How to Get Six Pack Abs Without Leaving Your Couch

Many of us are dying to reveal our six pack abs, but we are fooled into believing the gym is the only solution. Not everyone is ready to commit their time, cough up costly membership fees, or battle with negativity from body comparison. If you want to learn how to get six pack abs but don’t wan to leave your couch or living room, it’s still possible!

Key Benefits of Couch-Based Ab Exercises

No More Excuses

Since these exercises aren’t even asking you to step away from the comfort of your sofa, much less your home, you no longer have the excuse of time. They can be easily performed anytime at home, or even while traveling. If you have access to a flat surface, you can do this workout!

Time Efficient

Once you know the routine, you will have this workout finished in 5 minutes flat. You can, of course, do more repetitions of each round if you want to build those ab muscles more quickly, but even just one round each day will slowly but surely build your core strength.

No Special Equipment

As these are bodyweight exercises, you don’t need any expensive equipment—or any equipment at all! Once you get yourself to a flat surface, you’re ready to go.

Reduced Risk of Injuries

Since you won’t be lifting heavy weights while learning how to get six pack abs, you’ll put less strain on your muscles and joints, which decreases the risk of injury.

Builds Abs of Steel

While many want to learn how to get six pack abs simply to improve the way they look, the truth is that core strength is integral to everything we do. Balance, stability, and good posture all require strong core muscles^[1].

When your abs are toned, you’ll find it is easier to engage in sports, hobbies like gardening, and work tasks such as bending, twisting, or lifting. Do you suffer from low-back pain after sitting at a desk all day? Core workouts can help with this, too, as they stabilize that area.

Now, let’s get to the workout summary to help you learn how to get six pack abs without leaving your couch.

Your Living Room Six Pack Ab Workout

Round 1

Do 20 repetitions of each exercise. Repeat the cycle 2-3 times, resting for 1-2 minutes between each.

Knee Ups

The slower you lower your legs, the more you’ll work your abs. Here’s how to do perfect knee ups:

Leg Raises

These are very similar to knee ups, but you won’t bend your knees as you lift your legs, which will keep your lower abs engaged throughout.

Bicycles

This is a simple, effective exercise to do when learning how to get six pack abs. When doing bicycles, do your best not to crunch your chin to your chest. Keeping your chin lifted will ensure that you core stays engaged as much as possible.

Round 2

Rest for 10-20 seconds before starting round 2. Again, do 20 repetitions of each exercise. Repeat the cycle 2-3 times, resting for 1-2 minutes between each.

Reverse Crunch

Instead of bringing your chin to meet your chins, you’ll bring your knees up to meet your chin.

Couch Crunches

Any kind of crunch is great when you’re learning how to get six pack abs from the comfort of your couch. As a variation on traditional crunches, these couch crunches ask you to put your legs at a 90-degree angle, resting them on the edge of the couch.

Vertical Hip Thrusts

For this exercise, you’ll use the couch to support your upper back while resting your feet on the floor and thrusting your hips upward. This is an amazing core workout, but it’s also great for hip mobility.

Round 3

Rest for 10-20 seconds before starting round 3. Do 10 repetitions of each exercise, per side. Repeat the cycle 2-3 times, resting for 1-2 minutes between each.

Cross Crunch

As you’re learning how to get six pack abs, try out this variation on the traditional crunch. This is a great exercise for the core and obliques that you’ll be feeling for days.

Dead Bug

This exercise requires the engagement of your whole body, and while it focuses on core strengthening, it will also touch on arm and leg strength, as well.

Crossover Toe Touch Crunch

Here again, make sure you keep your chin lifted to avoid neck strain. The straighter your lifted leg, the more engaged your core will be.

How to Get Six Pack Abs: Additional Tips

It’s important to note that to achieve a traditional six pack, you must already have a flat stomach. If you still have some fat around your stomach, you must focus on losing weight through your diet alongside this routine.

To do this, you need to make sure you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming. To start, try decreasing your calories by about 200, and give it two weeks before you start looking for results.

You can also incorporate Lifehack’s free Simple Cardio Home Workout Plan to start burning more fat and overall calories.

As you start to build your ab muscles, the above six pack ab routine may feel too easy. When that happens, repeat a single round, and take each exercise to your absolute limit at least 3-4 times a week.

Final Thoughts

If you want to stay active and live life with more ease, a strong core is a great place to start. Whether you’re an athlete or an office-worker, learning how to get six pack abs can be a goal worth achieving as it will improve your mobility, offer a greater range of motion, and help you move through your daily routine without pain.

If you’re on your couch or bed, you’re already where you need to be for this ab-building workout, so get started and build muscle today!

More on Building Six Pack Abs

• 15 Core Strength Workout Exercises for Beginners
• An Abdominal Workout Plan to Help You Build Strong, Flat Abs 
• 11 Best Core Strengthening Exercises to Do At Home
• How to Get Fit: The Ultimate Guide

Featured photo credit: John Fornander via unsplash.com