No Equipment Abs
Ever since we moved to Hawaii at the end of January, we were struggling to stay motivated without access to a gym within bike riding distance (we didn’t have access to a car until like last week). Two weeks ago we finally found a hidden little weight room that was only 10 minutes from our house. I was so relieved because it’s hard to stay motivated to work out at home. I always start, do ten squats, then get bored and sit back down - what can I say, without the competitive atmosphere of a gym, it’s hard to stay on track.
We finally got the memberships to that weight room, went twice, and then all of the gyms on the island got closed until April 30th (as of right now) because of everything that’s going on. Sooo now I am back to trying to stay motivated on my own!
I thought I’d share the no-equipment workouts I’ve been doing with you guys in case you’re in need of motivation or inspiration. One way to stay motivated is to remember that people aren’t seeing you for weeks or months, which is a lot of time to work your butt off and shock them with a healthier you! That is, if getting healthy and staying fit for YOURSELF isn’t motivating enough.
We managed to get out of the house and go to a very unpopular beach to do some exercise by the ocean. We didn’t see a single soul on the beach (social distancing!!) which made for a great post-workout yoga session.
Here’s the ab workout that we did:
1. Crunch Ladder
I learned this from a diving coach I had in high school. It’s very simple but you’ll immediately feel the burn. Start out by laying on your back. There are three levels of the ladder; knees bent with feet flat on ground, knees bent with feet off the ground, and legs straight up in the air (toes over hips).
In each position I do 10-15 (usually 12) crunches then I repeat that but in the opposite order.
So 12 with feet on ground, 12 with knees bent & feet up, 12 with legs straight up. Then, again, 12 with legs straight up, 12 with knees bent & feet up, and 12 with feet on ground.
Legs **as straight as possible**
Bonus: To make this a bit harder you can start with your legs straight out on the ground (laying completely flat on your back) and do 12 in this position at the beginning, then again at the end.
2. Leg Lifts
Lying on your back still, tighten your stomach muscles and curl your upper body so your head and shoulders are up off of the ground- this helps prevent arching in your back which is bad for your spine and doesn't allow your abs to engage as much. If you're having trouble keeping your back rounded you can tuck your hands behind your butt / tail bone to make it a little easier. Otherwise, try to keep your arms up by your ears. Once you have your form down, lift your legs up to 90º and then back down to about 2 inches off of the ground. Do not bring your feet all the way down to rest on the ground in between lifting them, as it lets the stomach muscles relax and won't be as good of a workout.
Reps: 30
Remember to BREATHE!
3. Russian Twists
Sit on your butt and hold your knees up to your chest so your feet are off the floor. With your back straight, twist to each side. Make sure you keep your body in control so you can avoid pulling muscles. I usually add a medicine ball to this one but if you do enough reps (about 50 / side) you will feel it.
4. Planks
This one is pretty well known so I'm just going to give some pointers to make the exercise more effective. It is important to keep your body in a straight line; this means no bending at the hips / putting your butt up in the air, no sagging your stomach to the floor, and no dropping your chin to your chest. You can do this exercise up on your hands with your arms straight below your shoulders on the ground OR on your elbows with you forearms and hands touching the ground.
Hold for 30 seconds to a minute.
5. Side Planks
Just like the planks but with your stomach facing to the side. Remember to keep your hips in line with your shoulders and feet. You also want to keep your head in line so it is not hanging as dead weight. This one can also be done on either your elbow or on your hand.
Hold for 30 second to a minute on each side.
6. Side Plank Dips
Keep the same position as the side planks but you're going to add a hip dip. Drop your hip down to the ground and then lift back up. Try not to let your head go as forward as mine is in these pictures and don't forget to do this exercise on both sides of your body!
Reps: 10-15 per side.
You can repeat this circuit 1-3 times (depending on your
Hopefully now that you've finished the workout you will feel as if it was worth it! Your body will thank you for helping it stay strong. It is very important to get up and move around every day, especially now while everyone is stuck at home with endless Netflix movies to watch. Get up and get your heart beating, you'll (eventually) be glad that you did! Good luck!
