elbow into the floor, and rise into side elbow plank.
  • Stagger your feet so your left foot is just in front of your right, or stack the heels.
  • Reach your left arm up toward the ceiling, which will help you lift your waist.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Maria del Rio

8. Farmer's Carry

  • Start standing with a 4-5 kilogram dumbbell in each hand; if this is too heavy or too light, feel free to adjust the weight. Make sure your bodyweight is evenly distributed on each foot, your spine is in a neutral position, and your shoulders are back and open.
  • With your arms extended, hold the dumbbells about four inches away from your legs; this will activate your abdominal muscles. Begin to walk forward, maintaining a neutral spine and keeping your shoulders up and open.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett

9. Glute Bridge

  • On your mat, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Be sure to keep your feet underneath your knees, not in front. Plant your palms by each side, facing down.
  • Press through your heels to raise your hips up to the ceiling, tensing your abs and squeezing your butt as you do. You should be making a long diagonal line with your body, from shoulders to knees.
  • Hold for two to five seconds, making sure your spine doesn't round and your hips don't sag. Keep your abs and butt muscles engaged.
  • Lower down to the ground; this is considered one rep.
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