I help people exercise for a living and this is my secret weapon for getting their heart rate up and working the core and glutes—no weights needed

There’s a $10 piece of fitness equipment I regularly recommend to my personal training customers who want a stronger core and glutes: sliders.

These small round discs might not look particularly challenging, but they introduce instability and resistance to your workout. They force your muscles to work extra hard as you control the slider away from your body and back again.

Take a mountain climber. When you perform this move with a slider, it switches on deep core muscles, along with your obliques (side abs) and trunk stabilizers, as they work to keep your central body steady while you control the slider.

You can use them in glutes-focused exercises, too, like lateral lunges, balancing on one leg while you slide the other one out to the side and back. Controlling the sliding leg in both directions slows the exercise down, increasing the time your muscles spend under tension.

Here’s a beginner-friendly slider workout that I give my clients.

The moves

Do each move for 10 repetitions per side then take 30 seconds rest. Aim for two full sets with one minute recovery in between.

• Mountain climber
• Lateral lunge
• High plank jack step
• Step back
• Glute bridge heel slide

How to do the moves

1. Mountain climber

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 per leg

• Start in a high plank with your hands and toes on the floor and your body in a straight line. Position a slider under each foot.
• Engage your core and slide your right knee towards your chest.
• Extend your leg back to the starting position then slide your left knee towards your chest.
• Move slowly and keep your hips level.

2. Lateral lunge

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 per leg

• Stand with your right foot on a slider.
• Bend your left knee and push your hips back as you slide the right foot out to the side.
• Press through your left foot and squeeze your glute to return to standing.
• Repeat 10 times then switch legs.

3. High plank step jack

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 per leg

• Start in a high plank position, with your hands and feet on the floor and your body in a straight line. Position a slider under each foot.
• Keep your core braced and hips steady as you slowly slide your right foot out to the side, then back to the starting position.
• Slide the left foot out to the side and back.

4. Step back

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 per leg

• Stand with a slider under each foot.
• Bend your left knee as you slide your right leg backwards.
• Press through your left foot and squeeze your glutes to slide your right foot forward.
• Alternate legs and repeat 10 times per side.

5. Glute bridge heel slide

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 per leg

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and a slider under each foot.
• Lift your hips to get into a glute bridge, holding a straight line from your knees to your head.
• Staying in the glute bridge, slowly slide your right heel away until your leg is almost straight then pull it back in.
• Alternate sides, completing 10 repetitions per leg. Keep your pelvis level and don’t let your hips sag.