Ab workout for men at home, no equipment

A good ab workout for men at home needs no equipment and takes about 15 minutes. Do four core moves in a row, three rounds, three days a week, and swap in a harder move each time one gets easy.

Below are 12 moves in three levels, from easy to hard, with sets and reps for each. Then how to do every move, a weekly plan, and how to know when to move up.

What does a good ab workout for men look like?

A good ab workout trains your whole core, not just the muscles you see in the mirror. Your core is the front of your stomach, your sides and the muscles along your lower back. Together they keep your middle steady when you lift, carry, push, pull, sprint or throw a punch.

So each level in this plan has four moves, one for each job your core does:

• Curl: bring your ribs and hips closer together.
• Hold: keep your body straight and stiff, with no arch in your back.
• Sides: stop your body from bending sideways.
• Steady: stop your body from twisting, and train your lower back.

Do the four moves in a row, resting about 30 seconds between each. That is one round. Rest for one to two minutes, then go again, for three rounds in all. Warm up first with a minute of marching on the spot and ten slow glute bridges.

Start at level 1, even if you already train. If every set feels easy on day one, try level 2 next time.

What are the best ab exercises for beginners?

Good ab exercises for beginners are the crunch, the forearm plank, the side plank on your knees and the bird dog. They teach you to brace your core and move with control, and every harder move needs both.

• Crunch. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Rest your fingertips by your ears. Curl your shoulders off the floor, pause, then lower slowly. Do not pull on your head.
• Forearm plank. Elbows under your shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels. Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach. Drop to your knees if your hips start to sag.
• Side plank on knees. Lie on your side with your elbow under your shoulder and your knees bent behind you. Lift your hips until your body is straight from knees to head. Hold, then switch sides.
• Bird dog. Start on your hands and knees. Reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are level with your body. Hold for two seconds without letting your hips tip, then switch.

What ab exercises should you do next?

When level 1 feels easy, move on to the reverse crunch, the tuck hollow hold, the full side plank and plank shoulder taps. Each one does the same job as the level 1 move in its row, just harder.

• Reverse crunch. Lie on your back, hands by your sides, knees bent and lifted over your hips. Curl your hips off the floor toward your chest, then lower them slowly. The lift is small. Do not swing.
• Tuck hollow hold. Lie on your back and press your lower back into the floor. Lift your head and shoulders, pull your knees in over your hips and reach your hands toward your feet. Hold that shape.
• Side plank. The same as level 1, but on your feet, one stacked on top of the other. Keep a straight line from head to heels. If you wobble, put your top foot in front of the other.
• Plank shoulder taps. Start in a push-up position with your feet a little wider than your hips. Tap one shoulder with the opposite hand, then switch. Keep your hips still. If they rock, slow down or widen your feet.

What are hard ab exercises you can do at home?

Level 3 is the hard end of this plan: lying leg raises, the hollow body hold, side plank hip lifts and the plank arm and leg lift. Only move here once level 2 feels solid, because these moves need a strong, steady brace.

• Lying leg raise. Lie on your back with your legs straight and your hands under your hips. Keep your lower back pressed down as you lift your legs until they point at the ceiling. Lower them slowly, and stop the moment your back starts to lift.
• Hollow body hold. Like the tuck hold, but with your legs straight and your arms reaching past your head. Your lower back stays on the floor the whole time. This shape is the base of many calisthenics skills.
• Side plank hip lift. From a full side plank, lower your hips a few inches toward the floor, then lift them back up a little higher than straight. Do all your reps, then switch sides.
• Plank arm and leg lift. In a push-up position, lift one arm forward and the opposite leg back. Hold for two seconds, put them down and switch. Think of it as a bird dog on hard mode, and keep your hips level.

When level 3 gets easy, slow every rep down and add pauses. After that, a pull-up bar opens up hanging knee raises and hanging leg raises. Once you have one, try our pull-up and push-up workout too.

How often should you do an ab workout at home?

Three days a week is plenty, with a rest day between each one. Your core works in nearly everything you do, so it needs days off like any other muscle.

If you also do our full body home workout three days a week, do the ab workout right after it on the same days. That keeps your rest days free for rest. Any three days work, as long as they are not back to back.

Keep core work in every week of training, the same as your other sessions.

When should you move up to a harder level?

Move up when you hit the top of a move's range on all three rounds, two sessions in a row. If the plan says 10 to 15 crunches and you do 15 every round twice, it is time for reverse crunches.

Change one row at a time, not the whole level. Your sides might be ready for level 2 long before your curl is. That is normal, and your workout can be a mix of levels.

You can also make any move harder without changing it:

• Go slower. Take three seconds to lower each rep.
• Pause. Hold for two seconds at the hardest point.
• Rest less. Cut the rest between moves to 15 seconds.
• Hold longer. Add five seconds to each hold.

Write down what you did after each session. Next time, try to beat it by one rep or a few seconds. Small, steady wins like that are how the work adds up.

Will an ab workout give you a six-pack?

No workout can promise you a six-pack, and this one does not. It trains your core to be stronger and steadier. Whether you can see your abs is a different question, and it comes down to your whole routine: what you eat, how you sleep and how much you move.

So judge this plan by your own numbers. Longer holds, slower reps and harder moves than when you started all count. A strong core helps every time you carry heavy bags, sprint, grapple or throw a punch. When the body is sharp, the mind follows.

Abs are built like any other muscle: hard sets, a little more over time, enough food and good sleep. Our guide on how to build muscle at home covers the steady way to do all four.

What mistakes should you avoid in an ab workout?

Rushing is the one to watch first. Fast, swinging reps move your body without asking much of your core. Slow down, and every rep does its job.

• Pulling on your neck. In crunches, your hands only rest by your ears. Your abs do the lifting.
• Letting your hips sag. In any plank, once your hips drop, the set is over.
• Arching your lower back. In leg raises and hollow holds, if your back lifts off the floor, bend your knees or go back a level.
• Holding your breath. Breathe out as you curl or lift. In holds, take slow, short breaths.
• Only training the front. Skip the side and steady moves and you only train part of your core.

Stop any move that causes sharp pain. If you have an injury or a health condition, talk to a doctor before you start a new workout.

Abs are one part of a strong body. Pair this plan with our upper body workout for men at home, and find more on training, food and sleep in our body guides.