The best abs workout is the one you’re actually able to fit into your routine, so short core sessions are the perfect option for many who don’t have a lot of time to train.
This 10-minute abs workout from fitness trainer Maddie Lymburner, who goes by MadFit on YouTube, is also done without equipment, so you can do it pretty much anywhere. Though using a yoga mat will make it more comfortable if you’re on hard floors.
The workout targets all areas of the core, working the deep stabilizing muscles as well as your abs and obliques, and it’s suitable for all fitness levels.
If you can do this workout a few times a week, or even daily as Lymburner suggests, you’ll quickly feel the benefits with regards to your core strength and definition.
Watch MadFit’s 10-minute abs workout
The workout starts with eight exercises where you work for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds, with all the moves being done on your back and mainly targeting the upper and lower abs and obliques.
Then in the last two minutes you do two rounds of two moves, working for 30 seconds on each and switching between them without any rest.
In this finisher section you do planks and hollow body holds to work your stabilizer muscles, with Lymburner explaining several variations for each move to suit different fitness levels.
In general the workout is suitable for all, but if you’re new to core training then you might want to extend the rest periods in the first eight minutes of the session, maybe working for 30 seconds and resting for 30.
Lymburner does the workout with you and gives useful pointers on form throughout, so make sure you can see your screen to follow her technique and also see the timers counting down each work and rest period.
While it’s only a short workout it’s best to move with control for each exercise and ensure you’re engaging the right muscles, rather than rushing to fit as many reps as possible into the work periods.
As long as you keep the core muscles engaged throughout each set, you’ll maximize their time under tension even while moving slowly, and get more from the workout than if you speed through reps and end up compromising your form or having to stop.
The key to getting results from short core workouts like this is to do them regularly, taking advantage of their convenience by doing them several times a week.
If you do have more time you can also add the workout onto the end of longer full-body sessions as an abs-focused finisher.
Over time the strength benefits will become apparent and if you’re backing up your efforts with a healthy diet, you’ll also notice more definition in your core.
To keep things interesting, you can use this workout alongside these three 10-minute abs workouts to vary your training routine. If you are considering using weight, I’d suggest getting a kettlebell and trying this 12-move core workout as a progression from bodyweight-only abs workouts.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
