Crunches and sit-ups often feel uncomfortable and repetitive. The secret to avoiding boredom (and burnout) is to switch up your ab workout routine with exercises that are actually enjoyable — and still deliver results.
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You can add plenty of variations to your ab workout for better core strength and faster progress. Here’s a quick 5-minute ab workout that mixes crunches, sit-ups, and new moves to keep things fresh.
1. Ankle Taps
Ankle taps are great for targeting the obliques. To do them properly, contract your abs by pulling your navel toward your spine.
Tip: Avoid rounding your shoulders or using momentum. Focus on slow, controlled taps to fire up your core.
2. Sit-Ups
Sit-ups are a classic ab workout staple, but they’re often done incorrectly.
When you place your hands behind your head, think of them as support, not as a way to pull yourself up. For better form, try placing your hands behind your ears or crossing them over your chest.
The version shown in the video is common in CrossFit gyms and focuses on a full range of motion.
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3. Butterfly Sit-Ups
Butterfly sit-ups take your ab workout a step further. By rotating your legs outward (like a butterfly stretch), you increase your range of motion, making your abs work harder.
Touch the floor in front of your feet with each rep to maximize the challenge.
4. Sit-Up with Cross Punch
Add some rotation to your ab workout with sit-ups plus cross-body punches.
After each full sit-up, throw two punches across your body. This adds resistance and activates your obliques more than a regular sit-up.
5. Modified V-Ups
Modified v-ups hit your hip flexors and lower abs.
If your hip flexors are sensitive, adjust by keeping your hands planted behind your hips or reaching your arms overhead or forward. Focus on keeping your chest open and spine neutral throughout the movement.
6. Single-Leg Modified V-Ups
If you struggle with back pain during ab workouts, single-leg v-ups are a safer alternative.
Lift one leg at a time instead of both, and maintain proper form by engaging your core and avoiding any arch in your lower back.
There are countless variations to spice up your ab workout. The key is to keep it dynamic, safe, and challenging. Mix in these moves, find what you enjoy, and make your core training something you actually look forward to.
Jasmine Danielle is a Los Angeles-based dancer and fitness trainer. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has studied with FiTour, the National Federation of Personal Trainers, and the Equinox Group Fitness Training Institute.
Jasmine is currently a Group Fitness Instructor for Equinox, Everybody Los Angeles, and Sandbox Fitness. Her fitness modalities include ballet, dance cardio, barre fitness, TRX, treadmill interval training, cardio kickboxing, jump rope, indoor cycling, and metabolic conditioning.
