The core or ab workouts are the ultimate key to get a fit and healthy body. Why? Because these exercises can be intense and you can notice the results within a short period. Many people think that you can practice core exercises only at the gym. But no. There are many core workouts that you can perform at home, and they are equally effective.
People often avoid core exercise because they can not find good ones or can not build a fitness plan for themselves. If you are one of them, then this article is for you. Here, you will get the best core workouts at home.
Core Exercise And Its Benefits:
Core workouts do not focus on your whole body. Rather the exercises target the muscles of the pelvic, hip, lower back, and abdominal. By practicing the core or ab exercises, you will have a balanced and stable body. You will be surprised to know that the player’s core strength can be a real game changer in some outdoor plays.
Benefits of core workouts
- Reduce the wear and tear of the spine
- Improve your body posture
- Decrease the pain of your lower back
- Stabilize your body and make it more balanced
- Enhance your athletic performance.
Core Workouts At Home For Beginners
You can do effective core workouts at home with no equipment or with a set of dumbbells. Here I will discuss some of the best workouts for beginners.
1. Bear crawl
Though bear crawl is an intermediate level workout, with a little practice, the beginners can also do this correctly. This exercise targets your total body, especially the core and shoulder.
Instructions
- Get in the tabletop position on the mat.
- Start moving forward with your right knee and left arm. Mimic the crawling position of a bear.
- Switch to the left knee and right hand right after placing your weight on the right knee and left arm.
- Crawl back and forth, keeping your body in a relatively low position.
2. Dead bug
The dead bug exercise mainly targets your spinal erectors and transverse abdominals. It builds the total core muscle and strengthens your spine.
- Lie on the mat with your back. Extend your arms, pointing towards the ceiling. Lift your legs off the floor and bend your knees at a 90-degree position. Your torso and thigh should form a right angle. Mark this as your starting pose.
- Maintain close contact between your lower back and the mat to make your core more engaged.
- Now move your left arm in the backward and place it just above the floor. While moving the arm, extend your right hip and knee. However, make sure your right arm and left leg stay as before.
- Get back to the starting position and do the same movements with your right arm and left leg.
This dead bug exercise has different variations. For example, stability ball dead bug, kettlebell dead bug pullover, or single-arm floor press dead bug. Here is a short description of these core exercises:
3. Stability ball dead bug
You will need a stability ball to do this exercise. Squeeze the ball with the remaining leg and arm while practicing the dead bug.
4. Kettlebell dead bug
Hold a kettlebell with both your hands. Each time, extend one of your legs and both your arms holding the weight.
5. Bird dog
Bird dog is one of the most popular core workouts at home. This exercise targets the lower back, abdominals, glute, and thigh muscles. If you are a beginner, you may need some practice to perform the bird dog exercise perfectly.
Instructions
- Start with getting into a tabletop position with all your arms and knees. Place your hands on the ground at a shoulder apart distance and knees at hip-width apart.
- Lift your right hand off the ground and straighten it out in the forward direction. At the same time, raise your left leg from the floor and extend it behind you.
- Hold the position for a few seconds and then return to the first position. Keep your back straight the whole time.
- Continue the exercise with your left arm and right leg.
Core workouts with weights:
You can make the core exercises more intense and challenging by adding weight exercises to the list. I recommend using dumbbells, but if you have a barbell, then you can select core workouts with barbells too.
1. Alternating overhead dumbbell press:
You can practice this exercise with the barbell if you want.
Instructions
- Stand on the floor, planting your feet about hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells in each hand and keep them at the shoulder height. Your elbows should be bent, and palms should be facing upwards.
- Press one dumbbell overhead by straightening your right elbow. Engage your core and tuck your hip while lifting the weight.
- Lower the dumbbell by bending your elbow down. Continue the step with the other arm.
2. Renegade row with push up
The renegade row with push up is one of the best core workouts at home. This is a combination of renegade rows and pushes up. You will get the benefit of the pushup, plank, and row.
Instructions
- Assume a high plank or high push up position. Hold weights with each hand. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart and feet about hip-width apart. Make sure your body is in a straight line from head to toe.
- Pull the right weight closer to your ribs, maintaining a full-body balance.
- Lower the weight, do a pushup, and get back to the high plank position.
- Repeat the exercise with alternating arms.
3. Dumbbells swing
Though the dumbbell swing is a core exercise, you can practice it for building abs or losing weight. However, you can do the swing with a kettlebell if you want.
Instructions
- Stand keeping your back straight and hold a dumbbell with both your hands. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart.
- Lower the weight between your legs by bending your knees.
- Then again, raise the dumbbell to the shoulder height by pushing your hip forward.
Core workouts for men at home:
Basically, men want to invest more time in training than women. They are always ready to do intense workouts and find a way to make the exercises more intense. Here I will suggest some core workouts at home that you can add to your daily exercise list.
1. Medicine ball slam: You will need a medicine ball to practice the slam. The workout engages your core, lat, back, arm, and shoulder muscles.
2. Reverse crunches: Regular crunches can hurt your lower back and posture. But the reverse crunch does the total opposite. It improves your posture, core, and back.
3. Hip bridge: It is similar to the bridge. This can be a great addition to your daily exercise routine.
4. Three point plank: This plank is more intense and challenging than the basic one. Practice it only if you have mastered the traditional plank.
5. Ab wheel rolls out: You will need a wheel to perform this exercise. It not only works on your core but also burns extra fat.
Core workouts for women at home
There is no basic difference between the core workouts of a man and a woman. But women love to perform simple and less intense workouts. Here is a list that you might consider:
- Setups
- Side plank
- Push ups
- Bridge
- Chair dips
Top 10 core exercises at home
Many people think performing the popular and effective exercises will require expensive machinery. But that is not it. You can practice many top core workouts at home with no equipment.
Here is the list of top 10 core workouts:
1. Plank: No matter what your workout goal is, plank should be your top priority. This exercise targets and tones the whole body.
2. Plank shoulder tap: This one is more challenging and intense than the traditional plank.
3. Plank knee crosses: It targets your lower back, arm, shoulder, and core.
4. Elbow plank twist: You can see there are many variations of the plank, and all of them are good for your core. The elbow plank twist can improve your body posture and entire back.
5. Body saw: This exercise is more intense and challenging than the plank. It makes your core more strong and stable.
6. Jackknife: If you want to try something from the intermediate level, the jackknife is for you. This is very important for the flexibility, stability, and strength of your posture and core.
7. Superman pulls: If you are tired of the superman workout, try this one. The superman pulls make your core and lower back strong. Also, it reduces lower back pain.
8. C curve: The C curve is actually an intense form of sit up. It makes your back muscle and core strength.
9. Roll Like a Ball: This workout can be really exciting but requires practice. You can add this to your ab workout.
10. Hip dip: The hip dip is one kind of the elbow plank. It engages your hip and strengthens the entire core.
Doing core workouts at home is actually exciting and challenging. This saves your money, time, and energy. So, start practicing the core workouts for a strong back and posture.
Related: How To Build A Strong Back: The Best Back Workouts At Home