Not everyone loves getting down on the floor for ab exercises. Maybe it bugs your lower back, or you just don’t feel like grabbing a mat. That’s totally fine.
This standing abs workout for women keeps you on your feet the entire time.
Grab a set of light dumbbells and give yourself 10 minutes. That’s all you need for this standing ab workout.
Ready? Let’s get into it:
High Knees
Let’s ease into this standing ab workout with something simple.
For this one, you’ll just focus on driving your knees up high while keeping your core tight the whole time.
No weights needed here — just you and your abs getting warmed up.
How to perform:
- Stand upright and prepare to move without weights initially.
- Engage your abdominal muscles, keeping your core nice and tight throughout the movement.
- Lift your knees up high in an alternating rhythm.
- Focus on the height of your knees while maintaining that tight core connection.
Oblique Twist with Reach
Now this is where your weights come in for this standing ab workout with weights.
You’ll twist, twist, twist through your torso, then kick straight out and reach forward toward your toes. If you’ve done my workouts before, you already know this move!
The key here? Slow it down if you need to. It’s way better to go slow and actually feel your core working than to rush through it.
How to perform:
- Hold your weights (or household objects) in your hands.
- Perform a twisting motion with your torso, executing a “twist, twist, twist” rhythm.
- Kick one leg straight out in front of you.
- As you kick, reach the opposite weight forward toward those toes.
- Focus intently on your core engagement; if necessary, take it slow to ensure you are engaging the muscles.
Marching Crunch
Think of this one like a regular crunch — except you’re on your feet.
You’ll bring your arms overhead, then pull them down as you crunch your torso. The trick is to really focus on that crunch part of the movement.
Picture yourself lying on the ground trying to get those shoulder blades off the floor. That’s the feeling you’re going for while standing.
How to perform:
- Hold your weights and bring your arms up overhead.
- Bring your arms down while simultaneously performing a crunch motion with your torso.
- Focus specifically on the crunch aspect rather than just moving your arms.
- Visualize that you are lying on the ground doing a traditional crunch, attempting to get your shoulder blades up off the floor, but replicate this feeling while standing.
Side Leg Lift with Twist
For this standing ab exercise, you’ll work one side at a time — 30 seconds per leg.
You’re lifting your leg up on a diagonal while twisting your weight toward your thigh. It takes a little coordination, but once you find your rhythm, you’ll feel it right in your obliques.
How to perform:
- Perform this movement for 30 seconds on one leg before switching to the other.
- Lift one leg up to the side, angling it on a bit of a diagonal.
- As you lift the leg, twist your weight toward that thigh.
- Repeat this twist and lift motion continuously.
- After 30 seconds, switch to the other leg and repeat the diagonal lift and twist.
Standing Figure Eights
This one looks fancy, but don’t overthink it.
You’ll use both weights to make a figure-eight motion with your arms while lifting your legs — kind of like a standing Russian twist.
Here’s the thing, though: it’s really easy to just go through the motions and forget about your core. So stay focused, and breathe out as you bring your leg up. That little exhale makes a big difference.
How to perform:
- Hold both of your weights for this exercise.
- Create a figure-eight motion with your arms, twisting your body similar to a Russian twist.
- Bring the dumbbells down toward each of your hips in an alternating pattern.
- While moving the arms, lift your legs in an alternating fashion.
- Breathe out during the hardest part of the exercise, which is when you bring your leg up.
Wide Stance Toe Reach
For this standing core workout move, one dumbbell is all you need.
You’ll set your feet wide, reach one hand down to touch the opposite toes, then come back up and switch hands. Your body will make a triangle shape — and your abs are the top of that triangle, doing the heavy lifting to pull you back up each time.
If your hamstrings feel tight, just go as low as you can. You’ll still get the benefit.
How to perform:
- Hold one dumbbell and position your feet out wide.
- Extend one arm and reach your opposite hand down to touch your opposite toes.
- Imagine your body making a triangle position, thinking of your abs as the top of that triangle.
- Come back up to a standing position.
- Switch the dumbbell into the other hand at the top.
- Reach down to the other side, touching the opposite hand to the opposite toes.
- Use your core to lift yourself back up each time.
Standing One Leg Crunch
Another 30-seconds-per-leg exercise — and this one’s great for your obliques.
You’ll bring your arms up and crunch your upper body down as you drive one knee toward your chest. Want to really feel it? Try bringing your arms slightly out to the side instead of straight ahead.
And don’t forget to exhale as that knee comes up.
How to perform:
- Perform this movement for 30 seconds on one leg before switching.
- Bring your arms up; you can position them directly in front of you or slightly out to the side.
- Bring one knee up while crunching your upper body down toward that knee.
- Exhale as you lift the knee to help engage the abs.
- Focus on working the obliques during the crunch.
- After 30 seconds, switch to the other leg and repeat.
Weighted Oblique Crunches
This is a simple but effective standing ab exercise. You’ll hold both weights in one hand and lean to that side, sliding your hand down toward your knee.
Here’s the thing you want to watch for: make sure you’re using your core to bring yourself back up, not your back. Really squeeze those obliques at the top.
Once you finish one side, switch the weights over and repeat.
How to perform:
- Hold both of your weights in one hand.
- Stand with your feet apart.
- Lean your body toward the side holding the weights, keeping your shoulders on a diagonal.
- Slide your hands down toward your knee.
- Squeeze your core to lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Ensure you are using your core and not your back to perform the lift.
- Perform this on one side, then switch the weights to the other hand to work the opposite side.
Single Standing Leg Kick Crunch
You’re almost done! Drop those weights — this last one is bodyweight only.
You’ll kick one leg straight out in front of you and reach for your toes at the same time. It’s a great way to finish up this at home standing ab workout because it pulls everything together — balance, core, and control.
30 seconds per leg, and you’re done!
How to perform:
- Drop your weights for this final exercise; it is done with bodyweight only.
- Perform this for 30 seconds on one leg before switching.
- Bring your arms up overhead.
- Kick one leg out directly in front of you.
- As you kick, reach your hands forward toward your toes.
- Concentrate on engaging your abs during the reach.
- After 30 seconds, switch and perform the kicks on the other leg.
Article Medically reviewed by
I’m fitness coach Ashley Castleberry, an NASM-certified personal trainer and nutritionist, as well as a coach on an established YouTube Channel with over 1 million followers. With certifications from major fitness brands, I specialize in athletic, HIIT, and strength training. Leveraging my experience coaching clients on lifestyle changes, I provide customized exercise and nutrition guidance to help people reach their fitness goals, whether that be weight loss, muscle gain or overall health improvement.
