The Best Core Exercises For Abs

“Abs are made in the kitchen”: whoever said that knew what they were saying and doing. Achieving those abs you always wanted is going to be about 80% proper diet and 20% workout. You may have the best-laid plans for getting ripped abs but if you have a layer of fat covering your abs, there is no way for your abdominal muscles to shine.

Diet aside, here we are to help you with the right workouts. Listed below are some of the best muscle defining moves for abs. And mind you, no crunches involved!:

Split Leg Raises

20 reps on each side

Begin by lying on your back with your legs straight in the air. Lower your right leg towards the floor, until it hovers just three inches from the ground. Return to the starting position. Your neck, shoulders, and head should remain on the ground throughout. This exercise protects and strengthens the spine as it transmits direct forces between the upper and lower body. You’ll know you’re doing this move correctly when you feel your abs contract around where your belt would be.

Split Leg-Arm Reach

20 reps on each side

Start on your hands and knees with your legs and arms perpendicular to the ground. Extend your right arm and left leg simultaneously until they are parallel to the floor. Maintain a straight line from your arm to leg. Return to the start position. Repeat. Done correctly, you’ll feel it in your abs, glutes, and hamstrings.

Suitcase Carry

30 to 40 yards

Stand holding a 30 Kg kettlebell by your side and your arm straight. Don’t lean towards the weight, but instead, contract your abs to keep a straight posture. Walk forward for 30-35 meters, breathing deeply into your pelvis behind your contracted abs. Try to walk as normally as possible. If the weight is banging into your legs, it means you need a lighter kettlebell. This move works your obliques and quadratus lumborum, a spinal stabilizer involved in rotational sports like golf.

Hanging Leg Raises

5 reps

Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with your feet off the floor. Contract your abs and tuck your hips underneath you. Raise your legs up towards the bar without swinging, using only your core strength. As your legs come up, relax your glutes and tense your abs pushing into your armpits and lift them as high as you can. Lower slowly to keep core muscles engaged for max benefits. Repeat. Think about pulling the bar to your legs instead of lifting your legs to the bar.

Spiderman Crawl

50 to 100 yards

Start on your hands and knees. Look straight ahead and lift your knees off the ground, keeping your head up. Crawl forward on your hands and feet using your core to stabilize the movement. Your hips should stay low and your knees bent and pointed to the outside of your elbows. Work up to 100 yards without stopping.

While getting a perfect six pack a dream for many, the fact is that most still struggle to even reach anywhere near a slight improvement.  This is largely due to a lack of guidance and support. Fortunately, gyms like Power World take great care of its members in their fitness journey. The unique ‘Help Me’ badge provided by Power World Gym makes sure that you always have a certified trainer on hand who will take you through the process step by step so that your fitness regime is on track. In fact, why don’t you walk in at one of the Power World Gyms in Bangalore or Delhi NCR and avail a free two-day trial yourself? Give it a shot and let us know how it was. See you on the other side! Till then, stay fit, stay happy!