The Perfect 15-Minute Ab Workout

Here's the situation. You have a lot going on today and time isn't on your side. You need to get in a good ab workout and get on with the rest of your day. If you can spare just 15 minutes, then this workout will help you get the job done.

This program is based on EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) training. At the top of every minute, start your set. Once you finish, whatever is left of that minute is your rest time. The next minute is the start of your next set. You'll do five exercises and rotate through them for three complete sets of each within the quarter-hour.

The Perfect 15-Minute Ab Workout

Ab Roller

6-8 reps (during min. 1, 6, 11)

Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise

10-12 reps (during min. 2, 7, 12)

Air Bike

30 seconds (during min. 3, 8, 13)

Crunches

15 reps (during min. 4, 9, 14)

Side Bridge

20 seconds per side (during min. 5, 10, 15)

Ab Roller

This exercise looks simple enough, but don't let that fool you—the ab roller is intense! And don't even think about trying to cheat. You won't get nearly the same ab-sculptingresults.

Holding the handles of the wheel, roll out as far as you can on each rep without touching the floor. Stretch out your arms in front of you and imagine you're going to touch your nose to the floor. Contract your abs and use your core to pull yourself back.

If you can't keep your back straight, or you're struggling to hold yourself up for the last few reps, take a few seconds of rest and try again, or just hold the plank. Once you get the hang of it, you'll begin to feel the results for yourself. One set should take 20-25 seconds to complete.

Lying Leg Raise

Perform leg raises on the floor or on a bench, and even add weight if you want to. Keep your hands under your butt and lift your legs straight up without bending them. If you have a weak or injured back, it's okay to bend your knees to reduce the intensity until you build more strength in your core.

For an extra-intense abdominal contraction, lift your hips up at the top of the movement and pull your abs in toward your spine. Control your legs as you lower them back down, using your abs and not your hip flexors. One set should take 30-40 seconds to complete.

Bicycle

Because you're maintaining an isometric contraction while twisting back and forth, your six-pack will feel this exercise from every angle.

Resist the temptation speed up this exercise during your timed interval. It's natural to want to get as many reps in as possible, but with only 15 minutes, we're looking for quality over quantity. Slow down and focus on the muscles working to reap better ab-building results.

You're locked into 30 seconds, so you know you get at least 30 seconds of rest before your next exercise. Dig deep. Make every rep count.

Crunch

Crunches are basic, but can be highly effective when done right. When you're doing your crunches, don't think of rolling up your shoulders. Instead, focus on contracting your abs and let that movement naturally lift your upper body. By the time you bring your shoulders off the ground, you should feel an intense contraction in your abs.

Remember to protect your neck by keeping it in as neutral a position as possible. Do not lock your fingers behind your head. Cross your arms across your chest or place your hands on the sides of your head, fingertips behind your ears. All 15 crunches should take 20-30 seconds to complete.

Side Plank

Regular planks are awesome, but side planks bring your ab game to a whole new level. They force you to work your transverse abdominis, the muscle that wraps around your waist like a girdle. Working this muscle can help tighten and define your midsection, so if you haven't been doing side planks, now is the time to start.

Lie on your side and position your bottom elbow under your shoulder. Exhale as you lift your hips off the ground until your body is in a plank position balanced on the one elbow and your feet. Keep breathing as you hold this position without letting your hips drop. Once 20 seconds pass, switch to the other side and repeat. By the time this is over, you'll have only 10-15 seconds to recover before the circuit starts again.

Source: Bodybuilding .com

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7 Minutes. No Equipment. One Science-Backed Core Workout That Works

by Rushfitnessgym

In the faster-is-better world we live in, carving out 30 to 45 minutes a day for a good workout can seem like a major challenge—and that can totally mess with your quest for a strong core. Enter: the 7-minute workout.

The 7-Minute Workout That Science Says Actually Works

This strategic, super-effective form of high-intensity circuit training is supported by science. To complement the original—and give you even more 7-minute options, we asked Yusuf Jeffers, certified personal trainer and Head Coach at Tone House in New York City, to create a companion abs workout that requires only your body weight.

A killer combo of core-strengthening moves and cardio, this circuit’s designed to “attack” not only your abs and obliques, but also the muscles in your back, pelvic floor, and even your shoulders, says Jeffers. And, truth be told, it beats doing hundreds of crunches. “If you’re training for a sport—or just for everyday life—you usually don’t use any one muscle in isolation,” he says. “This correlates closer to actual, functional movements.” And that’s a good thing: While crunches certainly strengthen your abs, the body benefits more—by torching more calories, for example—from movements that recruit more than one muscle group.

Though it’s important to remember that high-intensity interval training isn’t meant to be a daily workout, it’s a great tool to have in your exercise arsenal, particularly on days when all you’ve got is 7 minutes to spare.

How to use this list: Perform each move below for 30 seconds, resting 5 to 10 seconds in-between. With this circuit, the goal is to go big or go home—meaning, working at the highest possible intensity for as many reps as you can without sacrificing form. Expect to perform anywhere from 15 to 20 reps, though remember that quality always tops quantity, says Jeffers. (So don’t stress if your rep count is on the lower end the first couple of times you try this—there's always time to improve.) If time allows, you can repeat the circuit 2 to 3 times.

1. Firefighter

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged. Shift weight onto right leg with left knee lifted and bent to a 90-degree angle and arms in front of you as if you're climbing a ladder (just without the ladder). Extend left arm overhead as you push off right foot to explosively lift right knee until it is level with hips. Pull hand down as you lower right leg and shift weight to right side to repeat on left side. Continue alternating legs and arms as quickly as you can—this should feel as intense as High Knees.

2. Knee-In Crunch

Lie faceup with fingertips behind ears and legs extended. Lift legs until feet are about six inches off the ground. Engage core and lift shoulder blades off the floor like a crunch while also pulling knees in toward chest. Careful not to pull on your neck to crunch; use abs to lift. Reverse the movement to return to starting position.

3. Glute Bridge

Lie faceup with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place arms on the floor by sides, palms facing down. Keep head and shoulders firmly planted on the ground as you press through feet, squeezing glutes to lift hips off the floor. This exercise is not only great for hip stabilization and boosting ab strength, but—bonus!—it also works your butt.

4. Bicycle Crunch

Lie faceup with fingertips behind ears, knees bent at a 90-degree angle, both feet off ground. Lift head and shoulders off mat. Bring right elbow to left knee as you extend right leg out straight. Quickly reverse the movement to repeat on other side bringing left elbow to right knee. Continue to alternate.

5. High Knees

Stand tall with feet hip width. Engage core and use lower abs to lift and lower one knee at a time as if running in place. Bring knees to the same height as hips, thighs parallel to the floor, and try not to lean back. Stay on balls of feet and alternate legs as fast as possible.

6. Reverse Crunch

Lie faceup with arms at sides. Bend knees so that hips and knees form 90-degree angles, core engaged. Activate your lower abs to lift hips off the ground, bringing knees toward chest. Lower back to starting position as slowly as possible to keep lower abdominals engaged.

7. Mountain Climber

Start in high plank position, core tight, hands directly under shoulders. Keep core engaged to stabilize hips as you drive right knee to chest. Return that leg to starting position and then repeat with left knee. Continue alternating legs to pump knees as fast as possible.

8. Windshield Wiper

Lie faceup with hands straight out to sides (so body forms a T) and legs extended. Raise both legs towards the ceiling until they’re perpendicular to the floor. Without lifting head or shoulders off the mat, lower both legs to the right—as close to the ground as you can get without losing form. Reverse the movement to lower both legs to the left. Continue to alternate like—you guessed it—windshield wipers.

9. Push Jacks

Stand with feet together, elbows bent, and palms just above your shoulders facing up. Quickly jump legs out as you pump arms up towards the ceiling (like you're raising the roof!). Quickly reverse the movement and repeat as fast as you can.

This move gets both your abs and shoulders in on the action. Start in high plank position with hands directly under shoulders. Engage core and lift hips into the air as you jump straight legs forward—your body should look like an upside-down V. Keep a slight bend in knees if you don't have the flexibility. Jump back to starting position.

11. X-Up

Lie faceup with arms next to sides. Engage core and sit up while raising right hand and left leg simultaneously. Touch right fingertips to left toes. Return to starting position and repeat using the opposite hand and leg.

12. Hollow Body Hold

Finish strong with an isometric hold. Lie faceup with arms by sides and legs extended straight. Engage abs. Lift shoulder blades and straightened legs off the floor, keeping lower back pressed into mat throughout the entire exercise (the closer your legs are to the floor, the more challenging this is). Hold this posture for the full 30 seconds.