6 Moves For
STRONG ABS
From the moment you leave your bed in the morning to when you place your head on the pillow at night, you’re always using your core… every moment.
Many times, we think of “the core” as just our abdominals. But, the core is more than the front of your body! It also includes your obliques, which come around your sides, as well as your spinal erectors, glutes, and your back muscles.
Today’s six moves target your midsection from every angle. When you stay consistent and perform these six moves/twice a week, you’ll start to notice real changes in strength, definition, and how your core supports you throughout the day.
Each exercise offers a different demand on your midsection so you build strength that translates into how you move throughout the day.
We all have different bodies. Different structures, different histories, different aches and pains. As we move through the decades of life, what feels great for one person may need to be adjusted for another. As you move through today’s routine, feel free to shorten the range of motion, use your hands for support, or pause to reset your alignment. Modification is not a step back. It’s how you build strength safely and successfully.
1. Get down on the floor and stack your elbows directly under your shoulders, legs extended behind you, resting on elbows and toes.
2. Squeeze your glutes and pull your belly button into your spine to create full-body tension.
3. Keep your back in a straight line by engaging your low back, lats, and upper back — no dipping hips or lifted butt.
4. With your core braced, slowly swivel your hips side to side in a controlled motion while keeping shoulders steady and neck long.
5. Beginner: Drop to knees to decrease intensity while maintaining the swivel.
6. Advanced: Stack your feet and rotate onto the bottom toe as you swivel.
7. Start with 30 seconds, working up to 1 minute.
1. Sit tall with knees bent and feet flat. This bent leg position makes it easier to find a supported C-curve.
2. Exhale and scoop your abs, pulling the lower belly in and up as you round into a controlled C-curve.
3. Roll back a few inches while keeping your spine rounded and your low back supported by your core.
4. Reach your arms by your sides and pulse 20 times, keeping the scoop strong.
5. Bring your hands to your chest and pulse 10 more times.
If you want more challenge, roll a little lower or add extra pulses while maintaining the supported C-curve.
1. Lying on your back, contract your lower abdominals, and lift your legs off the floor. Extend them up straight, feet facing the ceiling. If this is too difficult, keep your knees bent, and roll knees toward chest.
2. With your hands on the floor for balance, use your lower abdominal strength to push your feet up 1-2 inches toward the ceiling. It’s a quick movement, almost a ˙pulse,” as if you’re stamping the ceiling with the bottom of your feet.
3. 10 reps.
1. Sit tall, exhale and scoop your abs, pulling the lower belly in and up as you round into a controlled C-curve.
2. With knees bent, lift your feet off the floor. Rotate your torso and arms from one side to the other.
3. Continue alternating for 30 to 60 seconds or 15 reps per side, keeping the feet lifted and the scoop engaged.
1. Start on your back with your arms reaching out overhead, legs lifted slightly off the floor, and toes pointed.
2. Press the lower back into the mat or floor to ensure the back doesn’t arch. If this feels like too much tension on the back, try lifting the legs a little further away from the floor.
3. Imagine that as you’re stretching the fingers and toes away from each other, the core is a strong magnet working to pull them back in. Using the force of that imaginary magnet, bring the knees in toward the chest. At the same time, reach your arms toward the legs.
4. Return to starting.
5. 10 Reps.
1. Start in a strong plank with hands under shoulders and core engaged.
2. Lower into a pushup, keeping elbows close to your body.
3. Press back up and rotate into a side plank, lifting one arm toward the ceiling.
4. Return to plank and repeat on the other side, alternating the rotation.
5. Keep hips lifted and core engaged throughout.
Modifier: Skip the pushup and perform the side plank rotation from your elbows instead. This reduces shoulder load while keeping the core challenge.
If you enjoyed today’s 6 exercises and are ready to keep shaping up your midsection, then you’ll love…
“After menopause, I got core strength back! What’s funny is she also helped me get my abs back after pregnancy. Thank you Kathy!”
Building strong, defined abs does not have to be complicated. This is a simple plan… and I truly mean simple! All you do is click on a 30-day calendar and start to move!
The daily workouts are short (10-20 minutes) and easy to follow. They combine fat-burning cardio with targeted core training to sculpt, strengthen, and support your midsection… front, back, and side! Add a dose of balance and flexibility, and you have a complete formula for Forever Strong Abs. Here’s what you get:
• Floor Core – Planks, stabilization, and deep-core activation that train the muscle layers that protect your back and improve posture.
• Bootcamp Abs – Gym-style crunches and V-sit drills for upper and lower ab strength that delivers results you can feel.
• Cardio Blast – Short, effective cardio segments that help burn fat and reveal a stronger, more defined core.
• Standing Abs – Sculpt your midsection using powerful standing movements that wake up your core.
• Pilates Core Work – Pilates sequences that tone, lengthe, and reinforce deep core control.
You’ll feel the difference in your posture. You’ll notice it in your balance. You’ll see it in the mirror and in the way your clothes fit.
They’re short, focused workouts that don’t overwhelm.
Forever Strong Abs… Simple structure, smart training, and results that last.