Fully extend your arms without shrugging your shoulders or rounding forward. Holding this squat, press the weight straight out from your chest. Sit back in your heels as you squat to parallel or below. Then squat down, sitting your butt back as you keep your chest up. Do not shrug your shoulders as you hold the weight. To do the Squat with Chest Press, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell, plate weight, sandbag or even a kettlebell held in both hands up at your chest.

And while it will be tempting to rush through the movement as you fatigue, you will get more out of it if you keep the pace slow. Squat with Chest Press – This slow paced squat with chest press will work your shoulders, upper back, abs, glutes and quads. Feel your oblique working and even your quad as you crunch. Really focus on crunching your elbow down as you lift your knee up and out to the side. Feel your obliques work to lift and crunch your knee and elbow together.Īfter crunching your knee and elbow together, place your foot back down and repeat the squat before performing an oblique knee crunch to the other side. As you stand up, drive one knee up and out to the side as you crunch your elbow down to met your knee. Sink as low as you can.ĭriving through your heels, come back up to standing. Do not round forward or let your heels come up. Then sit your butt back and squat down, keeping your hands up and your back flat. You can even place your hands behind your head. Place your hands up by your head with your elbows out. To do the Squat to Oblique Knee Crunch, start standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart. And because it is a quick, full-body move, it will also get your blood pumping and heart rate up. Squat to Oblique Knee Crunch – The Squat to Oblique Knee Crunch is a great way to strengthen your legs as well as your obliques. And when you stand up, make sure to engage your glute and stand tall with the weight pressed up and out. Complete all reps to one side before switching.ĭo not round over to reach the weight lower. Then lower back down, bringing the weight back down to your chest and then back down outside your knee as you pivot and sink back into a deep lunge. Make sure that as you pivot across and up with the weight, you pivot your back leg so that your hip, knee and ankle all extend. As you pivot toward the other side, press the dumbbell out and up overhead. Keep your front heel on the ground and your foot slightly turned out.Īfter lunging and reaching your arms straight down outside your knee, pull the dumbbell in toward your chest as you stand up and pivot toward the opposite side. Make sure that as you sink into the lunge you aren’t rounding forward to reach the dumbbell lower toward the ground. Then sink down into a lunge and extend your arms with the dumbbell down outside your front knee. To do the Lunge and Reach, hold a dumbbell (if you use weight) in both hands. You can do this move holding a dumbbell or simply use bodyweight and focus on moving quicker instead of adding weight.

It is a great functional rotational movement that mimics picking something up on one side of your body and putting it up on something on the other side of your body. The lunge portion works your legs as the reach low then high with rotation works your abs, back, shoulders and arms. Lunge and Reach – This is a great move to work your entire core, including everything from your shoulders to your knees.

They are all super core-intensive full-body movements that can be done without getting down on the ground! These Standing Core Exercises use everything from your bodyweight to basic equipment like dumbbells and resistance bands and even unconventional tools like the landmine and kettlebell. If you are looking to add some variety to your workouts and challenge your core in a new way, try these 20 Standing Core Exercises. That means you can burn more calories in less time and you also strengthen your core in a functional way that helps you lift more and move better in everyday life. They are some of the best ways to work your core because they work your core in a compound movement instead of simply isolating your abs. And these Standing Core Exercises can be a great way to work your core in every plane of motion and get in a great full-body workout. There are actually a number of great core-intensive exercises you can do standing. Working your core doesn’t have to mean getting down on the ground and doing planks, crunches or sit ups.

Squat with bicycle crunch