When it comes to working your abs, you don’t need tons of time or equipment. In fact, just a ten-minute blast is enough to get your deep core muscles firing. If visible abs are your goal, you’ll need to focus on your cardio levels, your diet, and your training in general, but there’s a lot more to abdominal strength than how you look in the mirror.
Strong abs will support your spine, improve your posture and reduce your risk of injuries. They’re especially important as you get older, as a strong midsection can help your balance, reducing your risk of falls. If you spend a lot of time sitting down, you’ll also want to work on your abdominal muscles, as they can help reduce back pain. Strong abs can even improve your athletic performance.
This workout below takes ten minutes to complete, and doesn’t involve a single mountain climber or plank jump. The entire workout takes place on the floor, so you’ll want to grab one of the best yoga mats to protect your joints. No additional equipment is required.
What is the workout?
Ready to get started? Set your best adjustable dumbbells to one side for this one, as all you’ll need is your bodyweight. You’ll do each of the exercises for 30 seconds. The workout, developed by trainer Pamela Reif, can be followed along in real time.
Here are the exercises involved:
- Leg hold and high crunch
- Leg hold and bicycle crunches
- 2 leg lifts, 2 jackknives
- 2 starfish, 2 jackknives
- Extreme hold
- 5 starfish, 1 tuck
- Deadbug
- Bicycle crunches
- Hold with arm extensions
- Reverse crunch and twist
- Halo
- Ab hold
- Toe tap and sit up
- Torture flutter
- Ab hold
- Plank pulses
- Side plank hold
What are the benefits?
If completed with the correct form, you’ll keep your abdominal muscles engaged throughout this workout. There are no rest breaks, so that’s 10 minutes of core activation. This results in a deeper, more intense muscle contraction, making the workout more effective in less time. It’s also important from a safety standpoint, as keeping your core engaged stops your back from arching, which can cause lower back pain.
This workout targets the muscles that make up the deep core. This includes the transverse abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor and diaphragm. These muscles protect the spine and internal organs, so strengthening them is super important. The workout involves a lot of holds, which force you to slow down and really think about engaging those important muscles.
Finally, brace your deep core during this workout and ensure that the movements come from your abdominal muscles. During sit-ups and crunches, it’s easy for your hip flexors to take over, or for your upper body to pull your neck up. By mixing the exercises with holds, you’ll be reminded to keep the midsection braced, and this will result in a more effective workout.
What are you waiting for? Unroll your exercise mat and give this one a go.
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