These four moves will get your entire midsection firing. Do three sets of each on the regular (plus maintain a healthy diet) and you’ll be beach-ready before you know it.
Reverse crunch
Lie on the ground and lengthen your legs towards the ceiling. Briefly hold one hand under your lower back and firmly press your back into it. Hold that position during the entire exercise. Let your shoulders relax against the floor. Inhale and rotate your pelvis backwards, lifting your butt just off the floor. As you exhale roll your hips back to the starting position. Be sure to exhale completely, sucking your belly button all the way in towards your spine – this really gets your lower abs firing. If this feels too hard, bend your legs to 90 degrees. Repeat 12 times.
Dead bugs
Lie on your back with your arms and legs raised towards the ceiling. Again, hold one hand under your lower back then firmly press your back into it. Hold that position and raise your hand back towards the ceiling. Inhale and lengthen one arm and the opposite leg until they’re almost touching the ground. Exhale and bring them back to the starting position, again ensuring that you completely exhale and pull your belly button hard towards your spine to fire your abs. Repeat on your other sides. Repeat 12 times.
Side plank oblique rotations
Grab some dumbbells and hold a plank with your hands directly under your shoulders. Spin your tailbone towards your heels and engage your abs and thighs. Slowly roll over to one side, stacking your hips on top of each other, the outside edges of your feet pressing into the floor. Keep really engaged through your abs as you reach your top hand towards the ceiling. Ensure your bottom wrist is directly under your shoulder. Hold for three seconds, then return back into the plank. Repeat on the other side. This can be done without dumbbells, too. Repeat 12 times.
Inchworms
Begin in a squat with your knees out wide and your chest up. Engage your abs and lengthen your spine, perching up as tall as you can. Holding this length, crawl out one hand at a time into a solid plank. You hands come under your shoulders, spin your butt towards your heels and brace you abs and thighs. Hold this plank for three seconds. Now lift one hand off the ground, keeping your hips totally still, replace it and do the same on the other side. Keeping your long spine and engaged abs, reverse back into the squat. Repeat 12 times.
