As summer approaches, you are likely dreaming of those perfect 6-pack abs. Spend time every day working through these 10 exercises to firm, tone, and define your abs.
Supplement your workout with a great diet, including testosterone boosters as a convenient supplement to support your work in the gym.
Do these 10 exercises, which you can do at home or in the gym and in about 10 minutes per day, you’ll see a difference before summer with toned and tightened abs.
1. Cardio
To complete any ab routine, you need to engage in cardio.
Skipping rope cardio workout for weight loss / Image source: www.escapefitness.com
Start with cardio to get your heart rate up and your muscles warm. Spend 30 minutes doing intense cardio:
- run
- run stairs
- alternate jumping jacks with other exercise
- skipping rope workouts
This will prime you for the exercises to come!
2. A Twist on the Seated Bicycle: This Exercise Will Work Your Entire Core
To complete this exercise, sit on the floor, knees bent, and feet flat (they should be resting on the floor). Holding a dumbbell at your chest, keep your back flat and recline slightly – then lift your feet off the floor.
To complete the exercise, rotate your upper body to the left as you straighten your left leg. Then, without stopping, repeat the move to the other side.
Complete for 30 seconds.
3. High/Low Plank: This Plank Variation Builds Strength throughout your Core
Start in a traditional push-up position. Keeping your core engaged, place your right forearm flat on the ground, then your left forearm flat on the ground.
This is a low plank position.
Reverse by pushing up with your left hand/arm (then with your right). You should return to the push up position. Complete 20 times (returning to the push up position each time), alternate starting with the other arm each time down.
4. Side Plank with Hip Lift: This Plank Variation Strengthens your Entire Core Area
Lie on your right side, and hold your body up with your elbow and forearm. The left side of your body should be stacked over the right. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your head to feet (you should make a triangle with the floor). Raise your left arm toward the sky.
With an engaged core, lower your right hip to hover over the floor, then lift it back to your starting triangle position. Repeat lowering and lifting for 30 seconds.
After 30 seconds, flip your body over and reverse the move, with your left hip toward the ceiling and stacked on your left forearm. Lower and lift your right hip for an additional 30 seconds.
Top 10 Good Ab Exercises To Do At Home
Do we really need to burn the ab muscles or the „six-pack“? Is the look more important than functionality of abdominal muscles? Try these top ten ab exercises. Sit ups strengthen just a few muscle groups, are hard on your back and bad for you.
5. Pull-Up
People traditionally think of pull-ups as a biceps and back exercise, but pull-ups require core strength and will help tone and tighten your midsection.
A pull-up is a “compound” exercise that involves a large number of big and small muscles
Grasp a bar (at the park, or a pull-up bar in your doorway) with your arms slightly wider than your shoulder width. Lift off the ground, and bend your legs being you, crossing your feet.
Squeeze your butt, and brace your abs to ensure your core is engaged. Pull yourself up toward the bar until your chin is about three inches above the bar. Return to the start position.
Complete 24 times.
TIP: If you can’t pull yourself up, do not flail or use momentum to complete the move. Loop an exercise band over the bar and around your bent knees. Use the force from the band to help you complete the move.
Resistance strength bands for exercises (for arms or legs) – Extremely versatile and portable, TRX Strength Bands safely increase the intensity of any exercise without the need for extra weights. Use these bands for anything from rehabilitation, stretching, mobility and functional training, to power-lifting, resistance, weightlifting and pull-up assistance.
6. Medicine Ball Slam
Picking up a weight requires your back muscles to engage. When you slam the ball downward (as opposed to dropping it from your head), your abs contract during the movement.
https://youtu.be/KkrjyMAS1Ms?t=5s
Grab a medium weight medicine ball (check the review of the best medicine balls). Hold it above your head (hold it without arching your back). Standing upright and with good posture, throw the ball directly downward at the ground near your feet as hard as you can (don’t hit yourself and watch out – the ball can bounce back up!).
Complete 24 reps.
TRX Training Slam Ball – Rugged, textured surface provides a better grip while the ultra-durable rubber shell absorbs impact. TRX Slam Balls are bounce-resistant and ideal for slams, overhead throw, lunges and functional, bodyweight exercises. Perfect for all fitness levels and all types of workouts.
7. Stretch
Start face-down on a mat face-down on the floor with your legs behind you and hands positioned beside your chest. Extend your arms to make them straight, raising your torso off the floor at the same time. Hold for ten seconds.
Then, bend your right arm and twist your body toward the right, while keeping your left arm straight. Hold for ten seconds, return to center. Hold for ten seconds.
Then repeat bending left art and holding your right arm straight – rotating toward the left. Hold for ten seconds. Return to center.
8. The Pendulum
This “windshield wiper” move challenges your abs and forces your entire core to hold steady. It challenges your obliques as you shift legs from side to side.
Pendulum AB exercise / Image source: www.hustlelife.in
Begin on a mat on the floor, flat on your back. Lift your legs toward the sky making a right angle between your body and legs. Keep your legs straight and slowly lower them to the right, get them close to the floor.
Then, lift them back to the upright position. Next, lower your legs to the left side, close to the floor, and lift them up. Perform 12 reps on each side. Go slowly and do not let momentum move your legs up and down/side to side.
TIP: Try TRX Pendulum
Thanks to a break in basic position after preceding side movement, you are forced to activate deep stabilizing muscles and exercise also those muscles which are very often missing in a gym.
9. Standing Dumbbell Side Bend: This Movement, Strengthens the Side of Your Abs and Back
Stand tall, legs just wider than hips/shoulders and hold dumbbells (or kettle weights) in each hand – holding your arms straight to your side. Slowly slide your right arm down the side of your body to your knee area.
Keep your core engaged and do not twist or rotate as you bend. Straighten up to standing.
Complete 20 reps per side.
11. TRX Standing roll out
This is an absolute winner from all exercises for abdominal muscles.
When exercised correctly, you will not only join almost all 32 muscles which participate in the function of your core , but you will also exercise breast muscles.
https://youtu.be/DivdfO0rUbw
If you manage to exercise in a big angle, you will gain firm and especially functional abdomen. Another possibility how to effectively tone your abs and all core of the body is the series of unilateral exercises.
Complete these exercises regularly, pair them with nutrition, and supplements, and you’ll see immediate changes. You will have a six-pack ready for summer. You can also try these Top 10 good ab exercises, which you can do at home, focused on functionality of abdominal muscles.
🎁 How to apply the TRX Training Discount Code
