Skip the sit-ups and try these abs exercises.
Sit-ups are far from the only way to train your core! Besides, doing a million sit-ups in a row doesn't target or work your core all that effectively—if at all. So what should you do instead? Try this tummy-tightening resistance band workout.
Resistance bands are portable and affordable, making them the perfect tool for toning your abs anytime and anywhere. The moves below will successfully sculpt your core if you focus on quality rather than quantity. Try for 10 repetitions of each, and focus on holding your core in and maintaining proper form and alignment. Don’t rush through it, and remember to breathe!
Abdominal Supine Pulses
- Wrap your band around something sturdy and grab a hold of it with your hands shoulder-distance apart.
- Keeping your core pulled in, curl your head, neck, and shoulders up and reach your arms forward between your knees to pull on the band. The band is going to want to pull you back, so work that core to keep tension in it. Pulse forward for 10 reps.
Trainer Tip: For a bigger challenge, lift your legs up into tabletop position as you pulse.
Abdominal Supine Oblique Pulses
- Hold onto the center of the band with hands overhead.
- Curl yourself up and reach your arms over to one side. Hold here, see if you can curl up higher, then start your pulses. Use control and keep tension on the band the whole time to avoid bouncing back. You can keep your legs on the ground or lift them into tabletop.
- Return to starting position, and repeat to the other side.
½ Rollback
- Come up into a seated position, place the band around your feet, and hold onto the ends of the band. Pull the arms in at your sides, keeping your elbows up and shoulders down.
- Pull your core in and roll halfway back, making your spine in the shape of a “C.”
- Roll back up and repeat.
½ Rollback with Rotation
- Start in the same position as the last move with arms in at your sides, elbows up and shoulders down.
- Pull your core in and roll back halfway making your spine in the shape of a “C,” but this time twist to one side and then back to center.
- Roll back up and repeat to the other side.
Leaning Twist
- Keeping the band around your feet, hold onto the ends and bring them out to your sides.
- Maintaining a straight spine, hinge back and rotate over to one side, opening the arms out in that direction.
- Hinge back up to center and repeat to the other side.
Trainer Tip: Watch your range of motion and keep the work in your core to avoid straining your back.
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