Take 5 Minutes to Set Your Abs on Fire

Published on Sep 25, 2016 at 5:00 PM

POPSUGAR Photography

If you have five minutes and a place to plank, you have the time and the space to work on your six-pack. These five exercises tone and strengthen all four layers of abdominal muscle to create a strong and sculpted core.

Directions: Perform each exercise for one minute. Keep your movements slow and controlled to maintain good form for all your reps.

Seated Russian Twist

Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about two feet from your butt; lean slightly back without rounding your spine.
Place your hands behind your head, keeping your elbows wide.
Pull your navel to your spine, and as you exhale, twist slowly to the right. The movement should come from the ribs rotating. Inhale through center, and rotate to the left. This completes one rep.
Advance this move by lifting your heels off the mat.
Continue twisting from side to side as many times as you can in one minute, keeping good form.

Plank With Shoulder Tap

Begin in a plank variation with your feet slightly wider than your hips for added stability.
Keeping your torso stable, bring your right hand to your left shoulder, then return your right hand back to the mat.
Bring your left hand to your right shoulder and return it to the mat.
To modify, place your knees on the mat.
Continue alternating shoulder taps for one minute, maintaining good form.

Knee Driver

Begin in an elbow plank position with the abs engaged.
Draw the left knee into the chest while coming into a small pike. Then step the foot back to the elbow plank position. Now draw the right knee into the chest and then step it back to the elbow plank position.
This counts as one rep.
Continue alternating sides, and complete as many reps as you can in a minute.

Bicycle Crunches

Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your abs down to also target your deep abs). Interlace your fingers, and put your hands behind your head.
Bring your knees in toward your chest, and lift your shoulder blades off the ground.
Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow toward the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows.
Switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep (and to create the pedaling motion). Do this exercise with slow and controlled motion.
Continue bicycling for one minute, keeping good form.

Twisting Side Plank

Come into a side plank on your right side, with your feet stacked one on top of the other and your weight on your right elbow with your fingers reaching away from your body, palm down.
Place your left arm behind your head, and inhale to prepare.
Exhale and pull your navel to your spine to engage your deep abs and rotate your left rib cage toward the floor. Stay there for a second, and deepen your abdominal connection by pulling your navel in toward your spine even more.
Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds, before switching sides and repeating.