Quick Workouts for Your Abs

Abdominal Hold

This extremely awkward and not awesome-looking move makes up for its lack of obvious grace with its ability to produce soon-to-be-obvious results. To do this exercise, get a sturdy chair and set it flat on the floor. Sit down in the chair facing forwards, making sure your back is perfectly straight. Grip the front edge of the chair so that you fingers are pointing towards your knees. Tighten your tummy muscles while simultaneously and slowly lifting your feet up to about four inches off of the floor, raising your rear end off of the chair. Your goal is to freeze and stay in this position for as long as you can. Your ultimate goal is to hold the pose for ten seconds, but however long you hold it as you start learning the move is fine. Slowly lower your bottom down, take a quick breath, and repeat. Raise and repeat for about one minute.

Side Crunch

The side crunch is a great exercise of moderate difficulty that will help strengthen your obliques and hips. First, get down on the floor in a kneeling position. Putting your right palm on the floor, lean your body all the way to the right side. Next, you’re going to stretch your left leg behind you, pointing out your toes. Make sure to keep your weight balanced and even. Then, take your left hand and place it on the back of our head, stretching the elbow outwards towards the ceiling. With the palm of your hand facing forward, stretch your arm above your leg while at the same time lifting your leg to hip height. Fix your gaze over your outstretched hand while you crunch the left portion of your rib cage inwards to meet your hip. Gradually lower back to your original position. You’ll do this exercise anywhere from six to eight times, doing two sets of reps. When you’re finished, do the other side.

The Prone Plank

With this move, you’re going to start off by getting on the floor and getting into pushup position. Make sure your palms are on the floor positioned under your shoulders. Hold this pose for about half a minute while tightening your abs. Keep your arms and legs stretched, while making sure your head is lined up with your spine. As you practice this position more and more, you’ll be able to hold it longer than half a minute. Make it your ultimate goal to hold it for a minute.

The Hundred

This is for the Pilates-lovers out there, and the great thing is that no machines or accessories are required. Get a mat and place it on the floor. Sit down on the mat with your back completely straight. Bend your knees up towards your chest while keeping your hands placed by your sides. Next, lie down on the mat while keeping your knees bent. Make sure your palms are facing downwards. Take a deep breath outwards and lift up your head and shoulders from the mat. While reaching outwards with your fingertips, pump your arms up and down furiously in six-inch arcs. Breathe in while doing five pumps, and then breathe out while doing another five pumps. Make sure that you keep your chin pointed towards your chest. You’re going to do a total of 100 pumps, which translates to ten full breaths. While doing this exercise, make sure you keep your lower back pressed as far back into the floor as you can while keeping the lower part of the abs tucked inwards towards you spine.