Abs Workout: 5-Minutes to a Flat Stomach

Abs Workout: 5-Minutes to a Flat Stomach
Do this quick circuit after cardio (or before the beach) for a swimsuit-ready stomach!

1. Crunch Chop

How to do it: Lie faceup with legs extended at 90 degrees, arms overhead, hands clasped together.Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, pull your navel into your spine and lift your head and shoulders off the floor. As you crunch up, open your legs into a straddle position and ‘chop’ your arms through your legs.
Inhale and return back to your starting position. Do as many reps as you can in a row (with good form) for one minute.
Bonus burn: This move not only works your abdominal wall, but also helps target your inner thighs.

2. Seated Bicycle Twist

How to do it: Sit with knees bent and lifted into your chest (you should be balancing on your seat). Clasp your hands behind your head.Leaning back slightly with your torso, extend your right leg out straight and turn your right shoulder towards your left knee, keeping your elbows out to the sides as you twist. Return to the center, and then go to the other side.
Do as many reps as you can in a row for one minute, alternating sides each time.
Bonus burn: You’ll be working your obliques with this move, but expect to feel the burn in your hip flexors and thighs too. More muscles worked at once means more calories burned overall!

3. Triangle Hip Press

How to do it: Lie faceup with arms by your sides, palms down, and legs extended at 90 degrees, feet flexed.Brace your abs in tight and lift your hips and lower back off the floor as high as you can. Next, slowly lower your hips down and to the right (as if you were placing them down on the bottom right corner of a triangle on the floor). Then press and lift your hips back up (aiming for the top of the ‘triangle’) and then repeat lowering to the left.
Continue alternating for as many reps as you can do with control for one minute.
Bonus burn: This move is a great way to develop functional core strength, as being able to control the motion of your hips with strong abs comes in handy for summer sports like water skiing and volleyball.

4. Corkscrew

How to do it: Lie faceup with arms by your sides, palms down. Extend legs at 90 degrees and cross your right leg on top of your left, toes pointed.Brace your abs in tight to your back and start to trace a circle with your legs, moving from the right down and around to the left. As you bring your legs in and up to complete the circle, press your arms into the floor and lift your hips, bringing your legs as high overhead as you can at the top of the circle (as shown).
Slowly lower your hips and your legs back to your starting position and then cross your left leg over your right and reverse the circle.
Do as many reps as you can with control for 1 minute, alternating legs each time.
Bonus burn: If done correctly, the corkscrew is a great move to help activate the lower part of the abdominal wall (since you have to control your leg circle with your core strength). Get even more out of it by keeping your navel drawn into your spine the entire time.

5. Three-Way Plank

How to do it: Start in an elbow plank position with palms down and abs braced in tight.Slowly turn your toes, knees, and hips to the left as you reach your left arm up to the ceiling and stack your left foot on top of your right in a side plank on your elbow. Slowly lower back to your starting plank and then repeat to the right side.
Do as many reps as you can in a row without letting your hips sag for one minute, alternating sides each time.
Bonus burn: Moving from side to side during this plank set will not only challenge multiple muscle groups, but it helps elevate your heart rate too.