Sarah Hyland's Ab Workouts Are Next-Level, and We're Copying All Her Must-Do Moves

Updated on 12/23/2019 at 4:35 PM

We love Sarah Hyland's approach to fitness. The Modern Family actress is all about feeling strong and confident in her body, and the workout content she posts to her fitness Instagram Story reflect that: one challenging exercise after another, focused on building muscle and feeling good. Because for Sarah, workouts aren't all about physical gains; they're also a big part of her mental-health routine. She's been open about her struggles with kidney dysplasia, a condition in which one or both kidneys fail to develop properly in the womb, which has led her to undergo two kidney transplants and multiple hospitalizations. Her chronic condition has kept her from the gym in the past, something she said has given her stress and anxiety.

So you know when Sarah works out, it's because it's something she really loves to do; when she's at the gym, she's making the most of it. Which means the moves she shares are efficient, effective, and crazy-challenging. When Sarah's not pounding out pull-ups and shoulder presses (believe me, we'll be talking about her upper-body exercises another day), she's crushing rounds of ab moves that make our core burn just watching. We were so inspired by her approach to fitness and her next-level core work, we had to collect her favorite ab moves to share with the world. Check them out ahead, and slip a few sets into your workouts for a burn that'll leave you sweating and shaking — but also feeling as strong and capable as Sarah! (Make sure to check out Sarah's Instagram to see more of her must-do moves.)

Stir the Pot

Begin in an elbow plank with your forearms resting on the top of a ball.
Keeping your core strong and your body still, use your arms to roll the ball in a small clockwise circle.
This completes one rep. Make sure to do equal reps going counter-clockwise.

Hanging Knee Raise

Start by hanging on a pull-up bar with palms facing out, or use the ab straps and hang with your arms inside of them. Use a box or bench if you need help reaching the bar.
Pull your shoulder blades down your back to keep your shoulders away from your ears.
Engage your abs as you simultaneously lift both knees up to your chest with control.
Lower your legs down slowly, and return to the starting position. This completes one rep.
Avoid swinging during this move to ensure you're really working your abs.
If this move is too hard, you can do seated knee tucks or reverse crunches on the ground.

Side-Plank Crunch

Begin in a side elbow plank with your left elbow down and your right hand behind your head.
Keeping your torso stable and your waist lifted, bring your right leg up toward your shoulder to lightly tap your right elbow.
Lengthen your right leg back to the starting position to complete one rep.

Elbow Plank With Hip Dips

Start in an elbow plank position, and slowly rotate your spine to lower your right hip to just above the floor. Come back to your plank to complete one rep.
Now lower your left hip toward the floor for your second rep.

Cable Crunch

Attach a triceps rope handle to the pulley on the carriage of a cable station. Adjust the carriage so it's near the top third of the machine. The exact position will vary based on your height.
Next, select the amount of resistance you want — 22.5 pounds is a great starting point. As you begin to become more comfortable with the movement, feel free to increase the weight.
Facing the pulley, come into a kneeling position approximately one-and-a-half feet away from the machine.
Grab the triceps rope handles, and brace your core. You should feel a light stretch in your abs; if not, increase the weight. Make sure your weight is in your shins.
Simultaneously pull both handles with bent arms and perform a crunch. Your elbows should be parallel to your thighs.
With control, return to the starting position as you maintain tension on the pulley. This completes one rep.