This 5-move no-equipment abs workout will set your core on fire, according to its creator Senada Greca. And if you’ve never heard her name before, she’s Kim Kardashian’s trainer and a renowned fitness entrepreneur in her own right. So, she knows a thing or two about building muscle and strengthening your core.
The Greca abs workout can be done anywhere – just add one of the best resistance bands or a towel to make the exercises more difficult. “You dare to try this workout!” Greek challenges. With currently over 800,000 views on Instagram, we think many of her followers are already burning their core muscles.
You don’t need to be in the pool or in a bikini like Greca to do this abs workout, though you could easily fit it into your vacation routine. Check out the exercises below and add weights if you need some extra intensity. Here it is.
Like most of the best ab workouts, this one challenges the various core muscles around the core, not just the rectus abdominis or six-pack muscles, as they’re also known.
Watch Senada Greca’s 5-move abs workout video
Greca recommends 8-12 reps and 4 sets of each exercise as the main circuit. Watch the video below to see each move and practice your form. It might seem obvious, but keep your core braced throughout the exercises. If you’re not sure how, imagine someone about to punch you in the stomach and tense from the impact.
Thankfully, this workout is short and sweet. Once you run out of datasets, you’re done. Unlike Kim Kardashian, whose new punishing strength training finds her hitting the gym for two hours a day with Greca. Ouch.
Here are your exercises:
Alternate hollow body leg lifts
Bend your pelvis towards your spine and lift your upper back off the floor – learn how to do an empty hold here. Grab a resistance band or towel over your head and lift one leg at a time to touch the band. Doing leg raises while your core is under isometric contraction (when your muscles contract without moving) will light a fire in your abs.
Oblique crunches
Your obliques run down your waist, so any twisting or lateral crunching exercises will target them. Lie on your side and extend your arms overhead, holding a resistance band or towel tightly. Look forward at all times, engage your core, then lift your upper body toward your hips. Here’s how to do a side crunch for more tips.
Crunches
Lie on your back with your legs extended. Hold a headband or towel over your head. Bend your pelvis and engage your core, then slowly lift your upper back off the floor to perform crunches, always looking up at the ceiling.
Pike hollow body toggle
This move is similar to reverse crunches. Start in the hollow hold position, then extend your arms overhead, holding the band or towel tight. Bend your knees toward your chest, then push your feet up and throw them toward the ceiling, extending both legs over your head. You should create a slight C shape with the spine.
V-sit with flutter kicks
Sit on the exercise mat, engage your core and lean back slightly, maintaining a tall, neutral spine (you can learn how to do V-sit-ups here). Extend your arms out to the side at shoulder height, then lift both legs a few inches off the floor. Begin your flutter kicks by quickly raising and lowering your legs one at a time. The move also targets and strengthens the hip flexor muscles.
Verdict
The Greca 5-Move Ab Workout proves that you don’t need gym equipment to train your core muscles hard. None of the moves reinvent the exercise wheel, but they’re tried and tested to target various muscles responsible for a strong core.
If you are a beginner, I recommend sticking to the sets and reps provided. But if you need more challenge, add extra repetitions. If that doesn’t hit the mark, change it up and put a time limit on each exercise. For example, I chose 5 rounds of 45 seconds per exercise. If you want to further test your core strength, try 60 seconds per move with a break between rounds.
I prefer using weights like dumbbells or kettlebells during ab workouts, but this one was surprisingly hardcore. I didn’t expect to feel anything the next day, yet I woke up with pretty sore abs, knowing I’d hit even those smaller, underused muscle groups.
But remember, developing a more sculpted midsection requires a low body fat percentage. Everyone experiences fat loss differently, but body fat will determine how visible your abs are. It’s not all bad because there are ways to enhance fat loss. First, I recommend you watch your diet, which is a big factor in how much muscle definition you can get.
I also recommend adding compound exercises to your strength training program, such as squats or deadlifts. While these moves aren’t considered “core” exercises, they heavily recruit these muscles to drive the movement. Plus, compound moves require more energy and muscle engagement, meaning you’ll burn more calories than a sit-up or crunch.
Consider how much you move during the day. The more you stand or walk, the more efficient your metabolism will become; this is called Physical Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) and could help boost your metabolism throughout the day.
Looking for other abs workouts in the meantime? Check out some of our favorites below.
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