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Our ab set incorporates both standing core exercises and seated ab crunches, ideal for beginners who are uncomfortable with being on the ground or haven’t developed the strength for advanced ab work yet. These ab exercises focus on strengthening the muscles of the lower abs and stabilizers in the pelvis and hips. This means that you can not only improve your posture but prevent back pain as you grow stronger through your midsection during this ab challenge.

The best part of these lower body and ab exercises? Each one requires only your bodyweight, making it perfect as an easy at home workout, on-the-go fitness routine, or even to take outdoors. Want to make it even more challenging? Try a dumbbell lower body workout by using weights during the glute exercises for added difficulty.

If you need a shorter workout, be sure to check out our Youtube channel for more fitness videos, including 15-minute, short on time workout options.

See our full workout series here.

30 Minute Bodyweight Lower Body and Abs Workout

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Suggested:

5-10 Minute warmup + cool down of your choice.

Tip:

While this workout is higher in reps, pay close attention to your form. If needed, only do two rounds of each set.

Need a Challenge?

Add in a pair of dumbbells for a weighted challenge.

Lower Body and Ab Exercises List

Perform three sets of each round before moving on, with 8-12 reps of each exercise. Rest 1 minute between rounds.

Leg Exercises:

Sumo Squat Pulse

How-to: Start with toes turned out, legs wide, hips open. Sink down to your lowest point, aiming to get the thighs parallel with the mat. Slowly pulse and then stand up.

Form tip: Avoid hinging as you sink low. Imagine that your back is up against a wall as you lower.

Modification: Can’t get your thighs parallel with the mat? Find your lowest point and pulse there.

Side Lunge Curtsy

How-to: Start tall, feet underneath the hips. Step one foot out to the side, toes pointed forward. Send the hips back, keeping the knee over the ankle, as you sink into the side lunge. As you stand back up, take the lunging leg and cross it behind your standing leg, sinking into a curtsy lunge. Perform all the reps on the same side before switching.

Form tip: To protect the knees, always keep the knee stacked directly over the ankle. Keep your chest tall, avoiding hinging in either lunging position.

Modification: If you find that your knee presses forward over your toe, widen your stance as you press the hips backwards.

Challenge: Grab a pair of dumbbells and add in a bicep curl at the bottom of the curtsy lunge.

Single Leg Deadlift

How-to: Stand on your mat, feet underneath your hips. With a slight bend in the standing leg, send the opposite leg back, until your back and core are parallel with the mat. Press into the standing leg to bring the body back up to standing. Perform all reps on the same side before switching.

Form tip: Keep the back flat at all times to prevent injury to the lower back or rounding through the spine. As you hinge forward, keep the hips level by looking forward. The hip of the lifted leg will want to twist up towards the ceiling, so rotate the hips so that they point downwards and in line.

Challenge: Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them in your hands as you hinge forward.

Squat + Side Kick

How-to: Start standing, with feet underneath hips. Send the hips backwards into a squat position, pressing the knees outward. As you stand shift the weight into one leg and slowly extend your leg to kick to the side. Perform all reps on the same side before switching.

Form tip: As you stand up into the kick, control the motion. This should be a slow movement, focusing on balance, not a karate kick. Find your balance in your standing leg before going back into the squat. This exercise is not about speed, but controlling the movement and focusing on proper form.

Modification: If you are struggling with balance or have sensitive hips or knees, add in a lateral leg lift at the top of the squat.

Glute Exercises:

(Use a chair for the following exercises. Perform all three hinged exercises on the same side before moving on.)

Hinged Donkey Kicks

How-to: Place your hands on the back of a chair and step back to bring your chest arms width away. With feet underneath hips, knees in one line, this is your starting position. Keeping the core engaged, flex the foot of one leg, bending the knee to 90 degrees. Lift and lower the knee, keeping the bend and squeezing the glutes at the top.

Form tip: Press your hands into the back of the chair to keep your balance. Use the muscles of your abdominals to prevent the back from arching.

Modification: Place your hands on top of each other on the back of the chair and place your forehead to gain greater stability.

Challenge: Place a dumbbell behind the knee and squeeze to increase the difficulty with weight.

Hinged Fire Hydrants

How-to: In the same position as the previous exercise, open your knee out to the side, keeping the foot flexed and the knee bent. As you lift and lower, keep the knees in line.

Form tip: Do not let yourself “tip” into the opposite side as you open. Do not focus on how high you can lift the leg but how well you can control the movement, lifting and lowering.

Modification: Drop to a quadruped position to gain more balance and stability.

Hinged Leg Lifts

How-to: In the same position as the previous exercise, extend one leg long, slightly bending the other. Point the toe of the extended leg and slowly lift and lower, squeezing the glutes at the top.

Form tip: Avoid arching through the back as you lift and lower by engaging the abs.

Challenge: Add in a leg lift and cross. As you lift the leg, lower by crossing to the opposite side of the mat, diagonally across the body. As you lift, shift the leg back to center.

Slow Hip Circles

How-to: Stand tall, with feet beneath the hips, one hand on the back of your chair, body turned so that the chair is to your side. Flex the foot and bend the knee, lifting it in front of you. Slowly draw a large counterclockwise circle with your knee, before bringing the leg back to center.

Form tip: Don’t let your hips twist during this movement. Keep the rest of your body still to keep the movement in the hips and lower abs.

Challenge: Add those weights behind the knee for the weighted difficulty.

Ab Exercises:

(Use a chair for the following exercises.)

In & Outs

How-to: Start seated on the chair, hands behind your hips, fingertips pointed towards your body. If using a bench, place your hands on the opposite side for stability. Bring the knees into the chest and extend the legs out.

Form tip: Keep the bottom of your butt off the chair if possible and don’t let the legs touch the ground.

Modification: If bringing both legs into the chest is too difficult, try bringing one knee in at a a time. Alternately, you can remove the chair entirely and sit on the ground, for more stability.

Leg Lifts

How-to: In the same position as the previous exercise, extend both legs long, heels on the ground, toes pointed. Lift both legs together.

Form tip: It can be easy to rock back and forth during this exercise. To make the most out of this challenging lower ab exercise, press the legs together and lift from the lower abs, making a V-shape with your body.

Modification: Lift one leg at a time.

Incline Knee to Elbow

How-to: Place your hands on either side of the seat of the chair, extending the arms into an incline pushup position. Bring the elbow and knee on the same side to touch. Alternate sides throughout the exercise.

Form tip: Keep the core muscles tight as you bring the knee to elbow. Avoid rounding or arching the back.

Challenge: Take this core exercise up a notch by turning this into a decline ab exercise. Place your feet on the chair and your hands on the mat.

Sit Up And Reach

How-to: On your back, feet into the mat, knees pointed upwards, extend your arms over your head. Slowly sit up, touching your finger tips to the seat of the chair. Slowly lower down.

Form tip: Don’t swing through the movement. Control and use each muscle in your abs as you slowly sit up to touch the chair.

Modification: If you don’t quite have the strength to sit all the way up, turn this into a crunch exercise instead.

Challenge: Hold a weight in your hands as you sit up.