Your core is probably the section of your body that requires the most attention, as it dictates stability, strength, balance, and food processing. There’s no magic pill or special hack to strengthen and tighten up your core – it all comes down to hard work and consistency! So let’s look at the ab exercises that will get you there.
Firstly, ABS are made in the kitchen!
Before we dive into the best ab exercises, let’s shine a spotlight on two other important factors that will contribute to a strong and defined core:
- Eating well! Simply, this means to eat nutritious wholefoods (and within a set calorie limit in order to burn fat.). Cutting back on sugary snacks, fried foods, alcohol and refined grains will give you the best possible chance at building muscle and increasing your metabolism.
- It’s also super important to stay hydrated – not only in day to day, but also to support your workouts. You can learn more about this here.
Time for the exercises!
We’ve covered nutrition, so let’s get stuck into those ab exercises! These are my top nine:
TIP: unsure what AMRAP means? = As Many Reps As Possible
High plank, 5 x 30 second AMRAP
Side Plank – 5 x 30 second each side AMRAP
Straight Leg Lowers – 5 x 10 reps, making sure your legs are straight as possible. A great addition is to hover your leg (the one closest to the floor) at the bottom of the rep
Dish Holds – 5 x 30 second holds
Leg scissors, laying on your back – 5 x 30 second AMRAP
Bicycles – 5 x 30 second AMRAP
Controlled and slow crunches – 5 x 10 reps with your feet on the floor, aiming for the time from top of the crunch to the floor to be 3 seconds
Crunches with your legs in the air – 5 X 30 second AMRAP
Hang from a bar, knee to chest – 5 x 10 reps, 1 second knees to chest, 3 seconds legs lowering down to straight (sorry, we didn’t have an image on file for this one!)
And there is it. The above exercises will target your whole abdominal area to get you the best results. Try them together, or add one to the end of your current workout.
And don’t forget that it’s super important that you support your workout efforts with adequate water intake and a healthy diet. Abs are not found in a chip packet, chocolate wrapper, or fast food shop! If you want them, you have to earn them!
Want more workouts? Visit our fitness blog page here, or click here to learn more about our 12WBT exercise plans!
