The Best Home Abs Workout
The Best Home Abs Workout Good news for anyone whose living room doubles as a fitness studio: You can totally, 100-percent score a strong core by doing abs workouts at home.
An effective abs workout includes exercises that target all four of the major muscle groups in your midsection—the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal obliques, and external obliques.
“Your core is the foundation of all movements,” says Melissa Kendter, ACE-CPT, EvolveYou trainer.
“Core strength allows us to move with more efficiency, increase our power and speed, and helps us maintain good form during endurance sports.
“Note, no equipment whatsoever is required to get the sculpted abs benefits.
“Bodyweight core exercises can be beneficial because they can be done anytime, anywhere,” adds Kendter.
“They can improve your posture, range of motion, and stability. The Best Home Abs Workout
You can make them as hard or as easy as you want.” Play with tempo, number of reps, rounds, and complexity for more or less challenge.
All you need is some space and this 10-move abs circuit workout created by celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, CSCS, CPT.
Crank it out two or three times a week and you’ll be well on your way to more toned abs within steps of your couch.
1.Bicycle Crunch
Lift shoulder blades off mat, raise legs so knees are bent at 90 degrees, and gaze at thighs, keeping neck relaxed.
This is your starting position.
Engage abs and rotate right elbow toward left knee while extending right leg to straight, lowering it as close to the floor as possible without resting it on mat.
Return to start and repeat on the other side. That’s one.
The Best Home Abs Workout
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
2.Side Hip Bridge
Start by lying on right side with left foot on top of right and right forearm on mat, elbow under shoulder.
Your palm should be flat with your fingers spread, left hand on hip.
Engage obliques and lift hips up until body forms a straight line from head to heels.
Pause for one breath, then lower back down to start.
That’s one rep.
Complete 10 reps on right side, then flip to left side and complete 10 reps on that side.
3.Reverse Crunch
Start lying on back with hands by sides and legs lifted off the ground at a 45-degree angle, toes pointed.
Push down into arms and pull knees into chest until hips lift off mat, keeping core engaged.
Slowly return to start.
That’s one rep.
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
4.Seated Rotation
Sit on the floor and lean upper body back until abs are engaged.
Legs should be lifted and bent at 90 degrees, and arms should be bent, hands clasped, with elbows wide.
This is your starting position.Rotate torso to right side so that right elbow is hovering just off mat.
Keep lower body still while rotating upper body to left side until left elbow is just off mat.
Return to center.
Gaze follows hands as you move. That’s one rep.
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
5.Air Chop
Arms should be raised overhead, elbows bent so that hands can be clasped behind body and biceps are framing face.
Engage arm muscles and, with control, swing arms forward and down, stopping when they reach chest level.
Return slowly to start.
That’s one rep.
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
6.Shoulder Tap
Start in a plank position.
Keeping hips level, touch left shoulder with right hand, then place palm back on the floor.
Repeat on the other side.
That’s one rep.
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
7.Extended Arm Plank Bird Dog
Engage core and lift left arm and right leg off the mat at the same time, keeping hips as level as possible.
Slowly return to start.
Repeat on the opposite side.
That’s one rep.
The Best Home Abs Workout
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
8.Extended Arm Plank To T-Raise
Keep toes in place but lower heels down to the right until they reach the mat while rotating torso to face left side of mat and lifting left arm into the air in line with shoulder.
Return to start and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep.
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
Complete 10 reps. Continue to the next move.
9.Plank To Toe Touch
(Heels stay high the whole time.)Slowly return to start.
Repeat on the opposite side.
That’s one rep.
Complete 10 reps.
Continue to the next move.
10.Hollow Hold
Raise arms and legs, leaving just bra line and lower back on mat so body looks like a banana.
Hold the position for 30 seconds.Rest for one minute then repeat entire circuit from the top until you’ve done two or three rounds.
