It's rare I ask my clients and members what type of workout they want.
I know... that sounds mean but hear me out.
One of my main jobs is programming and workout design... I know what you should be doing for the results you want.
I'm a professional. This is what I do.
But occasionally I like to have fun.
So I'll ask my clients what type of workout they want. And most of the time... they only say...
"More abs!"
So I wanted to write this blog post for those times when you want to do an ab workout.
And this is beginner ab workout... but I guarantee this workout will challenge any level of fitness.
It's only beginner because of the fundamental exercises we use. Nothing fancy or exotic here.
And no equipment needed.
Let's quickly go through these exercises first.
Beginner Ab Workout - The Full Core
This is a timed workout because we have a lot of holds... but don't worry too much because you'll still need to count reps.
Have a piece of paper and pen nearby. You'll probably want to jot down your rep count.
Base Workout Exercises - FAST Runthrough
Plank
Normal plank from your forearms is your first option.
If you have sliders and a carpet... forearm plank with feet on sliders.
If you have a hard floor... grab some paper plates or dish towels... forearm plank with feet on towels.
Hollow Hold
Standard hollow hold.
Modified with knees bent and arms at your side. But remember to keep them your arms off the ground...
And DON'T hold your thighs.
intensity tip
Remember with the hollow hold you're not only crunching your abs and pulling your shoulders off the ground...
Your trying to pull your hips off the ground too.
The rest or contact point is your low back... NOT your hips.
Practice with your knees bent and see if you can lift your hips off the ground... only a little bit.
Reverse Crunch
If you struggle with:
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Keeping your back down when you do crunches or hollow holds
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Low back pain
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Overall weak abs
This is a great exercise for you.
I won't break it down in this post since this is more about the workout... but keep an eye out for beginner ab exercises and their full breakdown.
Here're the pictures of the breakdown...
Plank Rockers
Breakout those sliders if you have them... if you want to go advanced.
Else... just stay on your feet.
This is essentially a "jittery" plank. You'll see what I mean.
Make sure you focus hard on keeping your core tight and low back flat... don't let it break.
Back Curls
A great exercise for back strength that is beginner friendly and very important.
Most women do not train their back muscles enough and this exercise will remedy that.
The Actual Ab Workout
We're going to go 30 seconds per exercise.
When you're doing these exercises...
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Reverse crunches
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Plank rockers
Try to get as many good reps as you can in the 30 seconds. Count them up and write them down so you can easily remember.
For back curls... don't worry about going fast.
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For the first round... rep out the back curls.
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For rounds two and three... do back curl holds.
Three rounds total.
Focus HARD on the third round. Your core should be pretty tired by then and this is the round where I want you pushing extra hard.
Want More Ab Workouts?
Every single Wednesday is Arm and Core Wednesday in Fit Women's Weekly LIVE .
We always do really fun and more sophisticated workouts.
Fit Women's Weekly LIVE workouts are:
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Goal driven
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Intense
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Trainer led
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Available to do LIVE
It's an amazing program. Go check it out and join because membership is limited .
If you need help getting started with working out consistently... check out these posts.