Who better to tell us about creating a strong, sculpted midsection than an ab aficionado? Said expert, NYC physical therapist Dr. Karena Wu [1], gave us her five favorite core workouts to do right after cardio.
Cardio will burn the calories and fat, but core exercises will create abs, strength, and definition. So when the fat burns away, you'll reveal a tightened, lean middle. "The core is king," Dr. Wu said, and "very important for bodily strength, preservation, and ability."
These instructions are straight from the physical therapist herself, so get ready for a little tough love for your abs. With a bit of cardio and these moves as a cooldown, a stronger, leaner core is waiting for you!
The Roll-Up
Dr. Wu told us the ab roll-up [3] works all four abdominal muscles at once, while "assisting with segmental mobility and stability of the core."
- Lie on your back with arms overhead.
- Bring the arms forward until they are above your head (fingertips pointing to the ceiling).
- Lift the head and together with the arms roll your spine up one vertebra at a time, keeping your navel pulled into your spine.
- Roll up completely until you are bending forward reaching toward your toes.
- To return, stack your vertebra one at a time, until you are sitting erect, and then slowly roll down starting from the sacrum (pelvic tilt backward to touch sacrum down first) one vertebra at a time until you are lying flat on your back again with arms overhead.
- Repeat up 10 times.
Plank With Pelvic Rotation
A plank with pelvic rotation, sometimes called planks with hip dips [4], also works all four abdominal muscles, while emphasizing the obliques — the muscles around your waist.
- Lie face down on the floor with elbows propped under the shoulders (sphinx position [5]).
- Pull navel into spine and lift the rest of the body up so you are resting on your elbows and toes.
- Push back through the heels to activate the legs and keep the navel into the spine throughout.
- Lower right hip down to ground approximately one to two inches by rotating in the lumbar spine, then repeat on the opposite side.
- Repeat 20 times each side.
Bicycle
Another all-four-muscles move, the classic ab bikes or bicycles will strengthen and tone.
- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor.
- Clasp hands behind your head, elbows out to the side.
- Bring both knees up into tabletop position (hips and knees bent to 90 degrees).
- Bring head and shoulders up and rotate right elbow to left knee while right leg extends out straight. Repeat on opposite side.
- Repeat 10 times slowly each side, 10 times quickly each side.
Pike With Ball
Not only does this move work all four abdominal muslces, but the glutes are targeted as well, giving you a nice lift to your powerful rear.
- Put hands on the ground and top of feet on the ball so body is in an L shape to the ground (head facing down). Keep core tight to keep balance.
- Pull navel into the spine and lift your bottom into the air using your core.
- Maintaining balance, lower your bottom back to the first L position.
- Repeat up to 10 times.
Double Leg Raise, Scissors
This challenging but simple move is so effective — and it specifically works the pesky lower ab area that can be difficult to work at times. You'll also take advantage of a nice quad exercise, which can help with running.
- Lie on your back with arms at your side.
- Pull navel into the spine.
- Lift both legs up at once until they are perpendicular to the floor.
- Slowly lower back down. Do not let back arch up off the floor.
- Add a scissor kick vertically and horizontally up to a few inches (legs stay straight and move up and down or side to side and crisscross each other).
- Repeat up to 20 times.
