Crunches and sit-ups not your thing? This standing abs workout with weights is one of my favorite core routines with 6 awesome ab exercises and no crunches or sit-ups to be found! Grab some dumbbells and get ready to tone and tighten your midsection while standing.
Standing Abs Workout With Weights (No Crunches!)
- Standing Oblique Twist
- Standing Reverse Oblique Crunch
- Standing Oblique Sidebend
- High Knees
- Standing Trunk Rotation
- Dumbbell Chop
Keep reading for a step-by-step guide of the workout with pictures and descriptions of each of these exercises.
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Who loves a good ab routine?
Take your abs to a whole new level by smashing them with some weights!
Adding resistance to any exercise is a great way to jump off plateaus and see some serious gains. Today we’re adding some weights to one of my favorite core routines – 6 awesome ab exercises without a crunch or sit-up to be found!
In fact we’re not going to get on the floor at all.
Try it out below:
HOW DO I STRENGTHEN MY CORE WITHOUT CRUNCHES AND SIT-UPS?
Getting down onto a mat for crunches and sit-ups is typically what comes to mind when you think of working out your abs. However, that can be difficult or undesirable for some people.
There are so many effective ways to target your core muscles without getting onto the floor or doing a single sit-up. The good news is that plenty of exercises can specifically work your ab and core muscles while standing, or even sitting.
Be creative- switch up your ab routine by adding a standing workout with weights. This routine below is a great one to try- it includes moves that target your abs while using dumbbells. Dumbbells add more resistance and help to strengthen your muscles and give you a great workout.
DO STANDING CORE WORKOUTS REALLY WORK?
Yes- you don’t have to be on a mat on the ground to work your abs. There are many exercises that can help you strengthen and tone your core muscles, including standing ab workouts.
Standing core workouts help you to strengthen your muscles for better posture, a slimmer waistline, less risk of injury, less back-pain, better balance, an overall healthy core, plus even more health benefits.
Grab some weights because this workout is going to show you how to strengthen your abs while standing the whole time.
DOES STANDING STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE?
We spend most of our days sitting down- eating, working, driving, watching TV, relaxing etc. It’s important to move around a little more often throughout our day.
Standing helps you to practice good posture while using your core muscles and legs to keep you upright and straight for extended periods of time. The best thing most people can do for their health is to stand a little more and walk around more often.
Find some ways to incorporate a little more standing/walking each day- stand at your desk for a while, walk around the block, reduce TV time, go shopping, or set reminders on your phone to walk around every 1-2 hours during the day.
Find ways to be a little more active and your core muscles will thank you for your lifetime.
Our 8-Week Beginner’s Workout Plan features over 50 workouts, 15 healthy and delicious recipes, tips, motivation and more to help you achieve your fitness goals. Check it out here.
Now on to the workout. This standing abs workout adds weights to some of the best core routines. It includes 6 awesome ab exercises with no crunches or sit-ups. You’ll do each exercise and then repeat the whole thing 3 times for a totally effective ab workout.
Level: Beginner to Advanced – however hard you wanna push it
Equipment needed: pair of dumbbells
The Workout:
1. Standing Oblique Twist 
- Stand normally. Hold your arms at a 90 degree angle above your shoulders with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bring your left knee and right elbow together as you crunch with your abs.
- Come back to the center and repeat.
10 touches each knee (20 total)
2. Standing Reverse Oblique Crunch 
- Stand normally. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and bring your arm up above your shoulder at a 90 degree angle.
- Lift up your same-side knee and bring your knee and elbow together to the side as you feel the crunch in your abs.
- Come back to standing and repeat.
10 touches each side (20 total)
3. Standing Oblique Sidebend
- Stand normally with feet hip-width distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Bend sideways to the right, while squeezing your waist and slowly lowering the dumbbell along your thigh.
- Slowly come back up and repeat.
10 bends each side (20 total)
4. High Knees
- Start by standing normally..
- Bring one knee up until it is level with your hip.
- Jump to switch to the other leg and take the opposite knee up high.
- Continue switching legs in a rhythmic motion.
20 each knee (40 total)
5. Standing Trunk Rotation
- Stand normally and hold a dumbbell with both arms stretched straight in front of you.
- Twist your arms and core (with hips staying forward) back and forth to either side.
10 twists on each side (20 total)
6. Dumbbell Chop
- Hold one dumbbell with both hands.
- Stretch your arms straight above to the left side, then “chop down” low and to the right side while bending knees and butt into a squat.
10 times, then switch to other side (20 total)
Repeat the whole thing 3 times for a killer standing core workout with dumbbells.
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Make it happen,
Jared
By Jared Beckstrand