7 Standing Ab Exercises That Will Strengthen Your Core

If you hate crunches and having to lay down to tone your core, then this post is for you!  Below you'll find 7 standing ab exercises that tighten and tone your stomach including your rectus and transverse abdominis muscles as well as your internal and external obliques.  As an added bonus, many of the standing ab exercises below work your core.

The benefit here is that standing core exercises allow you to burn more calories in less time. These movements create a functional way that challenges both your balance and stability while improving your posture.  

So get up off the floor, dust yourself off, and try a few of these standing ab exercises to mix up your regular fitness routine!

1. Standing Core Stabilization

Engage your rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, and obliques with this exercise while also using your stabilizer muscles such as your rhomboids, deltoids, glutes, abductors, quads, and adductors.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold a medicine ball (or dumbbell) with both hands with your arms extended out in front of your chest.
3. Keep your arms straight and turn your upper body to the right.
4. Return back to the center.
5. Do 10 reps to the right and 10 to the left.

2. Reverse Dumbbell Chop

Primarily targeting your abdominals and obliques, the chop also works your lats, glutes, and shoulders.

1. With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Squat down slightly and turn your torso to the left.  Your hands should be on the outside of your left thigh.
3. Keeping your arms extended, stand up, bringing the dumbbell up and across your body and slowly swinging the weight diagonally across your torso.  It should be above your right shoulder as you straighten your legs.
4. Reverse the movement to return to start.
5. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.

Tip: Your focus should be on controlling this movement with your abs rather than relying on momentum.

3. Rainbow Slams

Work out your hamstrings, gluteals, erectors, abdominals, obliques, quadriceps, biceps, lats, shoulders, triceps, and serratus while gaining your core strength.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with a medicine ball in both hands.
2. Lift the medicine ball above your head.  Make sure to fully extend your arms straight above you.
3. Quickly turn to the left.  Pivoting your back foot while slamming the medicine ball down just to the side of your left front foot.   Bend your knees and lower yourself down as you slam the ball. 
4. Pick the medicine ball back up and quickly raise it back overhead as you stand up.
5. Pivot to the other side and slam the ball down.
6. Repeat 10 times.

4. Teapots

Use these to work out your obliques and get rid of your love handles!

1. Stand with both feet on the floor shoulder width apart.
2. Hold a kettlebell in your left hand down by your side.  Place your right hand on your hip.
3. Slowly slide the kettlebell down your left leg.
4. Once you’ve lowered the kettlebell as far as you can without bending your knees, pull the kettlebell back up and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.

5. Alphabet Abs

Attack your rectus abdominis, obliques, teres muscles, deltoids, trapezius, and pectoralis majar with this standing core exercise.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a medicine ball with both hands and Slowly write the cursive alphabet in front of you.

To make this more advanced, do this while standing on a Wooden Rocker Board.

6. Windmills

Your abdominal muscles of the rectus abdominis and the obliques as well as your gluteals and hamstrings get stretched while increasing your shoulder, glute, and core strength.  

1. Start by standing with your feet wide as you can and pointing forward.  Your arms should be reaching straight down in front of you with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Bend both knees to 90º and sweep your right arm forward and straight overhead and look up.
3. Return to the starting position.
4. Alternate sides for 10 reps on each side.

7. Prayer Squat Twists

Not only will you train your obliques, but your hamstrings, quads, glutes and lower back will get stronger too!  

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and put your palms together at a chest level like you are praying.
2. Lower your body by pushing your hips back.  Your body weight should be over your heels and your knees should not go past your toes.
3. Turn your upper body to the right side and reach your right knee to your left elbow.
4. Reverse and go back to the starting position.
5. Alternate sides for 10 reps on each side

To increase the difficulty of this exercise, have a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells in your hand.

With these 7 standing ab exercises, you’ll never need to get on the floor again!