Core · Bodyweight
Standing Abdominal Vacuum
How to do the standing abdominal vacuum, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall with your hands on your hips and exhale all your air out. Pull your belly button in toward your spine as far as you can and hold the contraction, then release and breathe normally before repeating.
- 1Your deep abdominal wall drawing in toward the spine
- 2A tight, hollowed feeling held across the midsection
- 3The lower core staying engaged without bracing the back
Common mistakes
- Holding your breath; exhale fully first, then hold the draw-in
- Rounding or hunching the upper back
- Pushing the belly out instead of pulling it in
Muscles worked
The standing abdominal vacuum mainly works the lower abs, with the upper abs and obliques assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
Kovo programs the standing abdominal vacuum for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.