Just thought I’d pop in to share a twenty-minute ab blast with you guys!  Not sure if any of you are on vacation and not in your usual gym routine this week, but if you have a stability ball handy this would be a good twenty-minute workout that will get your heart rate up and work that midsection.

This is what I taught in Core Strength for Monday night’s class!

Twenty Minute Stability Ball Core Workout

Warmup
Holding the ball in front of you, do the following moves for a few counts of 8.  Repeat through twice.

  • Step touches and twist the ball side to side
  • Bob and weaves
  • High knees so your knees come up to the ball
  • Jack feet as you push the ball out in front of you

Crunch Series #1
With lower back on the ball (make sure you aren’t walked out to a full bridge but make sure you aren’t upright either), do the following:

  • Regular crunches:  3 sets of 10, then pulse 10
  • Alternating oblique crunches:  3 sets of 10, then pulse to each side for 10
  • Two pulses + one regular crunch all the way up and down:  Do 10 of these and hold the last one for 10 seconds

Floor Series

  • 10 ball rollouts
  • Hold 30 second stability ball plank
  • 10 slow reverse crunches to work lower back (stomach should be on ball, you are face down)
  • 12 decline pushups (ball should be somewhere between your feet and knees)

Repeat the cardio from the warmup

  • Step touches and twist the ball side to side
  • Bob and weaves
  • High knees so your knees come up to the ball
  • Jack feet as you push the ball out in front of you

Crunch Series #2
Sitting with heels on ground, toes up, and ball in your hands in front of you, do the following:

  • 20 slow sit backs — when you get to the point where your stomach starts to shake, come back up.  You should not lower all the way down.
  • 20 pulse sit backs
  • 20 oblique twists (lifting the feet if you can!)

Repeat the Floor Series from above

  • 10 ball rollouts
  • Hold 30 second stability ball plank
  • 10 slow reverse crunches to work lower back (stomach should be on ball, you are face down)
  • 12 decline pushups (ball should be somewhere between your feet and knees)

Final Ab Blast

  • 15 ball pass throughs
  • 30 seconds Pilates pulse (upper back lifted, palms down by your sides pulsing while you hold, and Stability ball balanced in between feet)

Stretch, and then 20 minutes is up!  Boom, done!

 

What’s your favorite way to work your abs in 20 minutes?