Jasmine Blocker, NASM-certified personal trainer and runner for Team USA, recently shared dynamic ab exercises [1] she likes to do to challenge her core while elevating her heart rate. The moves, such as high knees and tuck jumps, are great for strength and are major core crushers, but they might be too high-impact for some people. That's why we're so happy to see that she again shared three ab exercises she never skips out on — and this time they're all bodyweight and low-impact, yet still challenging!
Blocker's top three favorite ab exercises are hollow body holds (she siad they work a majority of the core; she does three rounds of 45 seconds each), alternating toe reaches (for the six-pack muscles and obliques; she does three sets of 15 reps per side), and plank up-downs (for ab and arm work; she does 10 reps on each side, three times through). She wrote on Instagram that she does these moves at least three days a week.
Keep reading for instructions on how to do each exercise. We highly recommend you add them to your next sweat session!
Hollow Hold
- Begin on your back with your legs straight and your arms extended overhead.
- Actively press your lower back into the floor and draw your belly button into your spine.
- Inhale to slowly lift your shoulders, arms, and legs off the floor. Keep your hands and heels as low to the ground as possible while still pressing your lower back into the floor. Squeeze your legs together and keep your navel pressed in toward your spine. It's OK to bend your knees if straightening your legs is too challenging.
- Blocker holds this exercise for 45 seconds and repeats three times.
Alternating Toe Reach
- Begin lying on the floor with your arms out wide to the sides, making a "T" with your body.
- Sit up, lift your right leg, and twist to bring your left hand to your right toes. Slowly roll back down, and repeat on the other side.
- This completes one rep.
- Blocker does three sets of 15 reps per side.
Plank Up-Down
- Begin in a high plank on your hands with your belly button pulled in toward your spine. Lower your right elbow to the mat and then your left, coming into an elbow plank.
- Put your right hand on the mat and straighten your right elbow, then put your left hand on the mat and straighten your left elbow to return to a full plank.
- Blocker does 10 reps with her right arm leading and 10 reps with her left arm leading, three times total.