The 7-Minute Core Circuit That Will Blast Your Abs With a Single Dumbbell
If dumbbells aren’t part of your core circuit, then you’re missing out on some fantastic benefits that come with adding resistance to your abdominal workouts. The core muscles, which include the abdominals, lower back, and hips, are involved in practically every movement you make from bending and twisting to lifting and reaching.
When cycling, your core helps create the power you need to produce smooth, powerful pedal strokes to propel you uphill. Plus, having strong abdominal and lower back muscles improves your posture and reduces the unnecessary upper-body movement that often comes with hardcore cycling.
To get the most out of adding dumbbells to your abdominal workout, New York City fitness expert, Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S., founder of Le Sweat, says your first order of business is to establish your baseline of fitness, or the level that challenges you.
So start with your bodyweight: “If the movement is too difficult with resistance, go back to bodyweight, and as you get stronger, you can start to add weights,” she explains.
But if you notice any pain when you start to add weight, or if something doesn’t feel right during the workout, lower the intensity back to a level you can perform pain-free.
[Take on a kick-ass workout designed to build strength and total-body fitness with Muscle After 40.]
How to do it: Perform each exercise for 30 to 50 seconds depending on your fitness level, followed by a 10-second recovery period. Check out the beginner and advanced modifications to tweak each move to fit you best.
A post shared by NYC Fit Pro & Go-Getter (@charleeatkins) on Feb 9, 2019 at 6:45am PST
Butterfly Sit-Up
Lying down on the mat, put the soles of the feet together and point knees out wide. Hold the dumbbell at the chest while sitting up.
Beginner modification: Don’t sit all the way up. Just do a simple crunch.
Advanced modification: Extend arms and dumbbells overhead as you come up to sitting position.
Single-Leg Crunch (Right)
Place dumbbell beneath the back of the right knee. Bring right knee toward chest as chest goes toward ceiling. Keep the lower back pressed into the mat. Pause at the top. Lower to starting position. Repeat.
Beginner modification: No dumbbell.
Single-Leg Crunch (Left)
Place dumbbell beneath the back of the left knee. Bring left knee towards chest as chest goes toward ceiling. Keep the lower back pressed into the mat. Pause at the top. Lower to starting position. Repeat.
Beginner modification: No dumbbell.
Hip Dip and Knee Drive
Get in the elbow-plank position. Double “dip” hips to one side. Keeping hips to that side, drive the same side knee towards the opposite elbow, making sure not to rotate the hips too much.
Beginner modification: Traditional plank or double hip dips with no knee drive.
Bird Dog (Right)
Start with knees and hands on the floor. Simultaneously reach right arm straight ahead while reaching the opposite (left) leg back. Bring the elbow to the knee in the center “crunching” at the core. Repeat.
Advanced modification: Add a dumbbell to the reaching hand.
Bird Dog (Left)
Start with knees and hands on the floor. Simultaneously reach left arm straight ahead while reaching the opposite (right) leg back. Bring the elbow to the knee in the center “crunching” at the core. Repeat.
Advanced modification: Add a dumbbell to the reaching hand.
Straight-Leg Sit-Up With Overhead Press (Right)
Lay down on the mat, with dumbbell in right hand, left elbow by the ribs. As you sit up, extend the right arm straight up towards the ceiling. Lower back down and bring right elbow back down by ribs. Repeat.
Beginner modification: No dumbbell.
Straight-Leg Sit-Up With Overhead Press (Left)
Lay down on the mat, with dumbbell in left hand, right elbow by the ribs. As you sit up, extend the left arm straight up towards the ceiling. Lower back down and bring left elbow back down by ribs. Repeat.
Beginner modification: No dumbbell.
('You Might Also Like',)
