Abs workout for women is only a part of a total workout. To really show off your abs you need to look good all over. But, to get those great abs that make your friends jealous here are four easy to do, but tough on abs exercises.

In my opinion, all you really need to get your whole body ripped is a set of dumbbells, a stability ball, and your own body weight. You do not need a gym load of equipment to build strength and look good.

Instructions: Choose three exercises from the list below. Perform each for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately continue to your next move. Once you’ve completed all three, rest for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat for 3 to 5 total rounds.

1. Glute Bridge March

How to:

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent, heels under your knees, and feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend your arms over your chest, palms facing.
3. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
4. Brace your abs and lift your right knee over your hip, maintaining a 90-degree angle of that leg.
5. Hold for a moment, then lower your right foot.
6. Repeat with the left. That’s 1 rep.
7. Continue alternating.

Good for: rectus abdominis, transverse abs

Why it rocks: Not only does this exercise fire up two sections of your abs, but it works your glutes, too, which will help with your overall stability.

2. Mountain Climbers

How to:

1. Start in a plank position.
2. Drive right knee toward the chest.
3. Return to a plank.
4. Quickly repeat with the left knee. That’s 1 rep.
5. Continue alternating.

Good for: rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: Yup, this workout makes your core seriously burn and gets your heart pumping, a combo that’s sure to help you up your fitness game.

3. Plank With Knee Tap

How to:

1. Get into a plank position, with elbows stacked under your shoulders.
2. Slowly and with control, lower both knees until they kiss the ground.
3. Return to a plank position. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: This slow movement helps you engage your core while also easing the strain on your neck by allowing your knees to periodically touch the ground.

4. Shoulder Tap And Jack

How to:

1. Get into a plank position, with hands stacked directly under shoulders.
2. To keep your core engaged, tap your right shoulder with your left hand as you jump your feet outward. Return to start.
3. Repeat on the opposite side. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: obliques, transverse abs, rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: Not only does this work all aspects of your core, but the move also allows you to get your heart rate up for a boost of cardio.

5. Leg Lower

How to:

1. Start lying on your back with arms on the mat and hands under your butt, palms down, legs raised at a 90-degree angle from the floor, and feet flexed.
2. Slowly lower one leg as far down as possible without the back lifting off the ground.
3. Return to start.
4. Repeat with the other leg. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: transverse abs, rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: You’re able to fully engage your abs by moving slowly downward without the injury risk associated with faster movements.

6. Deadbug

How to:

1. Start lying on your back with arms extended toward the ceiling in line with shoulders and legs bent to 90 degrees (knees above hips).
2. Keep your low back pressed into the floor, engage your abs, and slowly extend and lower your right leg until your heel nearly touches the floor and your left arm until your hand nearly touches the floor overhead at the same time.
3. Pause, then return to the start and repeat on the opposite side. That’s 1 rep.
4. Continue alternating.

Good for: rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abs

Why it rocks: This slow-and-controlled move strengthens and stabilizes (good for posture and easing low-back pain) without the threat of neck strain.

7. V-Up

How to:

1. Start lying on your back with legs extended and arms by sides, both on the mat.
2. In one movement, lift the upper body, arms, and legs, coming to balance on the tailbone, forming a “V” shape with the body.
3. Lower back down. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: Because it involves lifting your arms and legs, this difficult move gets your heart rate up while pushing your core strength to its limit.

8. Side Plank

How to:

1. Start lying on the side with your right forearm flat on the floor, your elbow under your shoulder, and both legs extended. The body should form a straight line from head to feet, which is either stacked or staggered.
2. Engage the core and lift your hips up.
3. Hold for 30 seconds before repeating on the other side.

Good for: obliques, transverse abs, rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: By working your core, hips, and shoulders one side at a time, side planks help you avoid strength imbalances.

9. Reverse Crunch

How to:

1. Start lying on back, legs lifted so thighs are perpendicular to the ground and extended. (Option to bend knees as a modification.)
2. Press lower back into the mat, then curl knees into the chest to lift hips off the ground.
3. Return to start with control. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: The reverse crunch fires up your rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques without straining your neck and back.

10. Hollow Body Hold

How to:

1. Sit on a mat with legs bent. (For an extra challenge, place a yoga block between knees.)
2. Squeeze legs together and engage abs to lift bent legs so calves are parallel to the floor.
3. Lift head, neck, and shoulders the floor.
4. Pause and hold for 30 seconds or as long as possible with good form.

Good for: rectus abdominis, transverse abs, obliques

Why it rocks: This advanced move is a true test of core strength. You can up the challenge even more by adding ankle weights.

11. Lateral Bear Walk

How to:

1. Start in a bear plank, with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, hovering a few inches off of the floor.
2. Keeping hips stable, head in line with the tailbone, knees lifted off of the floor, move hands and feet left for three steps. (Don’t let feet or hands cross.)
3. Then, move hands and feet right for three steps. That’s 1 rep.
4. Repeat on the other side and continue alternating.

Good for: obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abs

Why it rocks: In addition to hitting your entire core, this more unusual movement pattern is great for coordination.

12. Bear Crawl

How to:

1. Start in a bear plank, with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, hovering a few inches off of the floor.
2. Keeping hips stable, head in line with the tailbone, and knees lifted off of the floor, slowly stepping opposite hand and foot forward, repeating with the other hand and foot for four steps total.
3. Then, reverse the movement to step backward and return to the start. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: rectus abdominis, transverse abs

Why it rocks: The bear crawl fires up all of your major muscle groups to improve your muscular endurance. Speed it up and you’ll get some cardio perks, too.

13. Heel Taps

How to:

1. Start on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor, hands by hips.
2. Lift chest toward the ceiling, keeping neck relaxed and bringing shoulder blades off the ground.
3. Tap the right hand to the outside of the right ankle, flexing the right obliques in the process.
4. Come back to the center, keeping your shoulders off the ground.
5. Tap the left hand to the outside of the left ankle. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: obliques

Why it rocks: Easy-to-understand heel taps target your obliques in a big way. You’ll feel the burn instantly.

14. Bear Plank With Leg Extension

How to:

1. Start in bear plank, with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, hovering a few inches off of the floor.
2. Keeping hips stable, head in line with the tailbone, and knees lifted off of the floor, squeeze core to remain still.
3. For an extra challenge, lift one foot up off the floor for a few seconds, extending leg back straight behind you.
4. Replace the foot on the floor, then repeat with the other leg.

Good for: rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abs

Why it rocks: This deceivingly difficult move gives you the perfect opportunity to really squeeze and engage those abs muscles.

15. Seated Rotation

How to:

1. Sit on the floor and lean your upper body back until your abs are engaged.
2. Legs should be bent at 90 degrees with heels on the mat, and arms should be bent, hands clasped, and elbows wide. This is your starting position. (Option to hover feet off the mat for an extra challenge.)
3. Rotate the torso to the right side so that the right elbow is hovering just off the mat.
4. Keep the lower body still while rotating the upper body to the left side until the left elbow is just off the mat.
5. Return to start. Gaze follows hands as you move. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: obliques

Why it rocks: This classic oblique move is easy to modify. Make it easier by keeping feet planted, or up the intensity by hovering feet or holding a weight with hands.

16. Banded Bird Dog

How to:

1. Start on all fours, with hands stacked directly under shoulders, knees below hips, and a resistance band wrapped around feet.
2. Keeping the torso still and core engaged, simultaneously extend the right arm straight out in front of the body and the left leg straight back behind the body.
3. Bring the right elbow and left knee beneath the torso to touch.
4. Repeat on the opposite side. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: rectus abdominis, transverse abs

Why it rocks: This banded move comes with the added bonus of working your core and glutes.

17. Cross-Body Iso Deadbug

How to:

1. Start by lying on your back with hands at the sides and legs straight, feet flexed.
2. Bring left knee and right hand together at hip level and actively push them into each other until abs are fully engaged.
3. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch sides. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: obliques, rectus abdominis

Why it rocks: This move is beginner-friendly, easy on your head and neck, and quick to make your six-pack muscles shake.

18. High Plank Rock

How to:

1. Start in a high plank position with wrists under shoulders and body in a straight line from head to heels.
2. Engage abs and shift forward, rocking on toes, while maintaining body alignment.
3. Shift back to start. That’s 1 rep.

Good for: obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abs

Why it rocks: The instability of the ball in this advanced move makes for a unique (and intense!) challenge for your core muscles.

19. Scissor Kicks

How to:

1. Lie on the back with arms down by sides, palms down, and pressed into the mat.
2. Engage your core by pressing your lower back into the mat and tucking your pelvis as you lift both legs about six inches off the ground (roughly a 45-degree angle) with feet flexed or pointed.
3. Raise right leg to 60 degrees, while holding left leg in space.
4. Then, lower your right leg to 45 degrees as you raise your left. That’s 1 rep.
5. Continue alternating legs, up and down, keeping knees as straight as possible.

Good for: transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexors

Why it rocks: This advanced move is one of the most effective core burners you can do because it engages all the abs muscles simultaneously, You can do it all without neck strain, too.

20. Plank

How to:

1. Start sitting on heels.
2. Walk hands out until wrists are under shoulders when legs are extended fully and body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels.
3. Balance on the balls of your feet, keep your abs engaged and gaze slightly forward. Hold this position.

Good for: transverse abs

Why it rocks: Probably the most important abs exercise in the game, the plank targets more muscles than most moves. Adding it to your routine is non-negotiable.