We Asked Pilates Instructors For the Best Ab Moves — Here’s What They Said

“My favorite at-home Pilates abs workout without a machine is, hands down, [doing] planks!” says Nwando Emejulu, a certified Pilates instructor at New York Pilates. “I love to start with a forearm plank.”

1. Balance on your forearms and toes with the body in one straight line, elbows directly under your shoulders. (To modify, drop your knees to the floor, maintaining a straight line from shoulders to knees.)
2. Engage your core, pulling your abs in and up.
3. Hold for 30 seconds.

The next Pilates ab exercise, an elbow plank variation, challenges both your balance and core strength. While you’re lifting your leg, “the rest of the body remains absolutely still, and that is where the majority of the [core] work is — in stability,” says Julie Erickson, a certified Pilates teacher at Endurance Pilates.

1. Start in an elbow plank.
2. Lift your right foot about six inches off the ground, keeping your pelvis parallel to the floor. Avoid arching your lower back to lift your leg. Hold this position.
3. Keeping your body straight and aligned, shift backward from your wrists and your left ankle joints. Shift forward again, and set your right foot down.
4. Repeat the lift and shift with your right leg. That’s one rep.

Scissor kicks are “a classic example of how Pilates stretches and strengthens simultaneously,” says Jennifer Herrera, a Pilates Method-certified teacher who’s certified in mat and reformer Pilates. In this Pilates ab exercise, you build core strength by keeping your upper body lifted, Herrera says. “The lower abdominals work as the legs move, and the movement stretches the hamstrings and lower back.”

1. Lie on your back with both legs in the air.
2. Lift your head and shoulders off the ground. Hold your right ankle as you lower your left leg toward the floor, hovering a few inches off the ground.
3. Keep your abs pulled to your spine, and switch legs. That’s one rep.

“By far, my favorite at-home Pilates ab exercises are variations of planks,” says licensed Pilates instructor Lisa Kaye. “They work your entire body and core.” She recommends the slow mountain climber, a move that targets your lower abs with a challenging in-plank crunch.

1. Start in a high plank with your shoulders over your wrists.
2. Bring your right knee forward toward your chest, pulling your abs to your spine to deepen the ab work, holding the position for two to three seconds.
3. Switch legs, returning your right leg to plank and pulling your left leg in toward your chest. That’s one rep.

This Pilates ab exercise teaches you to build core endurance, using your abs to “support your spine against gravity,” says Mary Badon, Stott Pilates instructor and owner of Soma Movement Studio in Connecticut.

1. Start in a quadruped position (on your hands and knees) with your wrists directly underneath your shoulders and your knees directly underneath your hips. Your core should be engaged, and your spine should be in a neutral position.
2. Inhale and lift your knees one inch off the ground. Be sure to keep your back flat and your abs engaged.
3. Exhale and lower your knees to the floor with control. That’s one rep.
4. To add intensity, slowly step your feet back into a high plank position, hold, then step them forward again to return to your bear hold, keeping your core engaged throughout.

“This is a great exercise to build endurance in your deepest abdominal muscle, the transverse abdominus,” says Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a physical therapist and BASI-certified Pilates instructor at Fusion Wellness and Physical Therapy. This muscle supports your posture, she explains.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Draw your pelvic muscles up and in and your deep lower abdominal muscle toward your spine.
2. Lift one leg at a time, bringing your hips and knees to 90 degrees. Make sure your pelvis is in a neutral position with a slight curve in your lower back (not pressed flat to the floor).
3. Hold for as long as you can, building up to two minutes.
4. To advance the exercise, lower one foot down to the floor with control, using your core muscles. Touch your toes to the floor, and inhale as you lift back up. Repeat on the other side. That’s one rep.

“This [classic Pilates move] is great because it engages your entire core,” says Tracy Green, a certified Pilates and barre instructor at Baptist Health-Milestone Wellness Center in Louisville, KY. “Focus on the percussive breathing here — it’s five sharp, quick breaths in, then five strong, quick exhales. Each breath further engages your abdominals.”

Pilates instructor Gia Calhoun, vice president of Pilates Anytime, agrees, saying thePilates Hundred is designed to “fire up your core.”

1. Start lying on your back with your legs in tabletop position. Engage your deep abs to round your lower spine into the floor.
2. Exhale and lift your upper back off the floor, until the bottom tips of your shoulder blades are just touching the floor. Straighten your legs to a 45-degree angle, making sure your low back is staying connected to the floor. Reach your arms toward your feet, about two inches off the floor.
3. Pump your arms up and down with a small range of motion, keeping your elbows straight. Inhale for five arm pumps, and exhale for five pumps. That’s one set or cycle. Over time, work your way up to 10 cycles.