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Exercises

Core exercises at home for the front, sides and back

Published October 19, 2026

The best core exercises at home train all four sides of the trunk: the dead bug, bear crawl and ball body saw for the front, the side plank, Copenhagen plank and suitcase carry for the sides, the superman, ball back extension and kettlebell swing for the lower back, and the plank shoulder tap, renegade row and Turkish get-up for resisting rotation. The core's main job is to keep your spine steady while your arms and legs move, so most of these are holds and slow, controlled reps. Pick one move per group, 2 to 3 sets each, two or three times a week, ending each set 1 to 2 reps or a few seconds short of failure.

  1. Dead Bug Abs
  2. Bear Crawl Abs, Shoulders
  3. Side Plank Abs
  4. Plank Shoulder Tap Abs
  5. Superman Lower Back
  6. Dumbbell Suitcase Carry Abs, Quads
  7. Kettlebell Swing Glutes, Hamstrings

Front of the core: stop the back from arching

The abs in front keep your lower back from sagging when you reach, push or stand tall. Start on the floor with the dead bug, move to the bear crawl on all fours, and use an exercise ball for the body saw when you want it hard.

Front core, the starting point

Dead Bug

Abs

It teaches the one core skill everything else needs: keeping the lower back still while the limbs move. If you are starting from zero, start here.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up with arms reaching to the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees above your hips.
  2. Flatten your lower back against the floor and breathe out.
  3. Slowly extend one arm behind your head and the opposite leg forward, stopping just above the floor.
  4. Return to the start and switch sides.

Cues

  • Back flat
  • Slow reach
  • Exhale on the way out

Common mistakes

  • Letting the back lift as the leg extends: shorten the reach.
  • Moving fast so momentum carries the limbs.

Swap for: Plank, Lying Knee Raise

Build a session with Dead Bug

Front core, on all fours

Bear Crawl

Abs, Shoulders

Crawling forward on hands and toes with your knees just off the floor trains the abs to hold your trunk flat while every limb moves. It is the best all-fours core move, and it warms you up too.

How to do it

  1. Start on hands and knees, then lift your knees an inch off the floor.
  2. Move one hand and the opposite foot forward a short step at the same time.
  3. Keep your back flat and hips low as you crawl forward and back.

Cues

  • Knees an inch up
  • Flat back
  • Small steps

Common mistakes

  • Hips shooting up toward the ceiling.
  • Taking big steps that rock the trunk side to side.

Swap for: Dead Bug, Plank Shoulder Tap

Build a session with Bear Crawl

Front core, the hard one

Stability Ball Body Saw

Abs

With forearms on an exercise ball, you rock the ball forward and back from a plank. The longer lever is close to an ab wheel in difficulty but easier to scale.

How to do it

  1. Set both forearms on the ball and walk your feet back into a plank.
  2. Brace, then push the ball a short way forward by straightening at the shoulders.
  3. Pull it back under your shoulders without bending at the hips.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Small range first
  • Hips level

Common mistakes

  • Letting the lower back sag as the ball rolls away.
  • Piking the hips up to bring the ball back.

Swap for: Ab Wheel Rollout, Long Lever Plank

Build a session with Stability Ball Body Saw

Sides of the core: stop the trunk from tipping

The obliques and deep side muscles keep you upright when one hand carries or one foot steps. Side planks need nothing; a Copenhagen plank adds the inner thighs, and a one-hand carry trains it standing.

Side core, no equipment

Side Plank

Abs

A side plank is the simplest way to train the side muscles that keep the spine stacked. Bend the bottom knee to start, straighten it as you get stronger.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your side with your forearm under your shoulder and legs stacked or bottom knee bent.
  2. Push your hips up until your body is straight.
  3. Hold, lower, and switch sides.

Cues

  • Hips forward and up
  • Long body
  • Breathe

Common mistakes

  • Letting the top hip roll back.
  • Holding past the point the hips start to sink.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Plank, Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip

Build a session with Side Plank

Side core and inner thigh

Copenhagen Plank

Adductors, Abs

Holding a side plank with your top leg on a bench or couch adds the inner thigh to the obliques. It is a strong move for anyone who runs or plays field sports.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your side by a bench or couch and set your top leg on it, the inside of the knee or ankle on the edge.
  2. Push up on your forearm and lift your hips so your body is straight.
  3. Hold, lower and switch sides.

Cues

  • Squeeze the top leg down
  • Hips high
  • Stacked shoulders

Common mistakes

  • Starting with the ankle on the bench: begin from the knee.
  • Letting the hips sag while you hold.

Swap for: Side Plank, Dumbbell Side Plank

Build a session with Copenhagen Plank

Side core, standing

Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Abs, Quads

One heavy dumbbell in one hand makes your opposite side hold you upright for every step. It trains the core the way you use it when you carry bags or children.

How to do it

  1. Pick up one heavy dumbbell beside your foot and stand tall.
  2. Walk forward slowly with both shoulders level.
  3. Set it down, change hands and come back.

Cues

  • Level shoulders
  • Tall spine
  • Slow walk

Common mistakes

  • Bending toward the weight.
  • Using a dumbbell light enough to ignore.

Swap for: Farmer's Walk, Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry

Build a session with Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Resisting rotation

Taking one hand off the floor or lifting one side makes your trunk want to twist. These moves train it not to, which is what protects the back when you lift and carry awkward loads.

Anti-rotation, no equipment

Plank Shoulder Tap

Abs

Tapping one shoulder from a high plank takes away a support, and your core must stop your hips from swaying. It is the easiest way to learn anti-rotation at home.

How to do it

  1. Set up in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders and feet wider than your hips.
  2. Lift one hand and touch the opposite shoulder.
  3. Put it back and repeat with the other hand, keeping your hips still.

Cues

  • Hips don't sway
  • Wide feet
  • Slow taps

Common mistakes

  • Rocking the hips to make room for the tap.
  • Rushing the taps so the body swings.

Swap for: Renegade Row, Bear Crawl

Build a session with Plank Shoulder Tap

Anti-rotation, with dumbbells

Renegade Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rowing one dumbbell from a plank adds load to the shoulder tap: the heavier the dumbbell, the harder your trunk must work to stay square. It also trains your upper back.

How to do it

  1. Get into a high plank holding a pair of dumbbells, feet wide.
  2. Row one dumbbell to your hip while the other arm and both feet hold you up.
  3. Lower it and row the other side.

Cues

  • Square hips
  • Row to the pocket
  • Feet wide

Common mistakes

  • Twisting the body open on each row.
  • Bending the hips up to make it easier.

Swap for: Plank Shoulder Tap, One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Build a session with Renegade Row

Whole core, one kettlebell

Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up

Shoulders, Abs

Getting from lying to standing with a kettlebell held overhead trains your trunk in every direction at once. It takes practice, so learn it light.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with a kettlebell pressed up in one hand, the same-side knee bent.
  2. Roll onto the opposite elbow, then the hand, keeping the bell locked out above you.
  3. Lift your hips, sweep the straight leg back to a kneel, and stand up.
  4. Reverse each step back down to the floor.

Cues

  • Eyes on the bell
  • Arm locked
  • One step at a time

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the steps and losing the vertical arm.
  • Using a heavy bell before the sequence is smooth.

Swap for: Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry, Kettlebell Windmill

Build a session with Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up

Lower back core exercises at home

The muscles along your spine are part of the core too, and most home ab lists skip them. Train them with a floor superman, an exercise-ball extension, and the kettlebell swing, which works the hips and back together.

Lower back, no equipment

Superman

Lower Back

Peeling your upper body and legs up from a face-down position trains the muscles along your spine, the side of the core most home routines leave out.

How to do it

  1. Lie face down with your arms reaching past your head.
  2. Raise arms, chest and thighs a few inches together, glutes squeezed.
  3. Hold for two seconds, then lower slowly.

Cues

  • Long reach
  • Squeeze glutes
  • Look at the floor

Common mistakes

  • Craning the neck back to lift higher.
  • Jerking up and dropping down.

Swap for: Exercise Ball Back Extension, Band Good Morning

Build a session with Superman

Lower back, more range

Exercise Ball Back Extension

Lower Back

Lying over an exercise ball lets your back round and straighten through a bigger range than the floor. Anchor your feet against a wall.

How to do it

  1. Lie face down over an exercise ball with the ball under your hips and your feet against a wall.
  2. Let your chest round down over the ball.
  3. Lift your chest until your body is straight, pause, and lower.

Cues

  • Feet pinned
  • Lift to straight
  • No overarch

Common mistakes

  • Arching far past straight at the top.
  • Letting the ball roll by not bracing your feet.

Swap for: Superman, Dumbbell Good Morning

Build a session with Exercise Ball Back Extension

Lower back and hips, powerful

Kettlebell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

A hip hinge done fast, the swing trains the back to hold its position while the glutes and hamstrings drive the bell. It is the core move that also gets your heart rate up.

How to do it

  1. Stand with feet wider than hips and the kettlebell a foot in front of your toes.
  2. Hike it back between your legs with a flat back.
  3. Snap your hips forward so the bell floats to chest height, then let it fall back into the next hinge.

Cues

  • Hinge, not squat
  • Snap the hips
  • Arms are ropes

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the bell with the arms.
  • Rounding the back as the bell goes between the legs.

Swap for: Kettlebell Deadlift, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Build a session with Kettlebell Swing

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

New to core training, floor only

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentBodyweight

You have not trained your core before and want a routine for the floor of a small room.

These four moves need only a floor and cover all four sides: the dead bug for the front, the plank shoulder tap for rotation, the bear crawl on all fours and the superman for the back. None loads the spine heavily, so it suits beginners, and 10 sets keeps it to 15 minutes. All sets stop at 2 RIR because control matters more than fatigue at first.

Floor Core
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dead BugPer side. 3 × 6–10 2 45 s
Plank Shoulder TapTaps per side. 2 × 8–16 2 45 s
Bear CrawlSteps forward and back. 2 × 10–20 2 1 min
Superman2 s hold. 3 × 8–12 2 45 s
How to run it
Do it three times a week. Move slowly; a set ends when the form slips, not when the clock says so.
How to progress
Add reps or steps each week. After four weeks at the top of every range, add the side plank or move to the kettlebell plan.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

One kettlebell, 20 minutes

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentKettlebells

You have one kettlebell and want core training that also builds strength and conditioning.

One bell is enough for the two moves that train the most core per minute: the swing for the back and hips and the get-up for every direction. The dead bug stays in as the front-core move that slots between swing sets. Swings go 10 to 15 at 1 RIR, get-ups stay at 2 RIR and low reps because a sloppy rep with a bell overhead is the one to avoid.

Kettlebell Core
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Kettlebell Swing 4 × 10–15 1 30 s
A2 Dead BugPer side. 4 × 6–10 1 1 min
Kettlebell Turkish Get-UpPer side. 3 × 2–3 2 90 s
How to run it
Do it twice a week. Alternate one set of swings with one set of dead bugs, then finish with the get-ups.
How to progress
Add swing reps up to 15, then move to a heavier bell. Add a get-up rep per side before adding weight there.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

An exercise ball and a pair of dumbbells

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets14 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentExercise Ball, Dumbbells

You have a ball and dumbbells at home and want a harder core session that includes the lower back.

The ball gives the body saw for the front of the core and the back extension for the spine muscles, with more range than the floor. Dumbbells add the renegade row for rotation and the suitcase carry for the sides. Fourteen sets across two routines covers each side of the trunk twice a week. Body saw and renegade row stay at 2 RIR because form breaks there first; back extensions and carries go to 1.

Core A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Stability Ball Body Saw 3 × 6–12 2 1 min
Exercise Ball Back Extension 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 20–45 1 45 s

Open Core A in the session builder

Core B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Renegade RowPer side. 3 × 6–10 2 75 s
Dumbbell Suitcase CarrySteps per hand. 3 × 20–40 1 1 min

Open Core B in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate Core A and Core B, four sessions over two weeks or two a week.
How to progress
Lengthen the body saw range, then add reps; carry farther before going heavier; add a light dumbbell to the back extension once 15 is easy.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are the best core exercises at home?

The dead bug, the side plank, the plank shoulder tap and the superman. They train the front, sides, rotation and back of the trunk with no equipment. Add the kettlebell swing or suitcase carry if you have a weight.

Does walking strengthen your core?

Walking uses the core lightly, enough to keep it working but not enough to make it stronger. Carrying a weight while you walk, as in the suitcase carry, turns it into real core training.

What core exercises can I do on all fours?

The bear crawl, the plank shoulder tap and the renegade row all start from hands and knees or a high plank. Each one makes your trunk stay flat while a limb moves.

How can I tighten my stomach fast?

Core training firms up the muscles in a few weeks, but the look of a flatter stomach depends on body fat, which comes off gradually through diet. There is no quick fix for that part.

How often should I do core exercises at home?

Two or three times a week, 8 to 12 hard sets each time. The core recovers quickly, but it still needs rest days to get stronger.

What is the difference between core and ab exercises?

Ab exercises mostly target the front muscles and often curl the spine. Core exercises cover the whole trunk, including the sides and lower back, and mostly train it to stay still while your arms and legs move.