With a new year comes new resolutions and goals as well as new motivation [speak for yourself…]. For me, one of my major goals for the year is to get the abs back that I had when I was 20. I know – keep dreaming – but I feel like if I can integrate quick and effective exercises into my daily routine (and stop eating so much pizza) it can happen! So I took a stab at Women’s Health Best Abs Exercises Of All Time To Crush Your Core and here’s what I thought.
Glute Bridge March – I love a good glute bridge, but with the arms extended plus a march… this one burns. If you have a sway back like me you have to focus on really squeezing your belly button to spine otherwise this one really puts a strain on my lower back.
Mountain Climber – this one is tough for 60 seconds… but it definitely gives you the cardio kick you need if you’re just doing a quick 20 min ab workout [this seems more in line with my attention span]. This one, unfortunately, will stay in my rotation.
Plank with Knee Tap – growing up as a dancer, I am no rookie when it comes to a plank. I am at the point where I sometimes don’t feel a whole lot when just doing a traditional plank so I amp it up with hip taps or a rock back and forth. However, the knee tap is a game changer – I was shaking. This is a keeper. [flashbacks to plank challenges, booo]
Side Plank – just like standard planks, side planks are an ab workout staple and really target the obliques. I usually do weighted side bends for my obliques, but when I’m feeling lazy to get up off the floor after my other ab exercises this is a great option.
Shoulder Tap and Jack – another cardio option. For me, this one put quite a bit of strain on my wrists so if I had to choose, I would stick with the Mountain Climbers.
Leg Lower – another dance staple, leg lowers are tough. Again, you have to focus on keeping your lower back glued to the floor (sliding your hands under your glutes helps alleviate the pressure) but this one is killer for your hard to reach lower abs. I’ll be keeping these on the docket.
Deadbug – to be honest, I had no idea what this was [it sounds awful… poor bug]. When looking up workouts to target your abs, this one kept coming up and so I was curious to try. It burns like hell. If you’re in a pinch for time this combines a Leg Lower and a V-Up (sort of).
V-Up – this is typical in yoga practice, which I sometimes modify to a boat pose, and is a great target for your lower abs as well as a bit of cardio. My heart goes wild during this one so I really have to pump myself up mentally beforehand.
Reverse Crunches – another key exercise for those pesky lower abs. I tend to prefer leg lowers to these as it’s a bit more manageable on my back, but this is a good one. Especially if you have some rage to get out aiming at your cieling.
Heel Taps – I am on the fence on this one. I definitely need to strengthen my obliques [aka those love handles…] but I didn’t feel a whole lot from these. It could be because I have long arms, but I’m gonna skip this on a regular basis.
Beast Hold – this is a major stationary hold I will definitely be doing at the end of each workout. I am forced to focus on my breathing to hold for a minute and it is a great way to end before a stretch.
Banded Bird Dog – unfortunately, I don’t have a band so did these without. I still felt quite a bit without the band, to be honest, but I will probably hold this one until I’m in the gym. If you have a band try this one!
Triple Triple – I love a good crunch combo to add a little excitement and diversity to a workout. I may not do this exact set, but I do rotate standard crunches in my daily workout.
What are your favorite exercises? [you don’t want my recommendations so others please chime in lol] Would love any tips to get that ideal six-pack back!
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