Whether you’re at a beginner, intermediate or advanced fitness level, this ab home workout collection from Beachbody ‘super trainer’ Amoila Cesar will help you burn fat and sculpt a rock-solid core…
Which Ab Workout Is Right For Me?
Wondering which ab workout you should try from the options below? If you’re a complete beginner to fitness, or you’re returning after a break, try the beginner ab workout before advancing to the more difficult circuits. If you’ve been working on your abdominals for a few months, try the intermediate ab workout to continue your strength training journey. Or, if you’re a practiced pro when it comes to core exercises, head down to the advanced ab workout for more of a challenge…
Ab Workout: For Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Levels
Amoila Cesar demonstrates Cat/Cow from the beginner ab workout
Beginner Ab Workout
1. Cat/Cow (20 reps / 60 secs rest / 3 sets)
- Start on all fours with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees on the ground in a table top position.
- Inhale, dropping your chest as you push your hips into an anterior tilt and shoulder blades back into ‘cow’ position.
- Lift your chin and chest, and gaze forward.
- For ‘cat’, exhale as you draw your belly button to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling.
2. Low Plank (60 secs)
- Assume a prone position.
- Place your elbows and forearms on the ground. Your elbows should be under your shoulders and bent at 90°.
- Tuck your chin so your head is in line with your body. Keep your head in line with your spine and belly button drawn in.
- Hold for 60 seconds.
3. Deadbug (20 reps / 60 secs rest / 3 sets total)
- Lie on your back with your arms extended in front of your shoulders.
- Bend your hips and knees to a 90-degree angle.
- Tighten your abs and press your lower back into the floor.
- Take a deep breath in as you exhale, slowly extend your left leg toward the floor and bring your right arm overhead.
- Keep your abs tight and don’t let your lower back arch.
- Slowly return your arm and leg to the starting position.
- Repeat with your opposite arm and leg. Continue alternating.
Plank Shoulder Tap from the intermediate ab workout
Intermediate Ab Workout
1. Plank Shoulder Taps (20 reps / 60 secs rest / 3 sets)
- Start on your hands and knees.
- Your hands and knees should be shoulder-width apart.
- Lift your knees off the ground and push your feet back, bringing your body to full extension.
- Begin to tap one hand at a time to the opposite shoulder, keeping your hips level to the ground.
- The goal is to not rock your hips side to side while tapping your shoulder.
2. Toe Touches (20 reps / 60 secs rest / 3 sets)
- Lie on your back with your legs together, fully extended on the ground.
- Keep your arms extended outward with palms down.
- With your knees slightly bent, raise your legs straight up in the air until your feet are parallel with the floor.
- Reach your arms toward your feet, forming a 45-degree angle. Your head should still be on the floor. This is your starting position.
- Roll forward as you exhale, lifting your torso off the floor as you try to touch your toes with your fingers.
- Inhale as you slowly reverse the motion back to the starting position. Repeat for a complete set.
3. Side Plank Hip Tap (20 reps each side / 60 secs rest / 3 sets)
- Lie on your side with your forearm flat on the floor and bottom elbow lined up directly under your shoulder, with both legs extended out in a long line.
- Feet can either be staggered for more stability, or stacked for more of a challenge.
- Engage your core and lift your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from your head to your feet.
- Slowly lower your hip, tapping the ground, then raise to the start position.
- Repeat for 20 reps.
Dumbbell Ab Drag from the advanced ab workout
Advanced Ab Workout
1. Dumbbell Ab Drag (20 reps / 60 secs rest / 3 sets)
- Assume the plank position.
- Position your feet wider than hip distance to form a stable base.
- Place the dumbbell just behind your right hand. Engaging the glutes, lower back and abdominal muscles, reach the left arm across the chest to grab the dumbbell, dragging it on its side by the handle under your body.
- Pause when the dumbbell is just behind the left hand, stacked below the shoulder.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
2. Dumbbell Side Plank Snatch (20 reps each side / 60 secs rest / 3 sets)
- Assume the side plank position.
- Grab one dumbbell with the opposite arm.
- Keeping the dumbbell close to your body, begin lifting the dumbbell vertically across your chest, snatching it to the sky.
- The dumbbell and your wrist should be directly above your shoulder, creating a half ‘T’.
- Return to the start and repeat.
3. Slider Army Crawls (60 secs)
- Grab two sliders (or paper plates). Put both feet in the centre of the sliders and go down into a low plank position.
- Your elbows should be under your shoulders, and bent at 90°.
- Your forearms should be parallel.
- Begin crawling forward, only using your elbow and forearms to move. Both legs should be straight and flexed as you drag your body back and forth.
- Complete three Crawls forward and three crawls back.
4. Chin-Up Knee Drive (20 reps/ 60 secs rest / 3 sets)
*Pull-Up Bar required
- Grab the pull-up bar with your palms facing your torso.
- As you have both arms extended in front of you, keep your torso as straight as possible while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out.
- Begin to pull yourself up to raise your chin over the bar, contracting your shoulder blades.
- As your body rises, raise one knee towards your chest, leaving the opposite leg straight.
- As you lower from the chin up, also lower your knee back to starting position.
- Repeat on the opposite side, continuing to alternate legs.
For more workout inspiration check out Amoila’s Beachbody On Demand 6 Weeks of THE WORK: 36 workouts in the space of six weeks, focusing on strength, hypertrophy, endurance, power, agility, and mobility beachbodyondemand.com
