7-Minute Abs Workout for Women
Strengthen and tone your entire core with this 7-minute abs workout for women. Seven effective ab exercises targeting the lower abs, upper abs and obliques. An intense ab workout you can do at home with no equipment.
Build a strong core with this quick but intense 7-minute abs workout.
Some of the most popular workouts on our blog are under 10 minutes! As a busy mom, I understand the need for workouts that are quick but effective.
That’s one of the biggest reasons I love functional core training. Today’s quick ab workout is just 7 minutes, and combines no equipment exercises that target the core from every angle.
Sculpt your core and fit in a workout on your busiest days. This is a great ab workout to add onto your favorite arm workout, or knock this out on its own when you only have a few minutes to move!
7-Minute Ab Workout for Women
Seven bodyweight ab exercises to strengthen your core and add muscle definition to your midsection.
This intense ab workout consists of seven ab exercises (several of which I borrowed from the 18 Best Ab Exercises for Women).
Add this ab workout to your weekly workout routine 1-2 times a week to build muscle and improve endurance. I recommend alternating this workout with our other ab workouts to avoid workout boredom.
Workout Equipment:
No equipment needed, just your bodyweight.
Workout Instructions:
Follow along with the guided 7-Minute Ab Workout for Women on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 7 Ab Exercises
- Timed Intervals (30 seconds of work per exercise, moving from one exercise directly into the next. Take a 30 second rest after completing all 7 exercises.)
- Repeat All 7 Exercises x2 Sets
Prefer to Watch On YouTube?
7-Minute Abs
Workout Outline
- Staggered Plank Kick Throughs, R/L
- Frog Crunches
- Leg Climb Crunches
- Plank Launcher and Push Up
- Reverse Crunch and Twist
- Oblique V-Up Crunch, R/L
- Ab Sprawlers
7 Ab Exercises for Women
Staggered Plank Kick Throughs
Targets: Full body, emphasizing the core, abs, shoulders, triceps and obliques.
In addition to toning muscles, plank kick throughs also challenge and increase balance and coordination.
How To Do A Staggered Plank Kick Through
- Start in a plank position, right forearm stacked under right shoulder and left hand flat on the mat for support. Your body should be in a straight line, feet shoulder-width distance apart.
- Lift your right foot off the floor and pull your right knee to your chest as you rotate your hips to the left.
- Kick your right leg out to the left, extending the right leg long underneath your torso.
- Then, rotate your hips back to the right, pulling the right leg back in as you return to plank position.
Modification: Option to perform a low plank single leg knee to elbow pull. Or drop down to one knee in table top and perform a single leg knee to elbow crunch.
Frog Crunches
Targets: The upper abs and lower abs, as well as the inner thighs (adductors) and outer glutes (abductors).
How To Do Frog Crunches
- Lie down on the mat with your back flat, hands supporting your head (option to send the arms long in front of you). Lift your legs off the mat to a 45-degree angle and bring the heels to touch.
- To intensify this exercise, lift your shoulder blades off the floor as you bend your knees, bringing them in towards your chest to perform a ‘frog crunch’. Option to keep your neck and shoulders on the mat as you pull your legs in.
- Lower your torso back to the mat, extending your legs long as you kick out to return to the starting position.
Modification: Keep your heels on the ground and perform a butterfly crunch. Or perform a half crunch, sitting up halfway (or as far as you can).
Leg Climb Crunches
Targets: The upper abs and lower abs.
How To Do Leg Climb Crunches
- Lay on the mat, pressing your low back into the mat, legs extended long.
- Send your right leg straight up in the air, slight bend in the knee. Option to lift the left leg off the mat to intensify this exercise. Place both hands on your right thigh.
- Use your abs and core to lift yourself upwards and lightly use your hands to help by climbing them up your right leg. Keep in mind that the goal is to use the least assistance possible as you climb up your leg, reaching towards your toes if possible.
- With control, lower yourself back down to the ground.
Modification: Keep the leg that is closest to the ground on the ground (rather than floating it off the ground). Option to sit halfway up, reaching for the knee instead of the toe.
Plank Launcher And Push Up
Targets: The chest, triceps, shoulders, core and lower back.
Push ups are a fast and effective way to build muscle definition in the arms and abs (simultaneously building upper body and core strength).
How To Do A Plank Launcher And Push Up
- Start in high plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
- From this plank position, engage your core as you push your hips back towards your heels; bending at the knees. Then explosively drive your body back into high plank position (nose to finger tips).
- Hold this plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
- Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your hips (not out to the sides).
- Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position.
Modification: Hold high or low plank position, and slightly shift your weight forward and backward as you work into the full plank launcher. Option to omit the push up or perform the push up from the knees.
Reverse Crunch And Twist
Targets: The lower abs and obliques. Also improves stability throughout the lower back, hips and spine.
How To Do A Reverse Crunch And Twist
- Start lying on your back, core engaged, legs extended out from your body and floating off the mat (the closer your legs are to the mat, the harder this exercise will be).
- Engage your upper abs to perform a sit up as you engage your lower abs to pull your knees towards your chest.
- Hold this seated position, core engaged with knees bent at 90 degrees. Heels dig into the floor and arms are relaxed in front of you.
- Perform an oblique twist to the right. Then come back to center and rotate to the left.
- That’s one rep. With control, lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat this reverse crunch and oblique twist pattern.
Modification: Keep your heels on the ground and perform a half crunch by reclining one inch and then up an inch before performing the side-to-side twist with heels on the ground.
Oblique V-Up Crunch
Targets: The external oblique, internal oblique and rectus abdominis.
One of the most advanced oblique exercises, the V-Up is a challenging exercise requiring deep core strength.
How To Do An Oblique V-Up Crunch
- Lie on your right side on the mat. Keep your body in a straight line, with your left leg stacked on top of the right, slight bend in the knees.
- Place your left hand behind your head and your right arm extended in front of you, supporting you on the ground.
- Engage your core, especially the obliques, and lift both legs while simultaneously lifting your upper body off the floor. The goal is to have your legs and left elbow move toward each other. Your elbow should be pointing at your knee when your leg is fully abducted.
- Hold for a few seconds, then reverse the movement by lowering the legs and upper body to the mat.
Modification: Lying on your side, perform an oblique crunch, keeping both legs touching the ground. Focus on contracting the abs to move your torso up. Alternatively, bend your knees at a 90-degree angle (rather than extending legs straight) and lift your legs while performing the side crunch.
Ab Sprawlers
Targets: The upper abs and lower abs, as well as the inner thighs (adductors) and outer glutes (abductors).
How To Do Ab Sprawlers
- Lie flat on your back and make a “X” shape with your body. Send your arms long overhead, hands wider than shoulder-width apart and stretch your legs long, feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Perform a full body crunch by engaging your core to pull your knees in to meet your chest as you bring your arms in to hug your body.
- Hold for a second, then reverse the movement, sending your arms and legs long to find the “X” shape again.
Modification: Lying flat on the floor on your back with knees bent and arms at your sides, tap your heels wide, then bring them together and tap them narrow.
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7 Minute Abs FAQs
Is A 7-Minute Ab Workout Effective?
Yes, 7-minute ab workouts can be effective, but they should include a variety of movements that target the entire core from every angle. I generally prefer to include functional core training in my home workouts to ensure I’m targeting the core regularly. But I also like to add a quick core burnout onto the end of a workout (like I did in this program).
How Often Should I Do Ab Workouts?
Your abs are a muscle group that require rest and recovery time, just like any of your other major muscle groups. Overtraining can lead to muscle imbalances, burnout and injury. For the best results, follow a well-rounded workout program that builds in core training 2-3 times a week.
Is This 7-Minute Ab Workout Good For Beginners?
This is an advanced ab workout routine. That said, modifications are included throughout to make this workout accessible to all fitness levels. If you’re postpartum or consider yourself a fitness beginner, I suggest starting with our 10-Minute Beginner Ab Workout.
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