Fit Tip Friday- 3 Ab Exercises My Clients are LOVING!
This might be the most click-baity article title ever.
But, despite the buzzfeed-ish title, the fact of the matter is true.
My personal training clients LOVE ab and core exercises and often ask me for extra core at the end of their workouts.
Here are the 3 that they're currently loving...(make sure to click on each exercise to see the full coaching video in YouTube!)
1) Landmine Bus Drivers
This movement requires a barbell or a landmine attachment. If you don't have a landmine attachment, you can wrap the end of your barbell in a towel, or cut open a tennis ball and put it around one end of the barbell, and wedge that bar in to a corner. This is an awesome movement that combines shoulder strength with anti-rotation core work. Anti-rotation means we are going to use your abs to resist turning, a great way to build strong obliques and use weights train your abs.
Added win- because you raise the bar in a hybrid overhead-meets-infront-of-your-body type angle, this weighted ab exercise is pretty safe for everyone to use!
Trainer Tip: Perform 2-4 sets of 6-12 reps per side. Start with an empty bar and add weight as desired.
2) Single Arm Slide-outs (from your knees
Back in the 'ol Covid days, sliders were a go-to workout tool for all of the home-gymer's. If you're a home gym fanatic like I am, you can buy a set of furniture movers from Home Depot, Amazon, or Walmart for around $6...worth it. This single arm slide out variation places an emphasis on tempo and really challenges your abs to not flex or extend as you slow-mo to the floor. Because you're only working on the 'lowering' portion of the ab exercise, it's a pretty great variation for all gym goers, and the slow-mo tempo really makes you feel it!
Trainer Tip: Perform 3 sets of 6 reps per side. On each rep, lower yourself for 3 to 5 seconds!
3) (Weighted) Alternating V-Up
I love weighted ab exercises and this weighted V-up is a great movement that ties in the use of a weight plus the ground to help keep your lower back and hips in a safe and friendly position. Reaching for 1 leg at a time also helps in keeping your lower-back in a great position throughout the ab movement as well. If you can't reach your toes, aim for your shin or knee cap. No need to push the weight in to your body (that wouldn't feel good), rather, just use those body parts (toes/shin/knee) as a landmark to reach towards and challenge the ab exercise!
Trainer Tip: Perform 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps combined/total. I recommend starting with a 5 or 10 pound weight- something you can firmly get your hands around (like a weight plate or small dumbbell) so you don't drop the weight over you!
Next time you're in the gym, and you have a craving for some extra core, give these a go!
PS- If you’re digging the coaching videos that go along with each movement, these are the types of videos that coincide with the movements I program for my monthly workout program, Home Gym Heroes. In case you wanted to try out this program, the app that I use to deliver the program is offering a 7-day free trial! Click here to learn more and start your workout trial now!
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