When it comes to sculpting your dream body, the idea of instant results sounds undeniably appealing. This is especially true when it comes to killer abs. The problem lies in exactly how to achieve them in a reasonable amount of time, because of course we want them now. We are here with some expert-approved exercises for instant abs that you can start putting to good use ASAP.
Eat This, Not That! spoke with Tyler Read, a personal trainer who has been in the health and fitness world for the past 15 years, and the founder of PTPioneer.com. Read shares these five simple yet effective exercises for instant abs that trainers love, and so will you!
So put on your workout gear and keep reading to learn all about them. Next up, don’t miss The Best 5-Minute Mat Workout for Washboard Abs.
If opting for deadlifts, you’ll need to have a loaded barbell in front of you. According to WebMD, your feet should stand apart approximately the width of your shoulders. The barbell should barely touch your shins.
Next, assume a seated position. Your chest and back should both be straight as you look ahead. Then, take hold of the barbell with an “over-under” grasp; one hand should be over the bar, while the other should be under it for extra strength.
Move your hips forward, and stand as you push your feet into the ground to stay stable. With a flat back, hinge your hips back as you head back to the start position, keeping your butt sticking out. The barbell should be on the ground touching your legs. Once you release the bar, return to the standing position.
“The heavy axial loading and stabilization of these major exercises build deep core strength and muscular thickness in the trunk that helps push abs forward if body fat is low enough,” Read tells us.
To set up for this exercise, hang onto a chin-up bar with both hands, arms extended. According to Bodybuilding.com, you’ll roll your pelvis a bit back, then bring your legs up to form a 90-degree angle with your torso. Breathe out as you hold your legs in this position for a moment. Slowly lower your legs back to the position you started in as you inhale.
Read notes, “With straight or bent knees, hanging leg raises hit abdominals and hip flexors together, be sure to crunch your abdominals as you lift your legs.”
According to Breaking Muscle, you can “sprint your way” to washboard abs. Adding sprints to your routine can help you sculpt muscle, build up your speed, and achieve defined glutes, quads, and hamstrings. In addition, this vigorous form of cardio can help you strengthen your core and lower back.
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Read adds, “Sprints burn tons of calories, build muscle, and give you a metabolic boost that can help melt the stomach fat that hides abdominal muscles.”
If opting for a Russian twist, you’ll begin by sitting on the floor, MasterClass explains. Keep your legs together, and bend your knees. Both feet should be on the floor or raised a bit above it. Lean back so that your body forms a 45-degree angle with the ground. Your knees should be bent to make a 90-degree angle. Activate your core.
You can do this exercise with a weight plate, dumbbell, or medicine ball in both hands. Slowly switch between rotating your body and the weight to the left and right side. Make sure your lower body remains still as you rotate.
“Incorporate a twisting movement to hit the obliques, which gives a complete core appearance and highlights the definition on the sides of your body,” Read suggests.
It’s time to wrap up our exercises for instant abs with three options: toe touches, seated knees to chest, or V-ups. If you’re doing toe touches, this core exercise requires you to lie on your back and bring both legs up toward the sky, The Gym Group explains. Your arms should be straight and extended forward.
Crunch your body as you reach upward to touch your toes. The Gym Group notes that your upper back, head, and shoulders should all lift off the floor when doing this exercise.
“These core exercise variations are a great way to finish off your workout and give that final ab activation/pump to help define the muscles in the area,” Read says.
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Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
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