Whether or not you have a goal of building a washboard stomach, training your abdominal muscles is important. But, most of us don’t enjoy doing this, especially after a long sweaty workout, it’s about the last thing you want to do. This ab workout from MiraFit, however, is the perfect finisher, or for doing as a standalone session in the week. It'll be done and dusted in 20 minutes and it'll strengthen your mid-section muscles and leave them on fire.
Our abdominal muscles are made up of four muscle groups: the rectus abdominis (also referred to as the ‘six-pack’ muscles), our internal and external obliques, and transverse abdominis (the deepest of the abdominal muscles). These all form part of our core, which works in harmony to aid better balance, stability, and movement. However, our abdominal muscles also help us perform specific functions, such as helping us rotate and bend down, and they protect our internal organs. To therefore build a fit, well functioning body, we shouldn't neglect our abdominal exercises just for core exercises, and vice versa.
Although no equipment is required for this workout, if you want to make it more challenging, you could either use a heavy water bottle, if you’re at home, or if you’re at the gym you could use a single dumbbell or kettlebell. Perform each exercise back to back for 30 seconds, then rest for up to a minute after each round. The goal is to perform as many rounds of this workout as you can in 20 minutes, so make sure you set a timer or have a fitness tracker on. Here’s your exercises (and some alternative exercises, just incase):
- Crunches / or deadbugs
- Toe touches / or bicycle crunches
- Russian twist / place feet on the floor if it’s too hard to keep them in the air
- Back extensions
- Standing obliques crunches
Looking for more core workouts to add into your weekly routine? Give this three-move Pilates core workout a try. It’ll take you no longer than 15-20 minutes and, again, no equipment is needed. If, however, you want to avoid floor-based exercises, then check out this three-move standing ab workout instead. You can either incorporate free weights into it or just use a heavy water bottle.
