BeWOW: All About Abs

Because it's not too early to start thinking about bikini season!


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Sure, it’s freezing outside this week, but before you know it you’ll be headed down the Shore for a little summertime fun on the beach. And you know what that means, right? Bathing-suit season is just around the corner, so it’s time to put in time at the gym now to get ready.

This week’s workout is all about abs, and you’ll need a stability ball (a.k.a. physioball) to do it. By adding one new exercise per round, it’ll test your balance and strength, and push you further than you think your body can go. Are you up for the challenge? Yes! Now let’s get started.

BeWOW: All About Abs Workout

Round 1:
1 minute plank
20 flies on physioball
20 hamstrings on the physioball
20 pushups with your legs on the ball
20 knee drives on the physioball (10 on each side)

Round 2:
1 minute plank
30 seconds crunches on the physioball
20 flies on physioball
20 hamstrings on physioball
20 pushups on physioball
20 knee drives on physioball

Round 3:
1 minute plank
30 seconds crunches on the physioball
30 seconds ab twists
20 flies on physioball
20 hamstrings on physioball
20 push-ups on physioball
20 knee drives on physioball

Round 4:
1 minute plank
30 seconds crunches on the physioball
30 seconds ab twists
30 seconds sprinters
20 flies on physioball
20 hamstrings on physioball
20 push-ups on physioball
20 knee drives on physioball

Round 5:
1 minute plank
30 seconds crunches on physioball
30 seconds ab twists
30 seconds crunches
30 seconds hold with arm pulse
20 flies on physioball
20 hamstrings on physioball
20 push-ups on physioball
20 knee drives on physioball

Explanation of exercises

Plank: Try planking with your elbows on the physioball and toes on the floor. If this hurts your lower back, try lifting your hips higher and squeezing your abs.

Flies on the physioball: Lie with your head and neck on the ball and feet on the floor. Lift your hips, squeeze your glutes, and do chest flies with weights.

Hamstrings on the physioball: Lie on the ground with your heels on the ball. Press your heels into the ball, lift your hips and roll the ball in towards your hips, and roll it back out.

Push-ups on the physioball: Do push-ups with your legs on the ball and hands on the ground. The lower down on your legs that you balance (i.e. the more the ball is towards your feet), the harder it’s going to be. For the biggest challenge, put just your toes on the ball.

Knee drives on the physioball: Place your left toe on the ball behind you, standing on your right foot. Bend your right knee as if doing a lunge, sending your left leg back, rolling the ball away. Roll the ball back in, straightening the right leg as if standing up from a lunge. Try holding on to something, like the back of a chair, until you get more comfortable with your balance.

Ab twists: Sit on the ground with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Lean back, lift your feet, and twist your torso side to side tapping the ground on either side, using your abs to twist.

Sprinters: Lie on your back, legs outstretched. Lift your chest first, as if doing a full sit-up, and drive your right knee up, then lie all the way back down. Lift your chest again, drive your left knee up, lie back down.

Hold with arm pulse: Sit on the ground, lean back, lift your legs and stretch them out as straight as you can. Extend your arms next to your thighs and pulse them up and down for 30 seconds.

>> Did you complete this week’s BeWOW? Tell us how you did in the comments! Or, feel free to tweet at us about it using the hashtag #BeWOW. Check out all the BeWOW workouts here.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.

Photo: Shutterstock