22 Bodyweight Ab Exercises Ranked Worst to Best

Bodyweight ab exercises can be performed nearly anywhere and it is vital to keep your midline section strong to protect your organs and your spine. Check out this list with 22 bodyweight ab exercises ranked worst to best.

In the video below, sports teacher and YouTube fitness guru Alex Lorenz lists 22 bodyweight ab exercises and he ranked them worst to best. He is the co-founder of Calisthenic Movement and has trained Calisthenics since 2012, uploading videos regularly for those people interested in getting in shape using only their bodyweight.

The exercises are based on abdominal activity. That means, if an exercise requires a lot of mobility to do it properly, it will be rated lower because you won’t be able to hit your abs effectively if you aren’t mobile enough.

The same counts for exercises that rely heavily on other muscles. “If you can’t exercise an exercise any longer because other muscles fatigue first, you won’t be able to train your abs that effectively,” says Alex Lorenz.

Watch Bodyweight Ab Exercises Ranked Worst to Best

Disclaimer: some of these exercises are not bad at all, but they do not target the abs in the best optimum way, therefore a particular exercise might be ranked lower than most people would expect.

List of 22 Bodyweight Ab Exercises Ranked Worst to Best

Worst

• Sit-ups
• Front lever
• Planchet
• Bird dog

Source: Unsplash

Mediocre

• Toes-to-bar
• V-up
• Human flag
• Windshield wipers

Good

• Dead bug
• Mountain climbers
• Plank
• Leg raises
• Heel taps
• Candle raise
• Russian twist
• Dragon flag
• Roll out

Great

• Long lever plank
• Knee raises
• Side plank
• Reverse crunch

Best

• Hollow body crunch

Read More: Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises Ranked Worst to Best