Want to strengthen your core without lying or sitting down? You’ve come to the right place. Stop doing endless sit-ups and start building your deeper core muscles with these standing exercises. These movements help improve your balance and increase functional strength. They keep you strong and protected from injuries for years to come. You’ll still get that satisfying ab burn without doing countless crunches or sit-ups. Here are four beginner-friendly standing core exercises that will make your midsection shake within minutes. When you finish these exercises you can check out this 20-minute standing workout that builds full-body strength and muscle at home.
Four Standing Exercises That Activate the Deep Core Muscles
These are four excellent standing ab exercises that build deep core muscle strength and require minimal equipment to do at home. When you stand your core muscles work to keep you stable and your torso upright while your deeper stabilizer muscles help you move & exercise. When trainers talk about engaging your core they don’t just mean bracing the abs. There’s a belt of deeper core muscles called the transverse abdominis that sits beneath the abs and wraps around the torso. There are also muscles that hug the spine like the multifidus and erector spinae and ones that run along the pelvis called the hip flexors that attach at the hips. Your diaphragm and glutes even count as core muscles. Together they provide protection and support for your body. Strengthening the deep core muscles is called functional training and this will make your daily activities easier beyond just your workouts. Standing core exercises help you target these muscle groups so they’re worth adding to your ab workout routine. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news & the hottest reviews plus great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands. Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
1. Pall of press This exercise was created by physical therapist John Pallof. This anti-rotation exercise challenges your entire core to resist movement and maintain stability while working with a load. By training your core muscles to resist rotation you can withstand impact and perform twisting movements better which is ideal if you play sports like tennis. For this move you just need one of the best resistance bands and an anchor point you can tie it to like a squat rack. Secure your band at chest height then stand to the side and extend the band out in front of you to create tension. Without rotating toward the anchor point practice pressing the band out then bending the elbows & bringing the band to your chest. Practice 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. You may like Try this easy 5-move standing core workout if you want strength without getting on the floor. This workout skips sit-ups and crunches with a trainer’s 4-move routine for building a stronger core over 50. Ditch sit-ups & crunches because this 5-move standing abs workout will help you build a stronger and more sculpted core. How to do the Pall of press
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2. Bear hug standing Russian twists Keeping the weight close to your body and squeezing the weight will increase upper-body activation without straining your lower back. A kettlebell usually works best for this. Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart & while hugging the weight focus on rotating from left to right and allow your gaze to follow. Keep a soft bend in the knees & keep your core engaged so that you feel your waist muscles called the obliques switching on. Complete 3-4 sets of 20 reps with 10 per side. If you choose to extend your arms I recommend using a band that you can rotate side to side with. How to do standing Russian twists.
3. Overhead farmer’s walk The overhead farmer’s walk or offset farmer’s walk builds strong and stable shoulders but it’s actually a full-body exercise that demands a lot from your core. This move builds strong obliques using unilateral movement to develop coordination and balance. You’ll need to maintain a strong torso to prevent leaning forward or backward or sideways which switches on your waist & tests torso stability. Press a weight overhead and I recommend a dumbbell & keep your arm close to your ear then begin walking. You could walk for a set distance or time cap depending on the workout. Remember to switch arms and control the weight rather than letting the weight control you. How to do the offset farmer’s walk
4. Windmills Windmills are tricky so I recommend using a light dumbbell or kettlebell and building slowly. You’ll start with your legs wide and toes pointed slightly outward then punch your weight overhead using your left arm. From here practice hinging sideways at the hip & sliding your right hand down your right leg while keeping the weight punched overhead in your left hand. Send your gaze up to your top hand as you move. Once you reach your ankle pause then use your core to drive up to stand. Complete 6-8 reps on one side then switch and aim for 3-4 sets. This sideways hinge hits the obliques and requires upper body and shoulder stability to keep the weight in position. It’s a great spinal & hip activator and also stretches the inner thighs & hamstrings.
