14 Best Core Bodyweight Exercises To Develop Your Abs & Obliques.

Muscles Worked:	Abs, Obliques, Glutes, Erector spinae.
Level:	Beginners to advance.
Main Goal:	Build a better physique.

Your Core is made up of many muscles, including your rectus abdominis (abs), transverse abdominis, erector spinae (a set of muscles in your lower back), and internal and external obliques.

Since developing all these muscles have various workout that targets all the muscles. But you don’t want to put an extra effort into one target muscle, by below core workout, all the muscles directly or indirectly work in every single core variation.

A strong core will also help you maintain a good posture and better balance, it also avoids issues like lower back pain, poor posture, balance, and stability.

The best core exercise for all levels of gym-goers really helps to build your abs, obliques, glutes, and other important muscles.

The muscles of group core include.

Erector spinae: It is a group of long muscles located near the sacrum and vertically up the length of the back.
Rectus abdominis: The rectus abdominis muscles also known as the “six-pack” of the body that everyone loves to do.
Obliques: Oblique muscles refer to two abdominal muscles – the external and internal obliques.
Transverse abdominis: It is a muscle layer of the anterior and lateral abdominal wall which is deep into the internal oblique muscles.

On the basis of the comment section, so many visitors want to develop their core at a different level and want to know which exercise does the advanced level of work or which one on the beginner level.

So, develop your core at your own level, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. That really helps all the gym-goers, who are starting now and those who want to know more!

Beginner’s

If you’re new to fitness, these moves will help get you up to develop your core.

1. Bridge

Lie on your back by putting your both-hand side, palms down. Bend your knees and stance your feet at hip-width. Raise the hips until your body makes a line from shoulders to knees. Do it by engaging your core and glutes for better performance. Hold the position for 20-30 seconds.

Why Bridge: Bridge Exercise is best for core strength, it isolates and tones your gluteus (butt) and thigh muscles.

Sets: 3 sets.

2. Plank

Bend the elbows at shoulder-width by resting your forearms on the mat and your hands facing forward in a parallel position. Extend your legs out behind you and rest your toes on the floor. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to heels. Engaged your entire core, your glutes, and your quads. Make sure you are not dropping your hips or hiking your butts up high toward the ceiling. Make a neutral position and your head is also not tucked anywhere else, gaze in on your hands. Hold the position for 30-60 seconds.

Why Plank: Plank is one of the best exercises for the core, glutes, and hamstrings that support proper posture, and improve balance. Holding the plank position takes strength and endurance in your abs, back, and core.

Sets: 3 sets

3. Standing Bicycle Crunches

Stand with your hip-width on your feet, hands placed behind your head, and engaged your core. Make a straight posture from head to feet with a straight back. Now lower the shoulder by tucking your back and at the same moment raise the right leg. At this time, touch the left elbow with the right knee and then the right elbow to the left knee. Repeat until your reps are completed.

Why Standing Crunch: This is a beginner and easier version of the exercise that is similar to the movement of the bicycle crunch.

Sets: 3 sets.
Reps: 12 reps on each side.

4. Bird Dog

Make a position of the dog, like your hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Lift and straighten your right leg at hip level and at the same time, lift and extend your left arm forward at shoulder level, palm down. Bring the right knee and left elbow toward each other at the same momentum. Return to starting position and do it 12 reps. Repeat on the other side with the same procedure.

Why Bird Dog: This variation on the basic bird dog incorporates fluid movement to engage your abs and back while improving core mobility.

Sets: 3 sets
Reps: 12 reps on each side.

5. Crunch

The crunch is a classic core exercise that targets your abdominal muscles.

How to do crunch?

Lie down on your back and place your arms across your chest. Bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor at hip width. Contract your abs and inhale. Exhale and lift your body up, keeping your head and neck relaxed. Inhale and return to the starting position.

Why Crunch: Crunches are an excellent compound exercise for your abs. When performed correctly, they target your upper abdominal, lower abdominal, oblique, and lower back muscles.

3 sets of 12 reps.

Intermediate level

As you build endurance and strength, progress to these intermediate moves.

1. Mountain Climber

Mountain climbers are not only the best exercise for the core and also for the different muscles including shoulders, hamstrings, triceps, and quads.

Start in a high plank with your hands directly under your shoulders. For coming in action slightly put your feet forward (like 2 to 4 cm). Bring one knee toward your chest by another one straight. Alternate, bring the opposite knee forward with the same action at a time, while when you put the first one knee back to the same position.

Why Mountain Climbers: Mountain climbers are not only the best exercise for the core, but also the best exercise for different muscles including your shoulders, hamstrings, triceps, and quads. It works on around your lower abs and glutes muscle, many rats know that it’s the perfect exercise to build lower abs for beginners.

Tip: Keep your core, butt, and quads engaged to avoid rocking your hips.

Sets: 3 sets
Reps: 12-15 reps with each leg.

2. Leg Raise on Parallel Bar

It is an intermediate abs exercise that targets your lower abs very hard.

Hang up by positioning yourself on parallel bars by placing your back on the padding, forearms rested upon the armrests and grabbing the handles in front of you. Keep your legs extended and put them together, then slowly lift up your feet towards the ceiling or you can raise your knees that parallel to the ceiling, still keeping them together and making parallel to the floor. Squeeze your lower abs as much as possible on the way up and go up as far as possible, hold for a beat then return back to the starting position slowly. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.

Sets: 3-4 sets.
Reps: 12 reps.

3. Flutter Kicks

Lie down on your back and place both hands underneath your buttocks for support. Now raise your both legs together slightly off the ground, a few inches from the ground, push the right leg up toward your hips, and when you turn back the right leg to its original position, at the same time lift the left leg towards the hip. Repeat the alternative, at the same time until your reps are completed. For more challenges, lift your head and neck off the floor. Repeat this motion for up to 30 seconds.

Why Flutter Kicks: Flutter Kicks are an exercise that works the muscles of your core, specifically the lower rectus abdominal muscles, plus the hip flexors.

Sets: 3 sets
Reps: 12 reps with each leg.

4. Leg Raise

This exercise hits the lower abs and is also a great exercise to strengthen and lengthen the hip flexors, which play a vital role in core stability and strength.

How to do leg raises?

Lie face up straight and put the hand at your sides or underneath your hips for extra support. Slowly raise your legs, keeping them together and as straight as possible, until the heels are perpendicular to the floor. At the same time slowly put it back down toward starting position, but don’t touch the floor, keep them hovering a few inches off. At the same momentum, repeat it again until the 12 reps are completed.

Tips: Put your hand’s side of you, not under your hips for better performance. And make sure your lower back is flat on the floor.

Why Leg Raises: Lying leg raises are a type of compound exercise, which means that multiple muscle groups work together to complete one movement. The main muscles used during this exercise are the rectus abdominis (abs), obliques, quadriceps, hamstrings, and erector spinae (lower back muscle).

3 sets of 12 reps.

Advance Level

When you’re ready for a challenge, try these advanced core moves. Each exercise involves greater coordination and multiple body movements.

1. Burpees

Stand with feet hip-width apart and engage your core. Jump up, then immediately drop your hands to the floor and shooting feet back so you’re in a high plank position. Then do one push-up and quickly jump to feet back to hands without any pause, stand, and jump up again in one movement.

Why Burpees: Burpees are an advanced move to target full-body muscles to get the heart pumping.

2. Side Plank with rotation

Lie straight on your right side with your right forearm below your shoulder. Extend your legs, left foot on top of the right, and engaged the core. Lift your hips to form a straight line from shoulder to feet. Raise your left arm through the ceiling and rotate your torso toward the floor and bring your left arm under your body. Rotate your torso and straighten your left arm to return to the starting position. Do each side with 12 reps of 3 sets and switch the position to the left side on the floor, and repeat it same procedure.

Why Side Plank with rotation: Side Plank with Rotation strengthens your arms, shoulders, and obliques. It is an advanced level of the core killer, that also builds your transverse abs.

3. Bicycle Crunch

Lie on the mat, and place your hands on the back of your head. Bring both of your knees toward your chest and they are parallel to the ground. Keep your elbows wider and curl your head up. Now bring your left shoulder toward your right knee by extending your left leg and right arm back. Then bring your right elbow toward your left knee as you extend the right leg. Continue the momentum on the alternating side.

Why Bicycle Crunch: The bicycle crunch is an effective and advanced level of core muscles, it makes your abs to the next level. In a proper form, you can burn muscles in your deep abs.

Sets: 3 sets
Reps: 12-15 reps with each leg.

4. Hanging Leg Raise

The hanging leg raise is an expert-level isolation exercise for hip flexors and the abdominal muscles.

Grasp a bar with an overhand grip above your head to hang the body. Tilt your pelvis slightly backward. Engage your abdominals and hip flexors to lift your legs outward in front of you, keeping them straight. Bring them parallel to the ground (hip bent 90 degrees) or a little higher. Slowly lower your legs back down to their starting position with control. Maintain the posterior pelvic tilt even at the ground of the movement. Do 3 sets with the maximum repetitions you do.

5. Russian Twists

Sit up tall on the floor with bend your knees and feet off the ground. Hold a medicine ball or plate and squeeze it with your hands at chest height. Lean backward with a long, tall spine, holding your torso at a 45-degree angle and keeping your arms a few inches away from your chest. For here, turn your torso to the right, pause and squeeze your right oblique muscles, then turn your torso to the left and pause to squeeze your left oblique muscles. The movement should come from your ribs and not your arms.

Why Russian Twist: The Russian twist is a core exercise that improves oblique and abs strength. It is also the best exercise to build your posture and thigh muscles.