If you’re in desperate need of a tummy tone up before you hit the beach this summer, we’ve got top tips from Fitness First to help you get those abs bikini-ready in no time.
Of course we all know by now that hours of sit-ups alone won’t help you budge that belly fat. But, a mix of high-intensity cardio and targeted abs exercises will leave you with abs to be proud of on the beach.
Start your workout with a quick warm-up (30 seconds of high knees, followed by 10 seconds of sprinting on the spot five times should do it!) then spend 10 minutes doing some sprints (30-second sprints followed by 45 seconds’ rest, times 10) to really torch that belly fat.
According to Fitness First’s top personal trainers, medicine balls are the perfect tool to help strengthen and tone your core, yet many people still aren’t sure how to use them.
Try the following four exercises in a circuit to help tease out your abs. Complete four circuits of 10-15 reps per exercise to really see and feel the difference.
Russian twist
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Hold the medicine ball out in front of you, and recline back slightly so that your body is at a 45-degree angle. Keeping your lower body still, twist your body to the right and then the left.
Waist toner
Lie on your back and lift your legs so that your thighs are at a 90-degree angle to your torso and your knees are bent at 90 degrees. Place a medicine ball between your knees, and extend your arms out to the sides. Slowly lower both knees to one side. When your knees are close to the ground, hold for a second and then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Reverse crunch
Start in the same position as for the waist toner. Exhale and slowly lower your feet towards the floor. Keep your abs engaged so that your lower back remains stable. When your feet are just above the floor, hold and then slowly return to the starting position.
Hammer throw
Start with your back facing a wall and your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the medicine ball near one hip. Rotate your body while driving the ball diagonally across and upward, finishing on the opposite side, with the ball overhead. Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. Repeat on the other side.