12 Weighted Core Exercises To Strengthen Your Abs

Building core strength is an amazing fitness goal that will benefit you in every workout you do and every move you make in everyday life, but stronger abs don’t have to involve millions of mind-numbing crunches.

Why add weight?

Let’s say you started your strength training journey with a zero-equipment program to build your confidence and now you feel ready to level up. At this point, we wouldn’t tell you to do a hundred more bodyweight squats, we’d recommend you grab some weights and start progressively overloading your muscles. Core training is no different!

Adding weighted core exercises into your routine can help to fast-track your progress by making your core muscles work harder against the resistance, as well as adding a fun new level of intensity that your body (and mind!) might not be used to.

While these are some of our favourite weighted core exercises that specifically target your abs, weighted compound exercises are also amazing for building core strength - that’s all your lifts that engage multiple muscle groups at once, such as squats, deadlifts, bench press and pull-ups. They might sound like movements for your arms and legs, but compound lifts all require significant core strength for stabilisation, so you can actually have an incredible core workout without doing a single “ab exercise”!

Getting started

If this is your first time trying any of these exercises, we recommend starting with a light weight or your bodyweight to master the movement, and then work towards using weights that feel challenging while still maintaining your form. Choosing your faves and doing 10-15 reps for 3-4 sets makes for a great core workout, or add a few at the end of your session as a finisher.

We’ve included a range of equipment to show you how much potential there is, and apart from the suspension trainer and cable machine, most pieces of equipment can be substituted depending on what you have available. Nine of these exercises could easily be performed with dumbbells!

Dead bug

Dead bugs are great for building core strength but remember to move slowly with control to get the most out of each rep. Instead of holding a dumbbell, you can also add resistance to this exercise by wearing wrist and ankle weights.

1. Lie on your back with your legs stretched out and your back on the floor, holding a dumbbell directly above your head.

2. Bring your knees up so they are directly above your hips. You want a 90-degree angle at both the hip and the knee.

3. Keeping your arms straight, lower the dumbbell behind your head until your elbows are by your ears, and at the same time, extend your left leg (opposite) out so it’s straight and hovering above the floor. Your back should remain firmly on the ground at all times to keep your core engaged. Think about drawing your belly button towards the floor!

4. Bring your arms and the extended leg back to the starting position. Repeat, alternating sides.

Russian twist

Although it might look impressive to perform Russian twists at a million miles per hour, you’ll get a much more effective workout moving slowly.

1. Start seated on a yoga mat with your knees bent and heels on the mat, holding a medicine ball or weight of your choice. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight, so that your abdominals are engaged and you are balancing on your sit bones. This is your starting position.

2. While keeping your lower body as still as possible (you don’t want to be rocking forward and back), twist your torso to the right, come back to the centre starting position, then twist to the left.

3. Continue alternating between left and right.

Renegade row

Aside from the work that your arms, shoulders and back are doing here, renegade rows involve a huge amount of core control required to keep your body stable throughout each rep.

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, position your hands on the mat shoulder-width apart and both feet slightly apart behind you, resting on your knees. Gently draw your ribs to your hips to engage your core. This is your starting position.

2. Release your right hand and bend your elbow to draw the dumbbell in towards you, ensuring that your elbow remains in close contact with the right side of your body. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades. Engage your abdominals to ensure that your hips remain steady and facing the floor - you want to minimise any rocking.

3. Extend your right elbow to return to the starting position.

4. Release your left hand and bend your elbow to draw the dumbbell in towards you, ensuring that your elbow remains in close contact with the left side of your body. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades. Engage your abdominals to stabilise your hips.

5. Continue alternating between right and left sides.

Kneeling cable crunch

1. Connect the rope attachment and set the cable pulley at the top of the pole. Turn to face the cable pulley and grasp the rope attachment with both hands. Standing two steps away, come to a kneeling position with toes tucked. Bend your elbows so that the rope attachment is positioned just above your head and your hands are by your ears. This is your starting position.

2. Using your abdominals, crunch your torso and draw your elbows towards your knees, ensuring that you keep your hips as still as possible.

3. Extend your spine to return to the starting position. Repeat.

Straight leg raises

Say hello to your upper abs! For even more of a burn for your upper abs, you can also add a toe tap at the top of the movement, aiming to tap your feet with the ball before lowering your legs.

1. Lie on your bag on your mat, holding a medicine ball directly above your chest with both hands with your legs extended flat on the mat.

2. While keeping your legs extended, slowly raise your legs up towards the ceiling towards the medicine ball until they form a 90-degree angle with your hips.

3. Slowly lower your legs to return to the starting position, but without completely lowering your feet to the floor. Repeat.

Suspended plank with knee tuck

If you’re new to suspension training, a suspended plank is a great place to start before trying out the knee tuck variation. For suspension training fans, we love Kelsey Wells’ Suspension Strength program, which includes variations like the suspended pike where you lift your hips high up into the air. The slower and more controlled your movements, the harder these exercises are.

1. Adjust the suspension trainer handles to a low position near the ground, then place the tops of your feet securely in the suspension trainer straps. It is easiest to do this kneeling facing away from the suspension trainer and reaching behind you to grab them.

2. Walk your hands out away from the suspension trainer until you’re able to lift your knees off the floor and hold a plank position, keeping your arms straight and your hands directly below your shoulders.

3. From the plank position, use your core to pull your knees towards your chest with control, bringing them as close as possible to your elbows. Keep your back straight and your hips lifted throughout the movement, maintaining tension in the suspension trainer straps.

4. Hold the tuck position briefly, feeling the contraction in your core, then slowly extend your legs back to the starting plank position with control. Repeat.

Push-up dumbbell pass

While Brit is demonstrating this with a dumbbell, you could also use a medicine ball or even a weight plate.

1. Start in a high plank position, with your hands shoulder-width apart, your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell placed on the ground between your hands. Engage your core and ensure your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels.

2. Perform a push up by lowering your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body.

3. As you push back up to the starting position, lift one hand off the ground and pass the dumbbell under your body to the other hand.

4. Lower yourself back down into a push up, and repeat the dumbbell pass with your other hand on the next rep, keeping your core engaged throughout the exercise and maintaining a straight line from your head to your heels.

5. Avoid tilting your hips or shoulders by bracing your core as you pass the dumbbell between your hands.

Farmers carry

Dumbbells, kettlebells or two heavy backpacks - use whatever you’ve got!

1. Begin standing holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand by your sides in a neutral grip (palms facing towards your body). This is your starting position.

2. Keeping the weights by your sides, start walking forwards, ensuring you maintain a strong core and proud posture. You should feel tension in your glutes, quads, core and shoulders to maintain a balanced and stable position during the exercise.

Woodchop

Twisting movements are common in everyday life, but they’re also a common source of injuries. That’s why core exercises that involve trunk rotation are so important for injury prevention by keeping your body strong and mobile and your spine supported. You can perform woodchops with a medicine ball, plate, dumbbell or a cable machine.

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a medicine ball with both hands directly in front of your chest.

2. While maintaining a slight bend in your knees, extend your arms and twist your torso as you bring the medicine ball down in a diagonal motion towards your left knee.

3. Pivot your feet as you engage your core, turning your hips and torso as you move the medicine ball in an upwards diagonal motion across your body to eye level on your right-hand side, ensuring that your arms remain straight.

4. Repeat, then switch sides.

Bent-leg jackknives

You’ll need a dumbbell or medicine ball for this one!

1. Holding a dumbbell or medicine ball with both hands, lie on your back on a yoga mat with your arms extended above your head. Engage your core by drawing your belly button towards your spine and trying to press your back into the floor. Elevate your legs off the mat slightly. This is your starting position.

2. Bend your knees and using your abdominals, draw them in towards your chest, ensuring your feet stay together. At the same time, bring the dumbbell over your head and towards your feet, slowly lifting your head, shoulder blades and torso off the mat.

3. Slowly lower your arms and extend your legs to return to the starting position, but without lowering your feet to the floor.

4. Repeat.

Plank rotations

For this exercise, it’s best to use flat-sided dumbbells to prevent rolling. If you’re not feeling it in your core, focus on keeping your hips up when you’re facing the side - that lift should engage your obliques immediately.

1. Start with one dumbbell in each hand placed on the yoga mat shoulder width apart. Extend both legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet in a high plank position. Think about drawing your belly button towards your spine to engage your core. This is your starting position.

2. Shift your weight to your left side, then lift your right hand and dumbbell into the air as you rotate your torso to face the side and keep your hips elevated to engage your obliques.

3. Lower your right arm and return to your high plank position.

4. Repeat, alternating sides.

Sit-ups with press

Weighted sit-ups can be enough of a challenge, so the press here is optional!

1. Start by holding a medicine ball or one dumbbell with both hands. Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat in a sit-up position with your knees bent, your feet firmly on the mat and the dumbbell close to your chest. Engage your core by drawing your belly button in towards your spine.

2. Keeping your heels firmly planted on the floor, perform a sit-up by slowly lift your head, shoulder blades, and torso off the floor. Lengthen your spine to sit up tall. Once you are sitting upright, press the dumbbell up towards the ceiling.

3. Bring the dumbbell back to your chest and slowly lower your torso, shoulder blades and head to the mat to return to the starting position.

4. Repeat.

Ready to spice things up?

Core training burns, but it definitely doesn’t need to be boring. For your next core challenge, you can also find targeted ab workouts in the On Demand section of the Sweat app, or give Kayla Itsines’ popular 3-week Ab Burn Challenge a go!