Are you ready for the alternate abs workout?
Hate crunches? Good news, you can replace them with these abs exercises, which manage your abs more effectively by challenging more muscles. Complete all sets of a move, resting 60 seconds between reps, before continuing on to the next exercise.
Seated Ball Stabiliser
How To: Sit upright on a stability ball with legs hip-width apart and feet flat on the floor. Slowly lower your torso about 15 centimetres forward, keeping your back straight. Tighten your glutes as you lower and return to start. Then, keeping your abs tight, slowly lift your right leg off the floor. Hold for 3 to 4 seconds and release. That’s one rep. Repeat the whole sequence, lifting your left leg next. Alternate until you complete your set.
READ MORE: The 3-Minute Abs Workout Kayla Itsines Swears By
The Locust
How To: Lie on your belly with your toes pointing straight back behind you. Press the tops of your feet, including your toenails, strongly into the floor. Interlace your hands behind you and rest them on your butt, elbows slightly bent. Push your tailbone toward the floor to stabilise your lower back; inhale and raise your chest forward and up toward the ceiling. Keep your feet pressing into the floor for stability. Hold for 5 to 10 slow breaths. Sets 2. Reps 10-12.
READ MORE: Try The Paper Plate Abs Workout
Prone Plank Two
How To: For effective core training, make adjustments to the plank. By itself, it’s great because it works your back, arms, shoulders, and all of the deep abdominal stabilising muscles in between. But you can make this soon-to-be classic harder by placing “gliders” or paper plates under your toes, which force you to work your muscles more as you stabilise to hold the position. For the basic move, lie face-down, resting on your forearms, with palms flat on the floor. Push up, rising onto your toes and elbows. Keep your back flat and hold for 20 to 60 seconds. Lower and repeat. Reps 2. Sets 10-12.
Try Gigi Hadid’s 2-week “emergency shred” for abs, arms and butt. Plus: Sculpt your side abs with one move!
