The 15-Minute Abs Workout That Actually Builds a Stronger Core

Most men train their abs like it's 1995: a few hundred crunches at the end of a workout and a vague hope for the best. The problem is that your core isn't built to curl you forward over and over. Its real job is to stop movement — to keep your spine steady while your arms and legs do the work. Train it that way and you get a stronger midsection, a better deadlift and a back that holds up to long days on your feet.

This routine does exactly that. Six moves, two rounds, about 15 minutes. Do it three times a week, on its own or after a regular workout, and give it a month before you judge it.

How to run the workout

Do each exercise for the reps or time listed, rest 30 seconds, then move to the next. After all six, rest two minutes and repeat the circuit once more. Focus on control, not speed: a slow, clean rep beats three sloppy ones.

1. Dead bug

Lie on your back with your arms pointing at the ceiling and your knees bent at 90 degrees over your hips. Press your lower back into the floor. Slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the floor, stop just before they touch, and return. Switch sides. If your lower back lifts off the floor, you've gone too far.

2. Hollow body hold

Still on your back, press your lower back down, then lift your shoulders and legs a few inches off the floor with your arms reaching overhead. Your body should look like a shallow banana. Too hard? Bend your knees or bring your arms to your sides.

3. Side plank with reach

Set up in a side plank on your forearm, hips high and in line with your shoulders and feet. Reach your top arm to the ceiling, then thread it under your body and back up. The move trains the obliques and the muscles along your spine that keep you from tipping sideways.

4. Pallof press

Anchor a band at chest height to something sturdy and stand side-on to it. Hold the band at your chest, then press it straight out in front of you and hold for two seconds without letting it twist you toward the anchor. That fight against rotation is the whole point. A set of TRX exercise bands covers this and plenty more.

5. Ab wheel rollout

The hardest move here and the most effective. Kneel on a mat, hands on the wheel, and roll forward slowly while keeping your hips from sagging. Go only as far as you can while holding a straight line from knees to head, then pull yourself back using your abs, not your hips. Start with short rollouts and add range each week.

6. Hanging knee raise

Hang from a pull-up bar with your shoulders engaged. Curl your knees toward your chest by tilting your pelvis up, then lower slowly without swinging. No bar? Swap in reverse crunches on the floor.

What actually makes abs visible

Stronger abs and visible abs aren't the same thing. How much you see depends mostly on your overall body fat, which comes down to what you eat, how you sleep and how consistently you train — not on how many core exercises you do. This workout builds the muscle; the rest of your routine decides how much of it shows.

If you have back pain or an injury, check with a doctor or physical therapist before starting a new routine.

Gear that makes it easier

You can do four of these six moves with nothing at all. For the other two, an ab wheel and a set of bands are the best money you'll spend on a home gym, and a thick mat makes rollouts and floor work far more comfortable. Pair it with a sweat-proof steel watch like the ones in our luxury dive watch guide and you're set. Traveling? This whole circuit needs no equipment but the ab wheel and bands, which makes it the routine we recommend in our guide to packing a carry-on for guys who don't want to skip training on the road. If you train with music, a pair of noise-canceling headphones with a secure fit is worth the extra cost over cheap earbuds that slip during floor work. For more, browse the rest of Living.