6 Minute Abs Workout
Slim and tone your waistline with this killer 6-minute abs workout! No equipment needed!
Ab Bikes
The ab bike is a great movement to hit all of your ab muscles with one exercise.
1. Lay flat on your back, with your feet extended in front of you.
2. Bend your elbows, placing your hands at the side of your head (you can rest them behind your head, never pull on your neck)!
3. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle with your hips.
4. Cycle between bringing your opposite elbow and knee to each other, whilst extending your other leg outwards as shown. Your legs should circle around like they would if you were riding a bike.
5. Make sure to twist your torso, tensing your abs as you make a cycling movement.
6. Each time you’ve completed a cycle of each side, that is one rep.
Jackknife From Lying Flat
The jackknife is another great exercise for our 6 minute abs workout, hitting the full length of your ab muscles.
1. Lie flat on your back with your hands stretched out above your head.
2. Engage your ab muscles, raising your torso and keeping your arms beside your head until the top of your crunch.
3. At the same time, use your abs to raise your legs towards you whilst keeping them straight.
4. When you’re at the top of your crunch, continue to move your arms around to the side of your legs, tensing your abs in this position.
5. Slowly reverse this movement, lowering your legs and torso until you’re lying flat again. This is one rep.
1. Lie flat on your back with your hands stretched out above your head.
2. Engage your ab muscles, raising your torso and keeping your arms beside your head until the top of your crunch.
3. At the same time, use your abs to raise your legs towards you whilst keeping them straight.
4. When you’re at the top of your crunch, continue to move your arms around to the side of your legs, tensing your abs in this position.
5. Slowly reverse this movement, lowering your legs and torso until you’re lying flat again. This is one rep.
Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks are a simple way to give your hip flexors, lower abs and quads a workout.
1. Lie flat on your back on the floor or on a bench.
2. Lift both feet an inch or two in the air.
3. Tense your lower abs to raise one leg.
4. Alternate between raising each leg, lowering them to 1-2 inches above the ground. A flutter kick with both legs counts as one rep.
Opposite Leg and Arm
This is a great variation on the high plank that also engages your legs and arms.
1. Start in a high plank position.
2. Squeeze your core, raising one arm up in front of you, and squeeze your glute to raise your opposite leg up behind you. Hold for 2-3 seconds.
3. Return your leg and arm back down to a high plank position. This is one rep.
4. Repeat on the other side.
Plank Jacks
1. From a high plank position, tense your core and jump your legs apart as shown.
2. Repeat the reverse of this motion bringing your feet back together again, tensing your core. This is one rep.
2. Repeat the reverse of this motion bringing your feet back together again, tensing your core. This is one rep.
Crunches
The crunch is a great base ab exercise for our 6 minute abs workout.
1. Lie flat on your back.
2. Place your hands at the side of your head or flat beside you. Don’t pull on your head or neck.
3. Tense your abs to bring your torso off the floor, whilst at the same time using your abs to raise your legs into the air to complete the crunch.
4. Hold for 2-3 seconds before returning to a flat initial position. One crunch is one rep.
1. Lie flat on your back.
2. Place your hands at the side of your head or flat beside you. Don’t pull on your head or neck.
3. Tense your abs to bring your torso off the floor, whilst at the same time using your abs to raise your legs into the air to complete the crunch.
4. Hold for 2-3 seconds before returning to a flat initial position. One crunch is one rep.
Leg Extension
Leg extensions are a great way to hit your lower ab muscles in our 6-minute abs workout.1. Sit on the floor or on a bench with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Place your hands out in front of you and slowly lean backward. Find the balance point where it’s hard to hold your legs out and you’re not falling over.
3. Tense your abs as you pull your legs in towards you. You can hold your knees a little for stability if you need it.
4. Push your legs back out again to complete one rep.
High Plank Walk
This one can be a killer! This slowly cranks up the stress on your abs and is more difficult to hold than a standard plank.
1. Get into a high plank position.
2. Slowly walk your hands forward, one at a time.
3. Get your hands as far forward as you can without losing your neutral back position.
4. Hold for 2-3 seconds before walking your hands slowly back to the high plank position. This is one rep.
Plank Reach Through
1. Get into a push-up position, with your hands on the floor below your shoulders, and your feet spaced slightly apart. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
2. Reach one arm out in front of you, tensing your core for stability.
3. Slowly tense your core and reach your arm under you, raising your hips at the same time as you tense your core.
4. Touch your opposite knee with your hand.
5. Return your arm to its initial position. This is one rep. Repeat on the other side.
Swimmers
Swimmers are a great way to work your core whilst giving your lower back a workout.
1. Lie on your stomach and squeeze your glutes as hard as you can, raising both legs off the ground.
2. Reach forwards with your arms, keeping your palms facing downwards a few inches above the ground.
3. Lift your alternate arm and leg up into the air, squeezing all of the muscles from your shoulders down to your glutes. This is one rep.
4. Repeat with the other arm rapidly.