Forget Russian Twists: This 3-Move Standing Abs Workout Builds Chiseled Oblique Muscles

Whatever your reason for training standing, a worthwhile standing abs workout will set fire to your obliques and various core muscles without Russian twists, bike crunches, or falling over.

So, if sitting or lying down just isn’t an option for you, try this three-motion standing abs workout to build your abs and obliques and develop a stronger midsection without hurting your lower back.

We recommend doing your 15-minute abs workout on one of the best yoga mats to support your feet, but it can be done anywhere and with minimal equipment. Bonuses.

Before we begin, let’s know that it’s easy to get sucked into misleading social media pages that suggest that six pack abs and six pack abs are the result of a few standalone abs exercises. Wrong.

Unless you’re lucky enough to be genetically gifted, most people find that visible abs require hard graft. And they don’t develop from hundreds of crunches, sit-ups, or standing ab exercises, even though ab workouts help build muscle.

Several factors determine a toned bust. Lifestyle choices like regular resistance training and diet play a role, as do stress levels, sleep patterns and genetics. And you don’t get to choose where to reduce the fat; here are 5 reasons why you still can’t see your abs, despite working out, so you can learn more.

In the meantime, here are three standing abs exercises to fire up your core muscles. Warning: This standing abs workout features an oblique side burn.

15 minute standing abs workout in 3 movements

Targeting and strengthening the muscles responsible for supporting and moving your torso could help you perform better no matter how you train. Say hello to your obliques.

These muscles are made up of internal and external muscles and run along the sides of the waist from the ribs to the pelvis. And their job? Rotation and lateral flexion, mainly. Building strength and muscle throughout your waist could improve your chances of muscle definition using these three standing abs exercises. So here they are.

1. Standing lateral swings

Lateral swings are one-sided and help you train one side of the body at a time. And research has shown that this could elicit cross-education, stimulating muscles indirectly during a movement, meaning you could target the weakest muscles and build equal strength throughout the body.

As:

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your weight between your legs
• Gently bend your knees and lock them in place. Engage your core and position your shoulders back and down with a flat back
• Grasp the weight with right hand, arm straight and swing slightly to the left, then bring the kettlebell across the body to the right
• As the kettlebell moves up, stand upright and squeeze your glutes
• At shoulder height, control the weight just below and outside the left knee, creating a diagonal line from the kettlebell to the shoulder joint
• Straighten your legs as the weight goes up, hinge at your hips, and bend your knees again as you come down.

The movement pattern of the bell rotates the core and this gentle twisting motion twists the abs and oblique muscles. You’ll want to learn how to do a kettlebell swing and how to hold a kettlebell correctly. And remember to switch sides midway through or alternate each rep.

2. One-armed farmer’s walk

Also known as a suitcase carry, side loading is a brilliant core-strengthening exercise that relies on anti-rotation. This means that your oblique muscles engage to keep you stable, balanced, and upright as you walk with the weights. Remember to switch sides halfway through each round.

As:

• Hold a heavy weight in your left hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, just like you would with a purse
• Prepare your stomach and walk a set time or distance
• Keep your spine high and avoid leaning forward or backward or leaning too far to one side.

Find out about doing the farmer’s walk in more detail here and what happened when we did it every day for a week.

3. Weighted wood cutting

The weighted wood chop uses diagonal rotation to target muscle groups similar to Russian twists without sitting down and help the body handle rotational loading. You will activate the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, internal and external oblique muscles, shoulders and upper back.

As:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and gently bend both knees
• Hold the weight using both hands, strengthen your core and keep your spine in a neutral position
• Slightly quat as you rotate your torso and shift your weight to the outside of your left thigh, pivoting on your right foot
• As you exhale, shift your weight across your body and up to the right above your head and pivot on your left foot
• Control the weight and use your core. Complete reps on one side, then swap.

Here’s how to carry out thoughtful chopping of wood step by step. We recommend alternating every few repetitions.

15 minute standing abs workout in 3 movements: how to do it

Grab one of the best kettlebells or dumbbells to do the workout, or use something heavy like a backpack or filled water bottles. Perform each movement for 45 seconds (try to do at least 8-12 repetitions in this time frame) and rest for 15 seconds. Perform 3 rounds or more for a longer workout.

Remember to consult a doctor, personal trainer, or similar if you’re returning to exercise after a pregnancy or injury before trying this standing abs workout.

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