I'm a personal trainer: these 3 moves are elite for unlocking strong, stable abs without lying on the floor

Strong core muscles are the secret to an injury-resistant and robust body. Not sure where to get started? Here’s where we come in.

You don’t need any equipment to do this abs workout, but you might decide to add weights to make it harder. Otherwise, just roll out one of the best yoga mats and try these three moves to unlock stronger abs without lying down on the floor.

This routine is beginner-friendly, and I demonstrate all the exercises below, so you can take the guesswork out of your form.

Show me the 3-move abs workout:

To do the workout, work for 45 seconds, then rest for 15. Complete five rounds of the circuit.

1. Bear squat (loaded beast)

This move mobilizes the wrists and ankles while working your core muscles, hips, glutes and legs. Because of the horizontal position, you can drop deeper into the squat, improving overall mobility; that said, the face-down position means your quads, shoulders and arms tend to pick up a lot of load quickly, so if you need to drop your knees down or take extra rest, please do.

• Start in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and hips over your knees
• Brace your core, then lift your knees to hover above the mat
• Drive your hips back toward your heels and pause here while pressing through your hands
• Shoot your body weight forward over your wrists, keeping your back flat and knees close to the mat without touching
• Continue moving forward and backward, keeping your stomach engaged.

2. Plank tuck jumps

Plank tucks are explosive by nature and raise your heart rate. Most of the muscles in your body work to keep you stable and maintain the plank position as you jump forward and back using your core, hips, glutes and legs.

Push through your hands to create space in the upper body for your feet to land beneath you. Remember, you can always step this movement through to slow things down. If your wrists start to ache, elevate them on dumbbells, books, or blocks.

• Start in a high plank position with your shoulders over your wrists and hips aligned with your shoulders
• Brace your glutes, thighs and stomach, keeping them engaged throughout. Your hips mustn't sag toward the mat, as this puts pressure on your back
• Jump your feet forward and land on the balls of your feet just behind your hands
• Explosively jump back to the plank position
• Keep moving between the two. For a lower-impact option, try stepping one foot at a time forward and backward rather than jumping.

3. Alternating plank extensions

Plank extensions focus on building stability and anti-rotation. Keep your hips square to the mat beneath you and drive the effort through your core; your arms and legs are secondary and will test your balance, but your strength should come from the muscles in your torso that support your hips and spine.

• Start in a forearm plank position with your shoulders over your elbows and your hips aligned with your shoulders
• Engage your stomach, glutes and thighs
• With control, slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg away from you
• Return to the starting position, then repeat with the other arm and leg. Again, try not to let your hips drop or drive up too high with your butt.

What are the benefits? 

Standing, seated, or kneeling exercises may be kinder for people who suffer from limited mobility or low blood pressure, which prevents moving up and down repeatedly.

However, these core exercises require weight-bearing on your wrists, so a quick warm-up routine for your wrists can be beneficial, including some circles and stretches.

I recommend learning this quick five-minute bracing routine to help you understand what is happening when we say "brace your core" or "activate your core," as it can be confusing. In short, think about tensing to take the impact of a punch to the stomach while breathing down and out rather than keeping your breath in your chest.

A strong midsection will help you stabilize, balance and move better during daily activities and workouts. Think about pushing or pulling movements, carrying heavy objects, or even sitting yourself up off the ground. Collectively, your core, hips, glutes and hamstrings protect your lower back, helping to boost posture and reduce pain.

Although you're not working for long, keep the rest short, maximizing tension in your core muscles. Despite the workout only featuring three exercises, they target many muscle groups, not just your abs. If you're new to ab workouts, our guide on abs versus core muscles is a must-read.

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