You can tone your abs without ever doing do a crunch again. And the good news gets even better. Standing ab exercises tone your middle while working your entire body, increasing your caloric burn. Try these seven full-body exercises; since they're functional moves, they will make you stronger for activities outside the gym, too.
Stabilizing your torso against the weight of the moving medicine ball not only works your abs, but your arms will feel the burn, too. This is great exercise for your entire core.
Great for toning the waist and stretching the sides of the body, side bends are a simple move to add to your fitness routine. Don't speed through your reps; doing this exercise slowly and methodically is considerably harder and much more effective.
This classic body-weight exercise is made much more challenging when you challenge your balance and work your core. Grab a medicine ball and get twisting!
The wood chop works the entire body with a strong focus on the core. This move will also raise your heart rate for an added cardio component. Use a five- to eight-pound medicine ball for this move.
Grab a set of five- to 10-pound dumbbells to tone your shoulders and waist with this exercise.
There are two variations of this exercise: one for core stability and one for torso mobility. To start, grab a medicine ball that's between five and 15 pounds. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, making sure your knees are not locked.
For stability:
For mobility:
Some call this move the flashlight, and we love it for the intense focus on the abs. Straighten your arms to increase the difficulty. Once you master the move, try speeding up.