If summer’s around the corner and you want a more toned stomach before swimsuit season, you’ve found the right workout for summer.
This is the daily ab routine I always come back to, and it only takes 20 minutes, start to finish.
You don’t need any equipment either, just a soft spot on the floor and a bit of space.
Below I’ll walk you through all 8 moves, so grab some water and let’s go.
Reverse Crunches
This one’s a nice easy starter, and it’s perfect for waking up your lower abs before things get harder.
The main thing is pressing your lower back flat into the floor, because that’s what makes your abs do the work instead of your hip flexors taking over.
And when you lower your feet, take your time with it, since the slower you go the more your abs have to fight.
How to perform:
- Lie flat on your back on the mat
- Start with both feet flat on the floor
- Place your arms by your sides for support
- Bring your feet up off the floor
- Crunch your knees in toward your chest
- Press your lower back firmly into the floor
- Slowly lower your feet back down toward the floor
- Keep your lower abs engaged throughout the lowering phase
- Repeat continuously for the full set duration
Side Crunches
Now we’re moving onto the obliques, so get ready for those sides to start talking to you.
The key here is keeping your feet hovering just above the floor the whole way through, because as soon as they touch down you lose all the tension you’ve built up.
Bring your knees and elbow together in the middle of your body, and then lower back down nice and slow.
How to perform:
- Roll over onto one side on the mat
- Extend your bottom arm straight out along the floor
- Place the fingertips of your top hand behind your ear
- Prop yourself up using your obliques
- Bring both knees in toward your top elbow simultaneously
- Meet your knee and elbow right in the center
- Lower yourself back down with control
- Keep your feet off the floor throughout the entire set
- Switch to the other side after the rest period
Single Leg V-Sit
I know this one looks simple, but trust me, your core is going to feel it pretty quickly.
You’re basically folding your body in half and then unfolding it with control, so try not to flop back down on the way out.
That slow lower is honestly where most of the work happens, so don’t rush through it.
How to perform:
- Lie flat on your back with arms and legs fully extended
- Stretch your arms overhead along the floor
- Lift one leg straight up toward the ceiling
- Simultaneously crunch up into a V position
- Touch your fingertips behind your raised knee
- Control your body slowly back down to the floor
- Switch legs with each repetition
- Keep movements controlled rather than using momentum
Russian Twists with Star Crunch
Here we’re stacking two moves together, which means you get the obliques from the twists and the lower abs from the star crunch all in one go.
The twists wake up your sides, and then the star crunch stretches you out before pulling you back in tight.
Just make sure you come all the way back to center between reps, because half reps will only get you halfway there.
How to perform:
- Sit on your bum with knees bent and feet lifted
- Lean back slightly to engage your core
- Twist your torso side to side, counting one through four
- Complete four Russian twists in total
- Crunch up and reach for one toe with the opposite hand
- Return back to the lean seated position
- Crunch up again before reaching for the other toe
- Perform two star crunches total, alternating sides
- Return to Lean back position every time you crunch
Heel Reaches
This one looks pretty chill, but I promise it sneaks up on you in the best way.
The closer you can get your heels to your bum, the harder your upper abs have to work to lift you up off the floor.
Try to reach a tiny bit further with every rep, even if it’s only by a centimeter, because those little extras really add up.
How to perform:
- Lie flat on your back on the mat
- Place both feet flat on the floor
- Bring your heels in closer to your bum
- Lift your shoulder blades up off the floor
- Hold your shoulder blades up throughout the entire set
- Reach one hand to tap the side of that same foot
- Crunch slightly to the other side and tap the opposite foot
- Alternate tapping side to side, one hand at a time
- Press your lower back firmly into the floor throughout
- Reach as far as you can with each tap
Full Sit-Up
This is a classic for a reason, and starting with your arms overhead makes it that bit tougher because you’ve got all that weight to drag up with you.
The real win is on the way down though, so fight gravity instead of just collapsing back to the floor.
Do that and you basically get two reps worth of burn out of one.
How to perform:
- Lie flat on your back with your body extended long
- Keep both legs straight on the floor
- Extend your arms straight above your head
- Use your abs to lift your entire upper body up
- Come all the way up into a full seated position
- Press your lower back into the floor on the descent
- Slowly control yourself back to the starting position
- Avoid using momentum to swing yourself up
Plank Jack to Spider Crunch
This combo brings in a little cardio while still hitting your core, so your heart rate will be climbing by the end.
The plank jacks get your blood pumping, and then the spider crunches sneak in some extra oblique work while you’re already working hard.
Just keep those hips nice and low, because if your bum starts creeping up you’re letting your core off the hook.
How to perform:
- Flip over into a plank position on the mat
- Support yourself on either your hands or your elbows
- Keep your booty down and body in a straight line
- Jump both feet out wide, then back together
- Perform two plank jacks in total
- Bring one knee up toward the same-side elbow
- Return to plank, then bring the other knee to its elbow
- Perform two spider knee crunches total
- Continue alternating the sequence for the full set
Single Leg Side Crunch
You’ve made it to the finisher, and I know your obliques are probably toast by now, but stick with me because this is where it all pays off.
Try not to push off your supporting arm, and instead let your obliques do all the lifting for you.
Really squeeze at the top of every rep, and then you’re done. Nice work.
How to perform:
- Lie on one side on the mat
- Extend your bottom arm straight along the floor for support
- Place the fingertips of your top hand behind your ear
- Reach your top elbow toward your top knee
- Lift your shoulder and leg simultaneously to crunch
- Squeeze your oblique muscles at the top of the movement
- Lower yourself back down with control
- Focus mind-to-muscle connection on the obliques
- Avoid relying heavily on your supporting arm to lift
- Switch to the other side after the rest period
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.
