This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UNH chapter.
I’m pretty sure the one thing almost every girl would like to work on and tone up is her abdominals. Especially with this beautiful spring weather, bikini season came even faster than everyone was expecting. Don’t worry though because these at-home workouts will give you a killer six pack in no time, and they require no equipment so you can do them anywhere!
- Planks: Get in push up position, but on your elbows, and hold your body parallel to the ground. Keep your back straight and don’t allow your butt to sag or be too far up. Start with holding the position for one minute, then try to keep working up to longer times.
- V Sits: Lay on the ground face up with your arms down by your side. Lift your legs and body simultaneously to form a V. When you bring it back down, don’t touch the ground. Do the motion slowly to ensure that you work your abs well.
- Leg Lifts: Lay on the ground face up with your arms down by your side. Start with your legs at a 90 degree angle, so they’re perpendicular to your body. Slowly lower your legs to a 45 degree angle and bring them back up to starting position. As you get stronger, hold your legs at the 45 degree angle and hold them lower without letting them touch the ground. This will help get rid of the annoying pooch that never seems to go away.
- Side Planks: Start on your left side, by laying with your hips stacked and left elbow holding you up. Lift your hips off the ground so only your left foot and elbow are holding you up. Keep your body in a straight line, and don’t allow your hips to sag toward the ground. Start by holding this for 30 seconds then work yourself up to longer times. These will work your obliques.
- Reverse Crunches: Lay on the ground face up with your arms down by your sides and legs extended. Contract your abdominal muscles to lift your pelvis off the floor while keeping your legs straight and soles toward the ceiling. Keep your shoulders and upper back on the ground, and pull your belly button to your spine while doing the exercise. After lifting your pelvis, slowly bring it back down to the starting position. The range of motion for this exercise is minimal, but it will target your lower abdominals!
Add these workouts to your regular routine, and you’ll see a difference in no time! (Just in time to rock your new bikini!)