You're not going to magically get a six-pack in a week's time [1] — but you can kick-start your journey toward building a stronger core. Strengthening your abdominals is something NASM-certified personal trainer Stef Corgel [2], CSCS, from Tone It Up [3] wants to help you with, which is why she created a seven-day ab challenge just for POPSUGAR.

7-Day Ab Challenge

Equipment needed: one dumbbell (Corgel suggested eight pounds maximum for beginners, up to 12 pounds for people who are at an intermediate level, and 10 pounds minimum for those who are advanced).

Directions: Start each day's workout with a dynamic warmup [4]. For the workout itself, perform all six weighted exercises listed below three times through for the designated amount of reps. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between rounds. With each round, you'll decrease by two total reps for each move, and each new day will begin with two more reps than the previous day.

Here's a brief breakdown: Day one starts with 10 reps of each exercise, then eight, and six. On day two, you'll do 12 reps for round one, 10 reps for round two, and eight reps for round three. On day three you'll start with 14 reps. Corgel told POPSUGAR that she structured the challenge this way "to focus on good form while the abs reach fatigue." This also gives people an option to increase their weight if they want since they'll be doing fewer reps with each passing round.

For the unilateral exercises, the rep count applies to each side (10 reps of dumbbell side planks with oblique twists on the right and 10 on the left, for example). Cool down after [5] your workout.

1. Dumbbell plank pass through
2. Dumbbell roll-up
3. Dumbbell toe touch
4. Dumbbell rock the boat
5. Dumbbell side plank with oblique twist
6. Dumbbell side plank with hip dip

If you need to modify this schedule, you can do the challenge with rest days in between each day, but Corgel recommended trying to complete the first four days consecutively and doing the remainder with rest days every other day due to the increased reps. Additionally, if the weight seems to be too much, you can try some of the moves as bodyweight exercises, she suggested.

"With this daily progression of six exercises, you'll feel the burn in your obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis," Corgel said. "By slowly increasing reps every session, the abdominal muscles learn to withstand the time under tension."

Keep reading for specific instructions on how to do each of the six exercises.

Love trying new workouts? Want a community to share your fitness goals with? Come join our Facebook group POPSUGAR Workout Club [6]. There, you can find advice on making the best out of every sweat session and everything else you need to help you on your road to healthy living.

Related:

Tierra Everett's 21-Day Booty Challenge Is Here to Strengthen and Tone Your Glutes [7]

Dumbbell Plank Pass Through

Corgel said these work your transverse abdominis [8], meaning your deep core.

• Start resting on all fours with a dumbbell on the left side of your body.
• With your palms flat, rise up off your knees onto your toes into a high plank position. Your legs should be straight. The wider your feet are apart, the more stability you'll have while doing the exercise.
• Squeeze your glutes, keep your hands directly underneath your shoulders, and contract your abs (keeping your belly button pulled in) to prevent your butt from sticking up.
• With your head and spine in line, look about one inch out in front of you, and don't tuck your chin.
• Maintaining this form, grab the dumbbell with your right hand and pull it underneath your body until it's on your right side. Be sure not to rotate your hips.
• With control, grab the dumbbell with your left hand and pull it underneath your body until it's back on your left side.
• This counts as one rep.

Dumbbell Roll-Up

Corgel said these work your deep core and rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles).

• Lie on the ground with your legs straight and arms by your ears, holding a dumbbell. You can modify this exercise by bending your knees. To modify even further, place a weight between your feet to anchor them down.
• Engage your core and begin to lift your shoulders and back off the ground, keeping your arms straight the entire time.
• Lift up to a sitting position — so your body makes an L shape — or as high as you can, keeping your arms by your ears and contracting your abdominal muscles throughout the movement.
• With control, slowly lower your body back down to the starting position, making sure your arms stay extended. This counts as one rep.

Dumbbell Toe Touch

Corgel said these work your rectus abdominis.

• Lie on your back on the floor, holding a dumbbell in your hands.
• Raise your arms and legs up to the ceiling. They should be as straight as possible.
• Lift your head and shoulder blades off the floor as you reach your hands toward your toes, keeping your legs up toward the ceiling. Keep your lower back glued to the mat.
• With control, return your shoulders back to the mat (your arms and legs should still be up toward the ceiling). This counts as one rep.

Dumbbell Rock the Boat

Corgel said these work your deep core muscles and obliques. Another name for them is the Russian twist [9].

• Holding a dumbbell with both hands, sit with your knees bent and your heels off the ground in a bent-knee Boat Pose [10].
• Keeping your belly button pulled into your spine, rotate your entire torso, along with the dumbbell, to your left side. Return to center, and rotate to the right. This counts as one rep.
• Try to keep your lower body as still as possible throughout.

Dumbbell Side Plank With Oblique Twist

Corgel said these work your oblique muscles.

• Start in a side elbow plank on your right side with your feet stacked on top of each other or staggered with your left foot in front. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand.
• Keep your glutes engaged and abs pulled in.
• Reach your left arm up high with the dumbbell raised above your head.
• Slowly lower the weight down and, twisting from your ribcage, bring it toward the gap between your body and the floor.
• Rotate your ribcage back to center and return your arm overhead to the starting position. Do not let your hips drop.
• This counts as one rep. Repeat the same number of reps on the opposite side.
• You can modify this move by resting your lower leg on the ground with the knee bent at a 90-degree angle.

Dumbbell Side Plank With Hip Dip

Corgel said these work your obliques.

• Start in a side high or elbow plank on your right side with your feet stacked on top of each other or staggered with your left foot in front. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand against the top of your glute and below your hip.
• Keep your glutes engaged and abs pulled in.
• Inhale and lower your pelvis so your right hip hovers just off the floor. Exhale and lift your pelvis up a few inches past your starting position.
• Pull your right shoulder blade down your back to stabilize your shoulder. Return to your starting side plank.
• This counts as one rep. Repeat the same number of reps on the opposite side.
• You can modify this move by resting your lower leg on the ground with the knee bent at a 90-degree angle.