3 Super-Effective Moves for Tight, Toned Ballerina Abs
When it comes to cultivating long, lean muscles, Mary Helen Bowers is your girl. She’s the ballerina-turned-celebrity-trainer responsible for transforming Natalie Portman into a dancer for her Oscar-winning role in Black Swan, and toning her many celebrity clients (think: Zooey Deschanel, Liv Tyler, and just about the entire cast of the Victoria’s Secret catalog).
Now, she’s sharing her cult-favorite moves with Yahoo Health in an exclusive summer video series. In our first video, she shared exercises for tank-top arms. In this second installment in the series (watch above!), Bowers shows us three moves for tight, toned abs that’ll improve your posture, whittle your waist, and help you feel strong and confident in any summer outfit. Plus, there’s an exclusive offer on Bower’s super-effective workouts, below!
Move #1: Sit down on a mat with your right leg straight and your left leg bent slightly. Pull your stomach in and up, and lift both arms to the sky. Twist at the waist to your left as you swipe your left arm down toward the ground behind you; reverse the movement to return to sitting with arms raised. Repeat 8 times on each side.
Move #2: Lie faceup on a mat. Raise your legs to a tabletop position (knees bent at a 90-degree angle, shins parallel to the ground). Pull in tight through your stomach. Straighten your legs so they form a 45-degree angle with the mat. That’s the starting position. Slowly lower one leg to the ground at a time; return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Start with 4 reps per side — if that’s not hard enough, try for 8 reps on each side.
Move #3: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your right leg out to the side so that your toes rest on the ground. Raise your arms out to the sides. Windmill your arms to reach your right arm to your right foot, bending at the hip. Want to make it harder? Left your leg up to meet your hand with each repetition. Complete 3 sets of 8 reps on each side.
Want to become more Ballet Beautiful? Ballet Beautiful is offering an exclusive discount on its online Custom Workout subscription for Yahoo Health readers. Try your first 30 days for just $9.99 using the code BBYahoo15 (75% off the standard monthly rate!). (First month charge will be $9.99. Monthly subscription will auto renew every 30 days. Auto renewal price will be at the standard $39.99/month rate. You may cancel at any time prior to the next billing period to avoid future charges. No partial refunds for prior billed amounts. All purchases subject to Ballet Beautiful Terms & Conditions. Offer not applicable to existing subscribers. Offer available through August 31, 2015).
Watch This Next: 3 Moves For Tank-Top Arms From Mary Helen Bowers
