by Charles Weller
With beach season right around the corner – or any other reason to bare that belly – you need quick and you need effective ways to chisel out those abs. Combined with a good diet of course, there’s no better time than now to incorporate a good ab workout into your exercise regimen along with meal planning. Contrary to popular belief, it does not require hours of cardio or spending all of your time at the gym to get that set of abs, as long as you are consuming the proper amounts of calories, protein, and nutrients – and taking a few minutes a few times a week to hit that midsection.
Get back to the basics and keep it fast and simple with these ab exercises. Do each for a full 45 seconds, taking just a 15 second rest between each.
1. Crunches (0-45 sec) - Lie on your back, keep knees bent with feet flat on floor, hip-width apart. Place hands behind your head and contract the abs to lift your head, neck, and shoulder blades off the floor and crunch forward. Hold position at top of the movement and slowly lower body to beginning position. Remember to breath, exhale as you crunch up and inhale as you lower back to the floor. Keep your form in check throughout the entire exercise – hold elbows to out to the side, do not pull on your neck to lift your body, and feel the tension in your abdominals. Repeat movement for a full 45 seconds.
2. Body Plank (1:00-1:45) - Lie face down and push your body off the floor as if you were going to perform a pushup. Bend your arms at the elbow, lowering your torso so your entire body weight is in a position resting on your elbows/forearms and the tip of your toes. With your body in a straight line from head to heels, focus on keeping tension in your abs and core. Be sure not to let your hips or lower back sag, but make sure you do not raise your rear/buttocks too high either. Maintain proper form in a steady position for a full 45 seconds (For an extra burn » try using a ball or bench to elevate your legs!).
3. Flutter Kicks (2:00-2:45) – Lie on your back and lift legs so your feet are about 6 inches from the floor. With only a slight bend in your knees, raise left leg to about a 45 degree angle from the floor and keep the right leg stationary. Then lower left leg while raising the right leg. Continue alternating each leg quickly while maintaining proper form – keep lower back against the floor, keep your arms by your side for stabilization, remember to breath, and feel the tension in your abdominals. Flutter kick for a full 45 seconds.
4. Bicycle Kicks (3:00-3:45) – Lie on your back and lift knees up towards your chest with shins level to the floor. Place hands behind your head with elbows to the side and raise upper body slightly from the floor. Straighten your left leg and at the same time turn your upper body towards the right, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee. Then turn in the opposite direction while straightening and bending the knees. Continue alternating back and forth in a steady-controlled motion for a full 45 seconds.
5. Leg Raises (4:00-4:45) – Lie on your back with hand under your buttocks or by your sides for support. Keeping your legs straight, raise them so that feet are about 6 – 10 inches from the floor and then lower them back down. Focus on your form – be sure not to arch your back and feel the tension in your abs. Repeat the movement for a full 45 seconds (For added difficulty » try holding your hands behind your head or raise them off the floor!).
6. Finish It Off (5:00-5:45, Your Done!) – With another Body Plank for 45 seconds and make sure to follow up your workouts with a healthy meal or protein shake that includes proper nutrition for recovery.
Simply add this ab routine to the end of your workout a few times a week and then when ready for the next level of intensity, come back to www.ground-based.com as a resource for advanced ab workout routines and other fitness tips. If you do not see the results that you are looking for, remember that proper nutrition is essential when working to chisel that six-pack. Take your intense ab workout to the next level with a Superfood Protein shake.
Ground-Based Nutrition’s Superfood Protein contains 20g of high-quality protein and only 110 calories in its delicious Rich Chocolate and Pure Vanilla flavors!
Ground-Based Nutrition never uses artificial sweeteners, colors, dye, additives, or preservatives. Superfood Protein is certified organic, non-GMO Project Verified, certified vegan, gluten free, soy free, and dairy free.
Related Posts
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT, is a term used to describe the number of calories you burn through dail...
Read More
I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days -Henry David Thoreau.
While a daily dose of sunshine is h...
Read More
Because of its long path through the human body, the vagus nerve has been described as the “wanderer nerve.” The va...
Read More
The liver is our primary detox organ. It is in charge of making toxins less dangerous through biochemical processing ...
Read More
Incorporating stretches into your daily routine is beneficial in so many ways. Stretching is instrumental in improvin...
Read More
We all have busy lives and are constantly on the go! It’s important for our health, energy level, and mood ...
Read More
Uncorking the wine bottle or having a few beers is the way that many people “unwind”. While this seems like a great w...
Read More
If this last two years have taught us anything it is that COVID affects each of us differently and our immune systems...
Read More
Whether we are ready for the holidays or not, they are here!! That means a time for family gatherings, great food, fr...
Read More
I recently did a juice cleanse in which you drink one gallon of juice per day for a two day period. The two gallons o...
Read More
Charles Weller
Author