Latest news with #coreworkout
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Forget sit-ups — all you need is 4 moves and 15 minutes to sculpt a strong core and strengthen your hips
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. What if I told you I could help you put your core muscles through the wringer in just 16 minutes? I've put together a four-move dumbbell and bodyweight abs workout that will sculpt a stronger core and hips. You just need one dumbbell and up to 16 minutes to do it, and you can follow along with the video below. Each exercise is beginner-friendly, although you can use your dumbbell to progress each exercise further. The best adjustable dumbbells allow you to quickly switch between loads depending on the exercise, or you can ditch the weights completely and purely focus on your form and activating your core muscles properly. Find the full workout below, plus the benefits and ways to adapt the intensity to your fitness. Work for 45 seconds, then rest for 15, performing each of the four core exercises in order. Repeat for three to four rounds. It's short and sweet, but still seriously effective. Think about your core muscles wrapping around your torso, reaching up to your ribcage and down to your hips and glutes. Each of the core exercises below strengthens many of them, and you don't need to add too much weight to feel the benefits. Side planks are great for strengthening your oblique muscles, which run down your waist and comprise the internal and external layers of muscles. You can place your bottom leg on the floor for more support, or lift both legs for the full expression of the plank variation. Regardless, you'll also feel this one in the shoulder and upper arm of the supporting arm, so make sure your shoulder and elbow are stacked for a strong torso position. Lift your hips high and squeeze your stomach as you hold the position. If you're wondering how to make this exercise more challenging, hold a dumbbell against your top hip or lift your top leg into the air and hold the position. Learn how to do a side plank step-by-step. From a high plank position, press your hips up and back into a downward dog, then tap one hand to the opposite foot and repeat on the other side. Each rep, return to the plank again and repeat. Planks work many muscles, including your shoulders, arms, upper chest, upper back and core. In addition, the downward dog position stretches the hamstrings while your hip flexors stay active throughout. Here's more on how to do plank toe taps. For an extra challenge, add a push-up from the plank position to engage more of your upper body. Dead bugs target your deep core muscles, pelvic floor, abs and hip flexors while supporting your lower back. You could hold light dumbbells in each hand to work your arms harder as you extend them behind you, or focus on using your bodyweight and move slowly, with control. Just remember, while gentle curvature of the spine is normal, you still want to flatten your lower back slightly into the mat below you. To do this, slightly tilt your pelvis toward you, then slide your hands beneath your lower back to see if your back can touch your fingers. Here's how to do dead bugs, and the variations to try. Russian twists use rotation to work a multitude of muscle groups, including the obliques, abs, deeper core muscles (transverse abdominis), hip flexors, lower back, shoulders and to a lesser extent, your lats. Hold a weight to your chest or focus on using your bodyweight if you're a beginner to the exercise. You can place both feet on the floor or lift them into the air, but either way, try to slightly lean back and keep your back straight while you twist. The movement should be generated from your torso, not your arms, so your chest should move in the direction of your arms. Here's how to do Russian twists with proper form. Exercises that focus primarily on the abs, like sit-ups, don't necessarily strengthen the core muscles responsible for posture, stabilization and support. So while building strong abs is no bad thing, you're better off hitting multiple muscle groups to strengthen your core as a whole. I don't program the exercises above enough with clients, but they're well worth the time you put into them. Try to add a bit of variety to your ab workouts by thinking about all the muscles of your core (I've got more ideas for you at the bottom of this page). What's more, this routine only takes up to 16 minutes, so you can roll out your mat and do it between meetings or to kickstart your day. Garmin announces Forerunner 570 and 970 — here's everything you need to know about the new watches I did the caterpillar walk every day for one week, here's what happened Forget planks — 6 Pilates exercises to help you rebuild your core postpartum
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Forget sit-ups — use this 10-minute standing abs workout to build a strong core
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. While classic core exercises like sit-ups and crunches are certainly an effective way to train your abs, they are not the only way. If you prefer to stay standing for your workouts, then this 10-minute session is well worth trying. It's been put together by fitness trainer Maddie Lymburner, who goes by MadFit on YouTube, and you don't need any equipment to get it done, though standing on one of the best yoga mats will grant you a better grip during the workout. The whole session takes just 10 minutes and is suitable for all fitness levels. You stay standing throughout and don't repeat any exercises, aside from those you do on each side of the body. There are 10 moves in the workout and you do each exercise for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds, though you can extend the breaks if you need to. Lymburner does the workout with you and provides form tips and motivation throughout, so make sure you can see and hear her while you train. To target a variety of muscles in the core while standing, you'll be doing moves where you bend, twist and raise your legs and knees. This way, you replicate some of the movements you do with floor-based abs moves, like crunches and sit-ups, so you can work the upper and lower abs, plus your obliques and deep core stabilizing muscles. The key to success with any core workout is to engage the right muscles, which might mean you need to slow down and really focus on using your abs and obliques to drive the movements. Rather than rushing through as many reps as possible during each set, keep the relevant core muscles engaged throughout the 45 seconds while moving slowly. This will maximize the time under tension for your core muscles and ensure an effective workout in just 10 minutes. With the moves on each side, it's worth trying to notice if you find it easier on one side or the other. Identifying strength imbalances in your body means you can work to even them out with future workouts. Standing abs workouts like this are a great low-impact option for training your core, and you can use them as standalone sessions or add them onto the end of a longer session, like this 15-minute full-body workout, to add extra focus on your core. If you have some weights to hand, you can progress your standing abs workouts by using these. If you're unsure what to do, try this 12-minute standing dumbbell workout to fire up your abs. I tried this 10-minute push-up challenge — here's what happened Try these 8 best 30-minute workouts to build muscle and strength and burn calories I tried this 20-minute bodyweight abs workout with 14 million views — here's what happened
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
You don't need leg raises to strengthen your deep core muscles — I'm a personal trainer, and I prefer the 'in-and-out' exercise
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Leg raises are probably known as the Holy Grail of lower abs exercises when we consider hitting these muscle groups without weights or gym machines. But what if I told you I actually swerve them more often than not for in-and-outs? (Nope, sadly, this in-and-out isn't a burger joint.) There's no reason you can't use this exercise alongside leg raises, but the in-and-out bodyweight exercise is kinder on my lower back (when performed with correct form) using the upper-body positioning of the Russian twist. Your lower body mimics a similar motion to leg raises (moving up and down), but also from side to side. This way, I guarantee a deep burn directly to my lower abs while also torching my waist muscles — the obliques — and strengthening my hips. Interested? Here's how. Think of your core muscles as this giant 360-degree machine made up of small and large muscles. Some are more superficial — think the six-pack abs — while some sit deep beneath layers of muscle to help stabilize your spine and pelvis (read: abs vs core). These muscles together are like the glue that holds us together. We don't live in a 2D world, so our muscles should work in every plane of motion possible to keep them robust and active as we inevitably succumb to aging. Think twisting, bending and extending as the basics. There are some motions we don't even think about, one of them being the simple act of lifting and lowering the legs. How often do you think about it? However, your hip flexor muscles can get tight and weak very easily from underuse, strain, or sitting for long periods. Over time, this can cause issues elsewhere, commonly contributing to back pain. Exercises that target the hip flexors — and recruit them to help lift and lower the legs — can improve hip mobility and strengthen the flexors. Plus, you're building stronger core muscles and protecting your spine, too. For this exercise, you'll learn to lift your legs into the air, over an obstacle to the other side, then back down. I like to use one of the best kettlebells or a dumbbell standing on its end. A yoga block or book also works well, and you can play around with the height as your hamstring flexibility and hip mobility improve. Generally speaking, exercises that draw your knees or legs toward your body engage the lower section of the abdominal muscles — think mountain climbers, leg raises, or reverse crunches. The benefit of in-and-outs is that you also engage your obliques, quads and hamstrings. We've put together a handy guide on how to do the in-and-out abs exercise with step-by-step instructions, or you can follow along with the video above. To make the exercise easier, bend your knees; extend them to make it harder. While your hip flexors should be active, they shouldn't be the shining star taking center stage. If that's the case, bring in the knee bend and lean back slightly more. I like to lean back quite a bit as it helps me engage my core muscles without hunching up. I prefer this to lying on the back as you would during leg raises, as I can actively think about my posture and sit tall. When on your back, the lower back can arch away from the ground as the legs lift and lower, usually from a lack of core engagement, not being taught the set-up properly, or the legs gaining too much momentum and (inevitably) weighing you down, lifting and pulling on your spine. During in-and-outs, think about pulling your shoulder blades down and back and lifting through your chest as though an invisible string is pulling you from the crown of your head. From knees to hips to head, your body should create a V-shape, which requires you to keep your spine straight. For more engagement in the inner legs, try placing a book or yoga block between your thighs and squeezing it as you move, sweeping from side to side with control. Aim to slightly rotate your hips to engage your waist, and aim for 8-12 reps per side for 3-4 sets. Forget the gym — this 20-minute walking workout builds full-body strength and boosts your metabolism No sit-ups or crunches — use this 10-minute standing ab workout instead to sculpt a stronger core I'm a personal trainer — this 5-move abs workout strengthens your core and hips using dumbbells
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I'm a personal trainer — this 5-move abs workout strengthens your core and hips using dumbbells
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Five moves and a set of dumbbells are all you need to torch your midsection and, over time, strengthen your core. This routine fits perfectly at the end of any existing workout, or you could even roll out your mat and quickly power out the moves at home in your spare time. If you don't currently own any dumbbells, a set of the best adjustable dumbbells can save you some space while allowing you to add load as your core gets stronger. Otherwise, if you're already set and ready to go, read on for the full routine and the benefits. Before we go to the moves, if your goal is to get more defined abs, just remember, this is different from strengthening the muscles that comprise the core. Definition is the result of building muscle and losing enough body fat to show more of that muscle. So if a snatched waist and rippling six-pack abs are the goals, the workout alone won't get you there — I recommend checking out our macro guide for beginners to help you learn more about nutrition and fueling your body for workouts. However, what this workout will do is help you build stronger, more stable core muscles, which, in turn, can help protect you from injury and boost exercise performance. Here are the exercises and a short workout to follow: Up first: in and outs. These target the hips, lower abs and deeper core muscles that help stabilize the spine and trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure. Sexy. Check out our video to see how to do them properly. I use a kettlebell, but you can stand a dumbbell on one end instead. The name might not be imaginative, but the move does the job, setting your abs on fire as you lift and lower your legs over your dumbbell. Another tick for the lower abdominal muscles. Reverse crunches use the same crunching motion as standard crunches, but in reverse. As the name suggests. I like this move because it also tests your coordination skills, and the variation places less pressure on the neck and upper back. You might read 'squat' and feel confused, but the bear squat is no ordinary squat. Instead of moving vertically, this variation is performed horizontally, with your hands and feet on the ground. Rather than lowering your butt toward the floor, you'll push your hips backward toward your heels. Gravity does the work for you, creating intensity for your core muscles, which stabilize your torso. Your hips, quads, glutes, hamstrings and shoulders also work hard. To make the move even more challenging, see if you can incorporate a bear crawl, stepping forward with the opposing hand and foot, performing the squat, then repeating with the other hand and foot. I like to hold a set of dumbbells throughout to alleviate pressure on my wrists, but it also increases the load if you add the crawl, as you'll hold onto the weights throughout. Again, you can use the dumbbells to protect your wrists or place them to one side for a moment. Elevating your hands can also be helpful if you have long legs or tight hips and struggle to jump your feet close to your hands. Plank tuck jumps require explosive core power to jump your feet forward, then back again. I like to move fast, staying on the balls of my feet throughout. Finally, we have the alternating plank. As the name suggests, simply lift one arm and the opposing leg into the air while holding a high plank position. Then, switch sides. I like to hold dumbbells throughout this exercise, lifting one into the air at the same time as my leg. I recommend opting for a lighter weight that allows you to keep your hips aligned with the ground below while raising your leg to hip-height and arm to shoulder-height. Squeeze your shoulder blades and glutes as you move and focus on a strong, powerful plank position without collapsing your hips to the floor. Throughout the workout, focus on control and range of motion — maximize the tension of each movement by engaging your core (think about bracing your stomach for impact) and moving as far into each exercise as possible. A good example is your alternating plank — your arm and leg should lift high into the air without you swinging any limbs around. It's not about momentum! This routine works best for me when I reverse down from 20 reps. I start with 20 repetitions of each exercise, then drop to 18, then 16 and continue until I get to 2. If you don't have time, you could set a target, drop by more reps each round, or even choose a time cap. No, not sit-ups or crunches — this is the one low-impact exercise you should try to strengthen your core instead Pilates instructor shares a 20-minute Pilates workout for developing healthy hips and strengthening your lower body 3 strength exercises you can do with a yoga block that aren't ab exercises
