The movements in this video routine are great for building core strength and function - a foundational part of any smart fitness routine. These exercises focus primarily on the obliques, but the entire core will have to engage to complete these moves.
Keep in mind that losing belly fat takes much more than just crunches or core exercise - a combination of total body training that uses resistance or strength training, HIIT and/or cardio, and lower intensity forms of movement, are where you will see results. Related: Hundreds of free, full length, at home workout videos
There are ten different exercises in this workout; below, you can see a breakdown of how each helps. There is a ten second rest between each exercise, where you will see a slow-mo demo of the upcoming movement. The entire workout includes three rounds of all of the exercises.
If your core strength is lacking or you are new to working out, you may need to do fewer repetitions or just 1-2 rounds until you gain strength – there is nothing wrong with that. Go at your own pace and try and push yourself a little further the next time around.
Exercises in this routine:
T- Stabilizations – Any plank movements are fantastic for your transverse abdominals, shoulders, and chest. Adding the rotating motion engages the obliques, as well.
Boxer Squats + Punches – If you don’t have dumbbells, you can use cans of soup or water bottles for this one. Make sure to focus on pushing that slow, controlled “punch” directly across your body to the opposite side so that you really feel that torso twist.
Captain Morgan Up & Overs – Balancing on one leg calls upon your core for stabilization, while the “Up & Over” twisting motion works to actually throw you off balance a bit – just enough that your midsection has to work that much harder to keep you from falling over. You can use a dumbbell, medicine ball, or heavy book for this exercise.
Back Bow Crossovers – This is a great exercise to because of the way that it engages the obliques and lower back muscles. You can make this more difficult by placing a taller object to cross over top of, and you can make it easier by taking a very short rest on the ground in between each rep.
Bicycle Crunches – This is an abs and oblique exercise that actually burns a decent amount of calories because of all of the large muscle groups involved (the legs get a workout, too).
Plank Tucks – With the leg kick, you take all of the benefits of a regular plank and add in the bonus of a twisting motion, which more comprehensively engages the obliques and abdominals. You will also start to feel a burn in your thighs as you get about half way through the side to side leg extensions.
Butterfly Crunch – Kick your knees to the side and press the souls of your feet together for this sit up variation. You should feel this one through the entire panel of your abdominals. Make this core exercise even more effective by not actually releasing the contraction of your ab muscles each time you come down from the top of the motion – only relax once your reps are complete.
Side Cinchers – A side plank with a knee to elbow crunch, you will feel this in your supporting shoulder, in both sides of your obliques (both the side that is working to support the plank and the one that is doing the crunch up to your knee), and in the outer thigh of your top leg.
How many calories does this workout burn?
This routine burns between 220 and 390 calories, depending on factors such as gender, weight, and levels of effort.
How often should I do this workout?
You can do this 3-4 times a week (remember, abs are a muscle that need to heal, just like any other). It’s good to mix up your workout often – check out our huge library of free full length videos in order to find a large variety of abdominal routines.
What else can I do to slim my waist?
Healthy, clean eating is a huge part of getting a smaller waist – exercise alone won’t do the trick. Cardio & strength training will also help you lower your body fat percentage and reduce the size of your midsection, as well.