October 14, 2025, 6:04 pm | Read time: 5 minutes

Regular exercisers know: To avoid stagnation, you must continually introduce new muscle stimuli. An effective strategy is to integrate new exercises that challenge the muscles in previously unfamiliar ways into your training. If you’ve primarily relied on floor exercises for core training, you might now bring new momentum to your ab workout—standing and with dumbbells.

Prerequisite for Maximum Training Effects

In general, strength exercises should be performed with control and muscle tension. This reduces the risk of injury, especially when training with heavy weights. It also enhances the effectiveness of the exercises on the targeted muscles. This way, long-term goals such as muscle growth, strength increase, and body definition can be achieved more quickly.

Why is this emphasized so explicitly here? Because when performing standing ab exercises, it’s not easy to execute the movement correctly while maintaining proper posture. In addition to muscle strength, coordination and balance are also required. This combination of demands makes “Standing Abs Workouts” challenging but—when done correctly—also effective.

If you notice difficulty in executing the following exercises technically and cleanly, you should initially forgo dumbbells or kettlebells. Even without the additional weight, the exercises are effective—especially for beginners. Only when you can perform the exercises without weight with control and muscle tension, and perhaps notice the effect diminishing, should you increase the training difficulty with weights.

Standing Twist with Dumbbell

In this ab exercise, a twisting motion is performed with the upper body. Important: The lower body remains tense and firm, so it does not move.

1. Grasp a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands and hold it with outstretched arms in front of your chest.
2. Slowly and controlled, twist your upper body from left to right.
3. Keep your arms continuously outstretched.
4. Do 10 to 12 repetitions.

Also interesting: Strengthen the Core! 6 Pro Exercises for Core Power

Side Bend

In the side bend, only the upper body moves. Make sure to have a firm stance and tense your legs and glutes. Simultaneously pull your navel inward for core tension. This increases the effectiveness of the exercise, prevents a hollow back, and thus protects against back pain.

1. Hold the dumbbell or kettlebell in your right hand.
2. Your arm is extended downward at your side.
3. Control your upper body as you bend to the left (not abruptly). Your arm does not move.
4. Do 10 to 12 repetitions.
5. Switch sides and perform the exercise on the left.

Dynamic Trunk Rotation

In this exercise, avoid using momentum and losing muscle tension. Otherwise, it would not only lose effectiveness for the oblique abdominal muscles we aim to train but also increase the risk of injury.

The dynamic trunk rotation is often referred to as the Wood Chop or Wood Chopper because the movement resembles chopping wood.

1. Grasp a dumbbell with both hands and outstretched arms.
2. Hold the dumbbell in front of your left hip.
3. From there, move the dumbbell dynamically diagonally from your right hip up to the left side of your head and back. Your upper body rotates slightly with the movement.
4. Perform this movement dynamically, without stopping in between, 10 to 12 times.
5. Switch sides and perform the exercise in the opposite direction.

More on the topic

Tips From Fitness Experts Strengthen Your Core: 6 Pro Exercises for Core Power

Their core will still burn 4 Standing Ab Exercises – No Equipment Needed

Marching with High Knees

This exercise is also called the Farmer’s March and is performed as follows:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in your left hand with your arm extended downward. Keep the arm slightly away from your body.
3. Extend your right arm to shoulder height for balance.
4. Stand upright, relax your shoulders, push your chest out, and tense your abs.
5. Alternately lift your left and right knee (similar to marching) toward your chest and lower them again.
6. Do 10 repetitions per leg.

Goblet High Hold

As simple as this exercise looks, it is effective not only for the abs but also for the arms, back, and shoulders.

1. Start with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Hold a weight in both hands.
3. Raise your arms or elbows so that your upper arms are at shoulder height and parallel to the floor. Your forearms and hands point upward, with the dumbbell approximately in front of your face.
4. Hold this position for 30 to 45 seconds before releasing.
5. Repeat the Goblet High Hold five times.
6. Tip: Think of the classic plank position to ensure the core is engaged through the mind-muscle connection.