If you're working on your six-pack, maximize your work capacity by turning your downtime into an opportunity to carve your core. While you're watching TV, get your butt off the couch — then use that same piece of furniture as a tool to put yourself through a killer ab burner.
Trainer Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S., breaks up her time at home with this simple routine and orders her clients to do the same. You can do the same — just think of the challenge as a little homework assignment from your fitness teacher.
"I like to challenge my clients to add in an extra 5 minutes of ab exercises to their daily routine," Atkins says. "The trick is to pick five ab exercises and complete each one for 1 minute with no rest."
To try out the move, all you need is a couch or chair and some space to spread out.
- Lay flat on the ground, with your legs extended up to the ceiling.
- Reach behind your head to grab underneath the couch or chair.
- Lift your hips up off ground using your lower abs, then begin scissoring your legs as if you were walking on air.
- Walk your feet down gradually until they are about 6 inches from the floor.
- Gradually scissor your feet back up towards ceiling.
- At the top of the movement, lift your hips up (reverse-crunch style) before lowering back down.
Atkins recommends adding couch abs to a routine with exercises like ab circles or ab weavers to complete her five minute challenge at home. If you want to just try the move on its own, try hitting the couch for five 1 minute periods, resting only as needed.
This move is particularly effective because it uses your everyday environment to change up your workout, and your midsection can always use the extra attention. "We could talk about why having a strong core is essential, but let’s call a spade a spade," says Atkins. "We love a good ab sesh."
If you like the sound of that, check out more exercises from Charlee Atkins.
