Flatten your stomach and tight your abs with the easiest ab workout.
The workout includes fat-burning cardio with moves that target your entire core. Do these workout moves three days a week, nonconsecutively. Start with the Basic Workout to prime your muscles. After three weeks, you’ll be ready for doing the Advanced Workout for another three weeks. For maximum fat burning, perform the exercises in a circuit: Do one set of each move in the order shown, and rest for 30 seconds between exercises. Then rest for a minute and repeat the circuit from the beginning.
Remember to include 3- to 5-minute warm-up and cooldown. You can run, ride a bike, or use the cardio machine.
Basic Workout
Exercise 1: Plank
Form a straight line with your body, starting at the top of a pushup position. Bend your elbows and lower yourself down until you can shift your weight from your hands to your forearms. Tight your abs and hold for 60 seconds.
Exercise 2: Side Plank
Form a diagonal line with your body, lying on your right side with your legs straight. Prop yourself up with your right forearm. Put your left hand on your hip. Tight your abs and hold for 60 seconds.
Exercise 3: Glute Bridge
Lie on your back, bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Put your arms on the floor with your palms up. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Tight your abs and lift your right knee toward your chest. Hold for 2 counts, then lower your right foot. Repeat with the other leg. That’s 1 rep. Do 2 or 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps.
Exercise 4: Lunge With Rotation
Grab a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell with your hands. Your feet should be hip-width apart and your arms straight out. Take a big step forward with your left foot, then tight your abs and twist your torso to the left as you bend your knees and lower your body until both of your legs form 90-degree angles. Twist back to center, push off your left foot, and stand back up. Repeat with the other leg. That’s 1 rep. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Advanced Workout
Exercise 5: Plank With Lifted Arm
Get into the plank position. Tight your abs and shift your weight to your right forearm. Extend your left arm in front of you. Hold for 3 to 10 seconds. Then, repeat with the right arm. That’s 1 rep. Do 2 or 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps, rest for 1 minute between sets.
Exercise 6: Side Plan With Rotation
Get into right-side plank position. Tight your abs and reach your left hand toward the ceiling. Slowly tuck your left arm under your body and twist forward until your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Return to the side plank. That’s 1 rep. Do 2 or 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps on each side, rest for 1 minute between sets.
Exercise 7: Hip and Thigh Raise
Lie on your back, bend your right knee and extend your left leg. Rest your arms on the floor, palms up, at shoulder level with your hips about 2 inches off the floor. Raise your hips to form a straight line from your shoulders to your left foot. Hold for 2 counts, then return to first position. That’s 1 rep. Do 10 to 15 reps on each side.
Exercise 8: Reverse Lunge
Grab a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell in your left hand and hold it up next to your left shoulder. Step backward with your left foot and lower your body until your knees are bent 90 degrees, while pressing the dumbbell directly over your shoulder without bending. Lower the weight back to the starting position as you push quickly back to standing. That’s 1 rep. Do 10 to 15, then switch sides.
Source: womenshealthmag.com