Whether you’re at home, in your office, traveling for work and staying in a hotel, or on vacation; here are seven easy movements that are guaranteed to strengthen your core and abdominal muscles. And, you only need twenty-five minutes to complete. Easy, right?!
So, let’s get started by taking it to the floor!
This routine will tone your entire core, sculpt your waistline and boost your metabolism and heart rate. I’m talking bicycle, flutter, holds, and sit-ups. You’re going to LOVE it!
For each of the 7 movements, I want you to complete 20 reps. (for a total of 140 reps) Watch the short video above to see all of the movements strung together, and for even more; check out the short descriptions and clips below.
- Med-Ball Sit-Ups with Half-Leg Hold:
Setup
– Lay on the floor with your legs bent
– Hold the medicine ball overhead with arms locked out and crunch up, bringing the ball to to the top of your legs and gently rest ball
Execution
– As you go back down, crunch without the ball
– As you crunch back up, grab the ball and then transition to locked arms to bring the ball back behind your head
– As you go back down, your shoulder blades should be touching the ground
– Repeat
(If you don’t have a medicine ball, just grab something heavy (8-20 lbs). A pillow will work if that’s all you have)
2. Regular Sit-Ups:
Setup
– Lay on the floor. Bring your legs in. Draw your belly button in to your spine
Execution
– Slowly sit up. Bring your head up first, then your shoulders. Keep your legs on the ground. Touch your hands in front of your feet
– Hold the position for a second
– Slowly lay back down. This counts as one sit-up
– Repeat
3. Straight-leg Sit-Ups:
Setup
– Lay on the floor with your legs out straight. Draw your belly button in to your spine
Execution
– Slowly sit up. Bring your head up first, then your shoulders. Keep your legs on the ground in a straight position.. Touch your hands to your feet
– Hold the position
– Slowly lay back down. This counts as one sit-up
– Repeat
4. Single Leg V-Up’s :
Setup
– Lay flat on your back with your legs straight out in front of you and your arms down by your sides
– Lift one leg up towards the ceiling and then lift your other leg up off the ground, squeezing your glute. Press your low back into the ground and engage your abs as you lift your legs up
– Then crunch your upper body up as you reach your opposite arm up toward the toes of your raised leg.
Execution
– Slowly sit up. Bring your head up first, then your shoulders. Keep your legs on the ground in a straight position.. Touch your hands to your feet
– Hold the position
– Slowly lay back down. This counts as one sit-up
– Press lightly through your arm on the ground as you press your low back into the ground and reach up as high as you can, rotating toward that raised leg. Squeeze your glute of the leg close to the ground to help protect your low back. Do not touch that leg down on the ground. Keep it up higher to make the move easier
– Then lower the raised leg as you lift the other leg up toward the ceiling and crunch up to reach up toward that opposite foot. Keep alternating sides
– Make sure to keep you low back firmly pressed into the ground as you reach up as high as possible while keeping your legs as straight as possible
– Repeat
5. Bicycle:
Setup
– Lay on the floor and place your hands behind your head
– Raise your legs. Raise them so that your thighs are perpendicular to the ground, and your calves are parallel to the ground. Keep your feet together. This is called tabletop position
Execution
– Now lift your head up and touch your right elbow to the left knee while pulling your knee up towards your head. At the same time, straighten your right leg, keeping it several inches off of the floor – similar to the motion you’d make while pedaling a bicycle
- As you lift your head, tense your abs. Use your abdominal muscles to crunch your body forward so that your elbow can reach your knee
- At the same time, tense your leg muscles and be sure to keep them bent or straightened correctly. Don’t rest your feet on the ground
- Be sure to keep your elbows back, rather than bringing them forward toward your chest, which could strain your neck
- To increase the difficulty, try keeping your shins parallel to the ground throughout the exercise
– Now, touch your left elbow to your right knee
– Repeat
6. Flutter:
Setup
– Lay flay on your back with your arms by your sides and your palms down. Extend your legs fully out with a slight bend in your knees. Lift your heels about 6 inches off the floor
Execution
– Make small, rapid up and down scissor-like motions with your legs. The key is to focus on having your midsection do all the work and to keep your abs constantly contracted throughout the exercise.
– Repeat
7. Hollow Body Hold:
Setup
– Lie down flat on your back and contract the abs, pulling the belly button towards the floor. The arms and legs should be held straight out from the body with hands and toes pointed
Execution
– Slowly raise shoulders and legs from the ground.
– Repeat
So?! What did you think? Did you feel the burn in your ab’s? Share your comments with the tribe!
If you found this workout helpful and easy to do from almost anywhere, please share.
