Transform Fitspo may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

25 Top Sexy Abs Exercises for Women

A massive list of the 25 best sexy abs exercises for women! The only list you need to get toned, sexy abs.

1. Commandos

To mix up the standard plank try commandos:
1. Move from your forearms to your hands, one arm at a time. This will put you in a high plank, or push-up position.
2. Make sure to adjust your bodyweight as you move each arm so you remain stable.
3. When in the high plank position, move one arm at a time to your forearms to put you back into plank position.
4. When you are back in the standard plank position, you’ve completed one rep.

2. Plank

1. Start on your hands and knees and place your forearms on the floor, with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
2. Raise your torso off the ground, having that balls of your feet touching the ground as shown.
3. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, whilst keeping your back in a neutral position without any curvature. Your hips should be level with your shoulders.
4. Hold for as long as you can! Try to extend this time to improve your core strength.

3. Balance Ball Sit-up

Here is another variation that adds yet more instability by sitting on top of a balance ball. Make sure you try this exercise slowly as it takes getting use to, but when you get it right, it’s excellent for sexy abs!
1. Lie on a balance ball. Have the curve of your lower back curve with the balance ball.
2. Have your feet firmly placed on the floor, bent at the knee.
3. Lower your upper torso backwards. It should be hanging off the ball.
4. Keep your arms at the side of your head, or resting behind your head. Don’t pull on your head or neck.
5. Keep your hips still and tense your abs, curling yourself upwards.
6. Lower yourself backwards to your starting position. This is one rep.

4. On Side Hip Raises

This is a great way to use your bodyweight to really work your obliques, giving great framing for your sexy abs!
1. From side plank position, making sure your elbow is directly underneath your shoulder, lower your body until your hips touch the ground. You can have your feet scissored (as shown) or on top of each other.
2. Tense your obliques (side abs) to raise your body back up to a proper side plank position, with your neck and spine in a neutral position.

5. Ab Bikes

The ab bike is a great movement to hit all of your ab muscles with one exercise.
1. Lay flat on your back, with your feet extended in front of you.
2. Bend your elbows, placing your hands at the side of your head (you can rest them behind your head, never pull on your neck)!
3. Bend your knees at a 90 degree angle with your hips.
4. Cycle between bringing your opposite elbow and knee to each other, whilst extending your other leg outwards as shown. Your legs should circle around like they would if you were riding a bike.
5. Make sure to twist your torso, tensing your abs as you make a cycling movement.
6. Each time you’ve completed a cycle of each side, that is one rep.

6. Bench Leg Raises

Leg raises on a bench or other raised surface are great because you can lower your legs further, allowing your lower abs to be more effectively targeted.
1. Sit at the end of a bench, resting on your coccyx bone.
2. Place your hands slightly behind you, or under your coccyx if you need support.
3. Keep your feet held together and lower them off the bench, keeping your legs straight.
4. Tense your abs, bringing your legs upwards whilst bending your legs until they form a 90 degree angle with your hips. Hold for 2-3 seconds.
5. Slowly release your legs, extending them outwards again to the starting position. This is one rep.

7. Push Up Touch Shoulders

This is a great way to work on your shoulder strength as well as your core strength.
1. Get into a high plank position with your hands directly below your shoulders.
2. Tense your core and keep your spine in a neutral position.
3. One arm at a time, raise your hand to your opposite shoulder.
4. After touching each shoulder once, this is one rep.

8. Balance Ball Crunches

This variation on the crunch adds difficulty with a balance ball by removing some of your stability, making it a great way to tear more muscle so you can build sexy abs.
1. Get into a normal crunch position, but place your lower legs on top of a balance ball. Remember not to pull on your neck or head.
2. Keeping your lower back on the floor, tense your abs to lift your torso up, whilst tensing your glutes to pull the balance ball in towards you. Hold for 2-3 seconds. This is one rep.
Variation: Hold a weight plate behind your head to add resistance (again, remember not to pull on the plate as it will put stress on your neck and back).

9. Swimmers

Swimmers are a great way to work your whole body whilst giving your lower back a workout.
1. Lie on your stomach and squeeze your glutes as hard as you can, raising both legs off the ground.
2. Reach forwards with your arms, keeping your palms facing downwards a few inches above the ground.
3. Lift your alternate arm and leg up into the air, squeezing all of the muscles from your shoulders down to your glutes. This is one rep.
4. Repeat with the other arm rapidly.

10. Leg Extension

Leg extensions are a great way to hit your lower ab muscles, giving a great burn for these sexy abs workouts.
1. Sit on the floor or on a bench with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Place your hands out in front of you and slowly lean backwards. Find the balance point where it’s hard to hold your legs out and you’re not falling over.
3. Tense your abs as you pull your legs in towards you. You can hold your knees a little for stability if you need.
4. Push your legs back out again to complete one rep.

11. Weighted Bent Leg Jackknife

This variation on the jackknife adds resistance with a dumbbell.
1. Starting in the position for a standard jackknife whilst gripping a dumbbell between your two hands.
2. Engage your ab muscles, raising your torso and keeping your arms beside your head until the top of your crunch.
3. At the same time, use your abs to raise your legs towards you, bending them so that you can move your hands into their final position in front of you.
4. Slowly reverse this movement, lowering your legs and torso until you’re lying flat again. This is one rep.

12. Plank Jacks

Plank Jacks are a great way to build your deep core muscles in an active way, making them a great way to build sexy abs.
1. From a high plank position, tense your core and jump your legs apart as shown.
2. Repeat the reverse of this motion bringing your feet back together again, tensing your core. This is one rep.

13. Side Plank Crunches

You can spread the work across more of your ab muscles by adding a crunch to your side plank.
1. Lie on your side and place your lower forearm on the ground. Make sure your elbow is below your shoulder.
2. Either; stack your feet on top of each other, scissor them so both feet are on the ground, or place your lower knee on the ground (to make it easier).
3. Lift your hips up to get into the side plank position and brace your core muscles. Keep your spine and neck in a neutral position.
4. From the side plank position, tighten your abs, circling your raised elbow towards the forearm you’re supporting yourself with.
5. Return your arm to its initial position. This is one rep.
6. Repeat on the other side.

14. Flutter Kicks

Flutter kicks are a simple way to give your hip flexors, lower abs and quads a workout.
1. Lie flat on your back on the floor or on a bench.
2. Lift both feet an inch or two in the air.
3. Tense your lower abs to raise one leg.
4. Alternate between raising each leg, lowering them to 1-2 inches above the ground. A flutter kick with both legs counts as one rep.

15. Plank Rotations

These plank rotations are a great way to build sexy abs. They add a lot of instability, so do them slowly to feel the burn.
1. Start in a high plank / push up position.
2. Tense your core, shifting your weight over one of your arms. Lift the other arm, rotating it around until it is pointing up in the air. Hold for 2-3 seconds.
3. Slowly reverse this motion, keeping your core tense until it is under you securely again. This is one rep.

16. Plank Reach Through

1. Get into a push up position, with your hands on the floor below your shoulders, and your feet spaced slightly apart. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
2. Reach one arm out in front of you, tensing your core for stability.
3. Slowly tense your core and reach your  arm under you, raising your hips at the same time as you tense your core.
4. Touch your opposite knee with your hand.
5. Return your arm to its initial position. This is one rep. Repeat on the other side.

17. Opposite Leg and Arm

This is a great variation on the high plank that also engages your legs and arms. This is one of the best sexy abs workouts!
1. Start in a high plank position.
2. Squeeze your core, raising one arm up in front of you, and squeeze your glute to raise your opposite leg up behind you. Hold for 2-3 seconds.
3. Return your leg and arm back down to a high plank position. This is one rep.
4. Repeat on the other side.

18. Balance Ball Leg Extension

This move operates similarly to the leg extension, but adds a balance ball to remove some stability.
1. Get into a high plank or push-up position with a balance ball at your feet.
2. Lean your weight backwards, extending one leg out to rest your shin on the top of the balance ball.
3. Put weight on the leg on the balance ball to find some stability. When you are stable enough, lift the other leg, placing that shin on the balance ball also.
4. Keep your back in a neutral position, with your hips and shoulders at the same level.
5. Squeeze your abs to pull the balance ball in towards you, bringing your legs to your chest. Hold for 2-3 seconds.
6. Slowly straighten your legs, rolling the ball back to it’s original position with your legs still on top of it. This is one rep.

19. Plank Shoulder Tap Rotations

This is a great variant on the Plank Rotation!
1. Start in a high plank / push up position.
2. Tense your core, shifting your weight over one of your arms. Lift the other arm, moving it to touch your shoulder. Hold for 1-2 seconds.
3. Rotate the arm this is on your shoulder around until it is pointing up in the air. Hold for 2-3 seconds.
4. Slowly reverse this motion, keeping your core tense until your arm is under you securely again. This is one rep.

20. High Plank Walk

This one can be a killer! This slowly cranks up the stress on your abs and is more difficult to hold than a standard plank. An excellent way to sculpt your sexy abs.
1. Get into a high plank position.
2. Slowly walk your hands forward, one at a time.
3. Get your hands as far forward as you can without losing your neutral back position.
4. Hold for 2-3 seconds before walking you hands slowly back to the high plank position. This is one rep.

21. Dumbbell Oblique Crunch

1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Slowly lower one arm whilst keeping your abs tensed.
3. Tense your obliques on the opposite side to your lowered arm, using them to raise your arm up. This is one rep.
4. Repeat for both sides.

22. Garhammer Raise

The garhammer raise may sound strange, but it’s a great exercise for hitting your core, developing those sexy abs.
1. Lie on your back with your arms above your head and your legs extended in the air above you.
2. Keep your core tensed and lower your legs down to a few inches above the ground.
3. Engage your abs whilst your legs are above the floor and raise your legs up with your toes pointed.
4. When your legs are above you, raise your lower back off the floor to bring your toes over your head.
5. Keep your abs tight and lower your legs back down to your start position with them elevated a few inches above the floor. This is one rep.

23. Crab Kick

A great exercise to hit your whole ab chain.
1. Start sitting down with your feet flat on the floor in front of you, and your hands flat behind you.
2. Lift your bum off the ground with your feet and hands, this is your starting posititon.
3. Tense your core and lift one leg from the ground into the air. At the same time, move your opposite hand from the ground and bring it to touch your toes (or your leg if you can’t manage). Make sure to tense your core a lot and redistribute your weight whilst moving your limbs off the ground.
4. Return your arm and leg to the ground in the reverse motion. Repeat on the other side. This is one rep.

24. Crunches

The crunch is a great base ab exercise.
1. Lie flat on your back.
2. Place your hands at the side of your head or flat beside you. Don’t pull on your head or neck.
3. Tense your abs to bring your torso off the floor, whilst at the same time using your abs to raise your legs into the air to complete the crunch.
4. Hold for 2-3 seconds before returning to a flat initial position. One crunch is one rep.

25. Jackknife From Lying Flat

The jackknife is another great exercise for hitting the full length of your ab muscles, making it great for building those sexy abs!
1. Lie flat on your back with your hands stretched out above your head.
2. Engage your ab muscles, raising your torso and keeping your arms beside your head until the top of your crunch.
3. At the same time, use your abs to raise your legs towards you whilst keeping them straight.
4. When you’re at the top of your crunch, continue to move your arms around to the side of your legs, tensing your abs in this position.
5. Slowly reverse this movement, lowering your legs and torso until you’re lying flat again. This is one rep.