By now you’ve likely done your fair share of abs exercises like bicycles, burpees, planks, and mountain climbers. But what about wall abs? For those unfamiliar with the concept, wall abs exercises are a simple, space-efficient way to get a killer core workout from the comfort of your own home.
Wall abs exercises involve using a wall to support and stabilize the body while performing various core-strengthening exercises. From beginner to advanced, wall abs exercises provide a great way to target the core and increase overall strength and stability while breaking up the monotony of doing abs exercises on the floor all the time.
“The abs muscles respond well to muscular endurance exercises that require full-body tension and isometric contractions,” says Becky Codi, a certified personal trainer, strength coach, and kettlebell specialist. “A wall is an immovable object, so by placing your hands or feet on a wall and pushing, you are performing an isometric exercise where there is no shortening or lengthening of the muscle fibers.” This means your abs are constantly working under tension without a break while you’re performing an exercise, and that’s what helps them build muscular endurance, meaning they’ll be able to work for you longer when you need them. For example, when you’re carrying heavy groceries, you’re gonna want a strong core that can sustain your for the entire trip back from Trader Joe’s.
3 wall abs exercises to start doing now
Codi says that while there is not a definitive list of the best wall abs exercises, you want to include ones that require you to hold different body positions. “You want to include a supine movement, lying on your back, a prone movement—facedown, like a plank—and a standing movement,” says Codi, who recommends you perform all of these exercises for 20 seconds to a minute, depending on your fitness level.
