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Ditch crunches — try these 5 kettlebell exercises instead to sculpt your abs, strengthen your core and improve balance

No, Not Planks — Personal Trainer Reveals 5 Essential Standing Ab Moves

Forget the gym — this 15-minute kettlebell workout strengthens your abs and entire body with 3 just moves

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Ditch crunches — try these 5 kettlebell exercises instead to sculpt your abs, strengthen your core and improve balance

No, Not Planks — Personal Trainer Reveals 5 Essential Standing Ab Moves

Forget the gym — this 15-minute kettlebell workout strengthens your abs and entire body with 3 just moves

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Trade crunches for kettlebells — strengthen your deep core muscles with this trainer’s standing abs workout

Jessica Downey

10 September 2025

Your usual ab workouts may be missing the power of a kettlebell

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(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Lying down on a cold, hard floor and putting strain on your neck and back puts a lot of people off training their core, and I don’t blame them. Traditional floor-based ab exercises like sit-ups, dead bugs and crunches can feel really uncomfortable on the back, especially after multiple rounds of the same routine.

Thankfully, standing ab workouts exist, and even better, you can add one of the best kettlebells to really ramp things up. Trainer Shaina Faita is behind this five-move, all-standing kettlebell routine, and at the core (if you pardon the pun) of the workout is strengthening what we call the deep core muscles.
When they talk about the deep core muscles, trainers mean the muscles that sit beneath your visible abs and help stabilize your spine, improve posture and keep your body steady during movement.

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Ditch crunches — try these 5 kettlebell exercises instead to sculpt your abs, strengthen your core and improve balance

No, Not Planks — Personal Trainer Reveals 5 Essential Standing Ab Moves

Forget the gym — this 15-minute kettlebell workout strengthens your abs and entire body with 3 just moves

The mighty kettlebell is perfect for building a stronger core because every lift and swing forces your deep muscles to stabilize your body. Ready to pick up your kettlebell and take a look at the workout?

Watch the five move kettlebell core workout

A post shared by Shaina Fata ☀️ (@shainamarie.b)
A photo posted by on
These are slightly more advanced kettlebell moves, so don’t feel pressured to grab the heaviest weight. Focus on good form first, and if a move feels too tough, it’s perfectly fine to skip it and come back to it later.

Overhead march x 10 reps per side
Kettlebell side bend x 10 reps per side
Kettlebell windmill x 10 reps per side
Standing oblique rotation x 10 reps
Kettlebell around the world x 10 reps
Fata recommends doing three to five rounds of the routine. If you get through all five, kudos; that is no small feat. If not, don’t worry. Focus on perfecting your form and really engaging your core, and you will still benefit from each move.
What are the benefits of standing kettlebell workout?
Do you need a kettlebell to get results from a standing abs workout? No, you don’t. There are plenty of equipment-free routines that will work your core effectively. However, adding a kettlebell can take your training to the next level.

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First of all, working with the extra weight demands greater core engagement. Research shows that free-weight exercises, like kettlebell moves, activate your abs, obliques and the muscles along the spine more than traditional sit-ups. Even your deep stabilizers get involved because your body has to stay balanced while moving the weight.
One study shows that kettlebell training boosts strength, endurance, explosive power and even posture, which is why many athletes use it to improve performance across different sports. For everyday exercisers, that translates into stronger, more coordinated movements that carry over into real life, whether you’re running or lifting shopping bags out of the car.
Additionally, kettlebell exercises are rarely a simple up and down lift. All the swinging, pressing and rotating keep your muscles switched on for longer, which trainers call time under tension. The longer your core has to hold steady, the more it learns to stay strong under pressure.
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Jessica Downey

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Senior Fitness Writer

Jessica has been a fitness writer at Tom’s Guide since 2023, bringing three years of experience writing about health, fitness, and the great outdoors. Her passion for exercise began during her childhood, where she spent weekends hiking and competing in local athletics club events. After earning a master’s degree in journalism from Cardiff University, Jessica found the perfect way to combine her love of storytelling and fitness into a career.
Jessica is passionate about testing fitness gear and tech, using her reviews to help readers make informed buying decisions. She ran her first marathon in April 2024, finishing it in 3 hours and 48 minutes. Through her training, she’s developed a deep understanding of what it takes to grow as a runner, from effective workouts and recovery techniques to selecting the right gear for every challenge.
When she’s not at her desk, Jessica enjoys spending time in the kitchen crafting new recipes, braving cold water swims and hiking.

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Ditch crunches — try these 5 kettlebell exercises instead to sculpt your abs, strengthen your core and improve balance

No, Not Planks — Personal Trainer Reveals 5 Essential Standing Ab Moves

Forget the gym — this 15-minute kettlebell workout strengthens your abs and entire body with 3 just moves

No more crunches! Build a strong, stable core with these 5 standing ab exercises

Ditch sit-ups! This 10-minute dumbbell workout builds a rock-solid core and perfects your posture

I swapped crunches for standing abs — and my core has never been stronger

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