Steal These 7 Celebrity-Approved Workouts for Killer Six-Pack Abs

Dreaming of sculpted abs like Hollywood's elite? You don't need an A-list trainer or a million-dollar gym to get them. The stars swear by their consistent, high-intensity routines to keep their cores tight, and you can too. From Kendall Jenner's plank-based circuit to Zac Efron's resistance band-infused core workout, these routines are effective and easy to follow. Whether preparing for a big event, staying in shape, or just aiming for that A-list midsection, these celebrity-approved ab workouts work!

By taking inspiration from the workouts of some of the fittest celebrities, you can challenge your core in new ways, boost your endurance, and build a rock-solid midsection. Below, we've compiled some of the best celebrity-inspired ab workouts you can steal and start using today. Get ready to feel the burn.

1. Kendall Jenner's Core Routine

What you need: No equipment necessary. This quick, equipment-free workout can be completed in about 11 minutes.

The Routine:

1. Forearm Plank (30 seconds)
2. High Plank (30 seconds)
3. Side Plank (15 seconds per side)
4. Side Plank with Crunch (5 reps per side)
5. Alternating Arm/Leg Plank (15 seconds)
6. Rocking Plank (15 seconds)
7. Knee-to-Elbow Plank (5 reps per side)
8. Standard Crunch (20 reps)
9. Bicycle Crunch (30 seconds)
10. Vertical Leg Crunch (20 seconds)
11. Frog Crunch (15 reps)
12. Leg Lifts (15 reps)

Directions: Perform each exercise in sequence with minimal rest to keep your core engaged and your heart rate up.

How to Do It:

1. Forearm Plank

1. Begin by lying face down on the floor.
2. Place your forearms on the ground, elbows directly under your shoulders.
3. Lift your body off the ground, balancing on your forearms and toes, keeping your body in a straight line.
4. Engage your core, glutes, and legs to maintain stability.
5. Hold this position for 30 seconds, focusing on keeping your hips level and your back straight.

2. High Plank

1. Start in a pushup position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core, glutes, and legs.
3. Avoid letting your hips sag or your lower back arch.
4. Hold the plank position for 30 seconds, maintaining a strong and stable core.
5. Keep your gaze slightly forward, not allowing your neck to strain.

3. Side Plank

1. Lie on your side with your legs extended and feet stacked.
2. Prop yourself up on your forearm, with your elbow directly under your shoulder.
3. Lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your head to your heels.
4. Engage your core and hold this position for 15 seconds.
5. Switch sides and repeat.

4. Side Plank with Crunch

1. Start in a side plank position with your elbow under your shoulder and hips lifted.
2. Bring your top knee toward your elbow, crunching your side as you engage your obliques.
3. Return your top leg and torso to the starting position.
4. Repeat 5 times on one side, then switch sides and perform 5 reps on the other.

5. Alternating Arm/Leg Plank

1. Begin in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and body in a straight line.
2. Lift your right arm and left leg off the ground simultaneously, reaching them outward.
3. Hold for a moment, then lower them back down.
4. Alternate, lifting your left arm and right leg.
5. Continue alternating for 15 seconds, keeping your core engaged and avoiding any sagging in your hips.

6. Rocking Plank

1. Start in a high plank position, keeping your hands directly under your shoulders and body straight.
2. Shift your weight forward, bringing your shoulders over your wrists.
3. Rock back by shifting your weight toward your heels, then forward again.
4. Continue rocking back and forth for 15 seconds, maintaining a solid plank position.

7. Knee-to-Elbow Plank

1. Begin in a high plank position with your body straight and core engaged.
2. Bring your right knee toward your right elbow, engaging your obliques.
3. Return your right leg back to the starting position.
4. Repeat on the left side, bringing your left knee toward your left elbow.
5. Perform 5 reps per side, alternating sides after each rep.

8. Standard Crunch

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
3. Engage your core and lift your upper body toward your knees, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor.
4. Lower back down with control.
5. Repeat for 20 reps, ensuring that you focus on using your abs, not your neck, to lift.

9. Bicycle Crunch

1. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and knees bent.
2. Lift your head, shoulders, and legs off the ground, keeping your elbows wide.
3. Bring your right elbow toward your left knee while extending your right leg.
4. Switch sides, bringing your left elbow toward your right knee while extending your left leg.
5. Continue alternating sides for 30 seconds, maintaining a steady pace.

10. Vertical Leg Crunch

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight up in the air and feet flexed.
2. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest.
3. Engage your core and lift your upper body off the floor toward your legs.
4. Lower back down with control, keeping your legs stationary.
5. Perform for 20 seconds, focusing on controlled, slow movements.

11. Frog Crunch

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet together, forming a diamond shape with your legs.
2. Place your hands behind your head, elbows wide.
3. Engage your core and crunch your upper body up toward your legs.
4. Lower back down with control, keeping your legs in the diamond shape.
5. Repeat for 15 reps, focusing on engaging your abs, not your neck.

12. Leg Lifts

1. Lie flat on your back with your legs straight and arms by your sides.
2. Keep your legs straight as you lift them toward the ceiling, engaging your core.
3. Slowly lower your legs back down without letting them touch the floor, keeping your back pressed into the mat.
4. Repeat for 15 reps, focusing on keeping your core engaged throughout the movement.

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2. Zac Efron's Core Circuit

What you need: A resistance band, a mat, a med ball, and a pair of parallette bars. This fast-paced, dynamic routine takes about 20 minutes.

The Routine:

1. Dead Bugs (15 reps per side)
2. Banded Hollow Body Hold (30 seconds)
3. Russian Twists (20 reps, 10 per side)
4. Med Ball Passes (15 reps)
5. Shoot Throughs (10 reps per side)
6. Ski Erg Sprint (30 seconds)

Directions: Perform each exercise back-to-back with minimal rest. After completing all six moves, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat for three total rounds.

How to Do It:

1. Dead Bugs

1. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. Slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the floor, keeping your lower back pressed into the ground.
3. Return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite side, lowering your left arm and right leg.
4. Continue alternating sides for 15 reps per side.
5. Focus on keeping your core engaged and maintaining control throughout the movement.

2. Banded Hollow Body Hold

1. Lie on your back and loop a resistance band around your feet, holding it with both hands.
2. Extend your arms and legs out straight while keeping your lower back pressed into the floor.
3. Engage your core and lift your shoulders and legs off the ground, forming a "hollow" position with your body.
4. Hold this position for 30 seconds, keeping your body tight and resisting the pull of the band.
5. Focus on keeping your hips stable and your lower back flat against the floor.

3. Russian Twists

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet slightly off the ground.
2. Lean back slightly, keeping your spine tall and engage your core.
3. Hold a weight or medicine ball at chest level, then twist your torso to the right, tapping the floor beside your hip.
4. Quickly twist to the left and tap the floor on the other side.
5. Continue alternating sides for 20 reps (10 per side), keeping your movements controlled and engaging your obliques.

4. Med Ball Passes

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and holding a medicine ball between your hands.
2. Lift your legs and arms simultaneously, bringing the ball overhead.
3. Pass the ball from your hands to your feet by reaching your feet up to meet your hands.
4. Lower your arms and legs back to the starting position, then pass the ball from your feet back to your hands.
5. Repeat for 15 reps, maintaining control and engaging your core throughout.

5. Shoot Throughs

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and feet together.
2. Jump one foot forward toward your hands, while the opposite leg stays extended behind you.
3. Rotate your body and push your foot out behind you, shooting through and switching legs.
4. Continue alternating sides, shooting through on each leg for 10 reps per side.
5. Keep your core tight and your movements smooth.

6. Ski Erg Sprint

1. Stand in front of the Ski Erg with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Grip the handles with both hands and engage your core.
3. Quickly pull the handles down, mimicking a skiing motion, driving your arms down and back while engaging your core and legs.
4. Continue the sprint for 30 seconds, aiming for maximum effort.
5. Focus on maintaining a consistent rhythm while keeping your form strong and controlled.

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3. Lupita Nyong'o's Quick Core Burn

What you need: Just your body weight! This quick, efficient core workout takes about 10 minutes.

The Routine:

1. Pushups (3 sets of 12 reps)
2. Plank Jacks (3 sets of 15 reps)
3. Mountain Climbers (3 sets of 15 reps)
4. One-Arm Plank (3 sets of 15 seconds each)

Directions: Perform each movement with control to maximize engagement.

How to Do It:

1. Pushups

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body toward the ground, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
3. Once your chest is near the floor, push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
4. Keep your body in a straight line throughout the movement, engaging your core.
5. Repeat for 12 reps.

2. Plank Jacks

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and feet together.
2. Engage your core and jump your feet out wide, like a jumping jack, while maintaining a strong plank.
3. Quickly jump your feet back together to the starting position.
4. Continue alternating between wide and narrow feet for 15 reps.
5. Keep your hips stable and avoid letting your lower back sag.

3. Mountain Climbers

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and body in a straight line.
2. Bring one knee toward your chest, then quickly switch legs, driving the opposite knee toward your chest.
3. Alternate legs quickly in a running motion.
4. Keep your core tight and your body stable throughout the movement.
5. Perform 15 reps per leg.

4. One-Arm Plank (3 sets of 15 seconds per arm)

1. Start in a high plank position with your feet wider than shoulder-width for stability.
2. Shift your weight to one hand and raise the opposite hand off the ground, keeping your body in a straight line.
3. Engage your core and hold the position for 15 seconds, focusing on maintaining balance and keeping your hips level.
4. Switch arms and repeat the hold for 15 seconds on the other side.
5. Perform 3 sets, alternating arms.

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4. Stephen Amell's Functional Abs Routine

What you need: A pull-up bar and medicine ball. This functional core workout is designed for strength and stability. To achieve abs like Amell, consider following the below regimen.

The Routine:

1. Hanging Leg Raises (3 sets to failure)
2. Russian Twists (3 sets to failure)
3. V-Ups (3 sets to failure)

Directions: Perform all exercises in a circuit, resting 30 seconds between sets.

How to Do It:

1. Hanging Leg Raises

1. Hang onto a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and legs straight.
2. Engage your core and lift your legs until they are parallel to the ground (or higher if possible).
3. Lower your legs with control to the starting position.
4. Avoid swinging or using momentum. Perform as many reps as possible.

2. Russian Twists

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet slightly off the ground.
2. Hold a weight or medicine ball at chest level.
3. Rotate your torso to one side, then twist to the other while keeping your core engaged.
4. Continue alternating sides until failure.

3. V-Ups

1. Lie flat on your back with arms extended overhead and legs straight.
2. Engage your core and lift your arms and legs simultaneously, reaching toward your toes.
3. Slowly lower back to the starting position.
4. Repeat until you can't maintain proper form.

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5. Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 2 Core Workout

What you need: A pull-up bar, a cable machine, a landmine, and a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells.

The Routine:

1. Hanging Leg Raises (4 sets of 8 reps)
2. Cable Crunch (4 sets of 12 reps)
3. Landmine Anti-Rotations (4 sets of 10 reps per side)
4. High-Low Carry (4 sets of 25 meters)

Directions: Perform each move with precision to maximize core activation.

How to Do It:

1. Hanging Leg Raises

• Hang onto a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and legs straight.
• Engage your core and lift your legs until they are parallel to the ground (or higher if possible).
• Lower your legs with control to the starting position.
• Avoid swinging or using momentum.

2. Cable Crunch

1. Attach a rope to a high pulley on a cable machine and kneel in front of it.
2. Hold the rope near your head and crunch down, bringing your elbows toward your knees.
3. Slowly return to the starting position while keeping tension on your abs.

3. Landmine Anti-Rotations

1. Secure a barbell in a landmine attachment or wedge it into a corner.
2. Hold the end of the barbell with both hands at chest level.
3. Rotate the barbell to one side while keeping your hips and lower body stable.
4. Return to center and repeat on the other side.

4. High-Low Carry

1. Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand at shoulder level (high position) and another in the opposite hand at your side (low position).
2. Walk 25 meters while keeping your core engaged and posture upright.
3. Switch sides and repeat.

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6. Jennifer Aniston's Effective Ab Moves

What you need: Just a yoga mat. This routine focuses on sculpting the abs through controlled movements.

The Routine:

Circuit 1: Perform 3 rounds with minimal rest

1. Plank: 30 seconds
2. Bird Dig: 10 reps per side
3. Rotational Med Ball Slam with Lunge: 8 reps per side

Circuit 2: Perform 3 rounds with minimal rest

1. Side Elbow Plank: 30-seconds per side
2. Renegade Row: 10 reps per side
3. Medicine-ball rotational punch: 8 reps per side

Directions: Perform each circuit for the prescribed rounds. Rest minimally between exercises, and one minute between rounds.

How to Do It:

Circuit 1:

1. Plank

1. Start in a forearm plank position with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
2. Keep your core tight, back straight, and hips in line with your shoulders.
3. Hold for 30 seconds while breathing steadily.

2. Bird Dog

1. Begin on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Extend your right arm and left leg simultaneously, keeping your core engaged.
3. Pause briefly, then return to the starting position.
4. Repeat on the opposite side and continue alternating.

3. Rotational Med Ball Slam with Lunge

1. Hold a medicine ball at chest level and stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Step into a lunge while rotating your torso and slamming the ball to the side of your front leg.
3. Catch the ball, return to standing, and repeat on the opposite side.

Circuit 2:

1. Side Elbow Plank

1. Lie on your side and prop yourself up on one elbow, stacking your feet.
2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
3. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

2. Renegade Row

1. Start in a high plank position with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Row one dumbbell up toward your ribcage while keeping your hips stable.
3. Lower the dumbbell with control and switch sides.

3. Medicine Ball Rotational Punch

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball at chest level.
2. Rotate your torso as you punch the ball forward to one side.
3. Return to center and repeat on the other side.

7. Chris Hemsworth's Core Strength Routine

What you need: A yoga mat and your body! This workout features just some exercises Hemsworth's Centr team recommends for a strong, muscular core.

The Routine:

1. Static Bear Walkout
2. Frog Plank
3. V-Ups
4. Criss Cross
5. Fake Rope Climbs

Directions: Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, with 15 seconds of rest between movements. Complete the circuit for two rounds.

How to Do It:

1. Static Bear Walkout

1. Start in a bear plank position with hands under shoulders and knees hovering just above the ground.
2. Slowly walk your hands forward, extending your body while keeping your knees low and core engaged.
3. Pause briefly at full extension, then walk your hands back to the starting position.
4. Repeat for the desired reps.

2. Frog Plank

1. Begin in a forearm plank position with your body in a straight line.
2. Jump both feet outward to a wide stance, then return to the starting position.
3. Maintain a strong core and avoid lifting your hips too high.
4. Repeat for the desired reps.

3. V-Ups

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms reaching overhead.
2. Simultaneously lift your upper body and legs toward each other, engaging your core.
3. Reach your hands toward your toes at the top of the movement.
4. Lower back down with control and repeat.

4. Criss Cross

1. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and legs lifted in a tabletop position.
2. Twist your torso, bringing your right elbow toward your left knee while extending your right leg.
3. Switch sides, bringing your left elbow toward your right knee.
4. Continue alternating in a controlled, twisting motion.

5. Fake Rope Climbs

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended and core engaged.
2. Reach one arm up as if grabbing an imaginary rope, then pull it down while reaching the opposite arm up.
3. Keep a steady, twisting motion, engaging your obliques with each reach.
4. Continue for the desired reps or time.