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Most Challenging Program Yet? FB Fit Round 4 is Here!

5 Minute Abs and Obliques Workout — Abs Exercises for a Strong Toned Core

5 Min • Core
  • View on YouTube
    • Training Type Low Impact, Toning
    • Equipment Mat, No Equipment
    • Membership Free

    Overview

    I love all of the abs exercises in this video because they are effective at increasing range of motion and working the core muscles, but they aren't overly difficult. I also really like that all of these movements work much more than just your abdominals; your entire core (abs, obliques, lower back), and butt, thighs, and upper body all have to pitch in to get these moves done.



    To be clear, core exercises are not the best way to "get abs" or burn off belly fat. In fact, crunches and crunch variations are very ineffective for burning off belly fat because of their low calorie burn and the fact that they are not intense enough to cause a significant metabolic disturbance. One of our biggest pet peeves is when trainers use language indicating that their simple workouts of sit up and/or crunch variations will help you get a "six pack" or "rock hard abs" or help you "blast belly fat" quickly. That doesn't mean that abs and obliques workouts like this one are not worth your time, of course, it just means that you will want to incorporate many different types of training, along with workouts like these, in order to have a well-rounded program that's going to help you get and stay strong and lean.

    The key to getting a strong, lean core lies in properly combining your training types, and your diet. Strength training for the entire body, various types of cardio, and a clean, healthy diet are essential to getting a flat(ter) stomach. Because these things take time to produce a visible change in your body composition, consistency is also very important. You can't do three days of brutal workouts on a near-starvation diet and expect to get good (or healthy) results. Make small, sustainable habits to your routine and you will develop hard-earned results that are much healthier and much easier to maintain.

    Workout Structure
    50 Seconds on, 10 off, x5
    No equipment
    No warm up or cool down, both recommended

    Printable 5 Minute Abs Workout
    Bicycle Drops
    Up Facing Planks + Reaches - Repeat on both sides
    Jackknife Get Ups
    Leg Pulls

    What other routines should I do with this workout? How often can I work my abs?
    Because of the low calorie burn and how short this routine is, it is most effective when paired with one of our HIIT workouts, or any of our strength training routines. It makes a nice burnout round for your core just before you jump into your cool down and stretch. A lot of how you use this video depends on the structure of the rest of your routine - check out Fitness Blender's 8 Week Fat Loss Programs for an exact schedule of when to do which workout videos. As for frequency of training, abs are just like any other muscle in that they will need a rest day or two after a good workout, especially if you are feeling sore from a previous workout.