If you've reached February and fallen out of love with your grand plan to build a chiseled six-pack ahead of summer - quit beating yourself up. As long as you are eating lean to lower your body fat and mixing in essential core-engaging movement with your fitness regime then you can't be too off track.
No one likes repeating the same workout over and over again and when it comes to abs it might feel like all there is to do is planks, crunches, and sit-ups. While these are listed as some of the best workouts for abs in one of our roundups we also love finding new ways to activate the core.
You can find some more advanced ab exercises in this Kayla Itsines core-burning circuit. Like with most ab workouts this workout doesn't require any equipment but if you do fancy adding in an extra kick, you can find yourself one of the best ab rollers in our guide.
You are guaranteed to really feel your abdominal muscles put to work during this session but the benefits of building a strong core are manifold. While many people enjoy the visual results, strength in your core will also help to: maintain good posture, prevent injury, relieve lower back pain and improve overall athletic performance.
WATCH KAYLA ITSINES'S ADVANCED ABS WORKOUT
Itsines performs this workout on a mat and it's worthwhile grabbing yourself one of the best yoga mats to support your back as you exercise. You'll perform the first five exercises for 30 seconds each and repeat this four times. Rest for a minute before completing the last two exercises for 30 seconds each for two rounds. You can read the workout script below.
Kayla Itsines is a qualified personal trainer and co-founder of the popular fitness app SWEAT. Her main goal is to empower people by offering them the practical tools they need to improve their health and fitness.
You can sign up for her various programs but Itsines frequently uploads free workout videos to her Instagram and YouTube where you can find similar videos to the advanced ab circuit above.
Engaging in regular core-strengthening workouts like this can have a real positive impact on other elements of your fitness. For example, this one study published in the PLOS One journal found that consistent core training may help to improve static balance, core endurance, and running economy.
If you fancy intensifying your strength training a bit, you should consider adding a few weights to your workouts. Adding something like one of the best adjustable dumbbell sets will introduce more resistance to your ab workouts.
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