Fitness

Get ABSolutely FABulous With Our Core Challenge

As part of our rehab for abs campaign, we’re challenging you to our core challenge. If you’re looking to reveal those fabulous abs, you need to strip down your body fat (easier said than done!) The first step is strengthening your core which is exactly why we’ve created our ABSolutely fABulous core challenge.

We’re giving you four key exercises that you should be doing at the end of your workout to strengthen your core and enhance those abs!

Reverse russian twists

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Place down you yoga mat and lift your chest up 45 degrees. If you don’t feel comfortable to hold your body in this position, place your hands behind you for support like our lovely model above. Bring your knees up towards your chest s you legs are at a 90 degree angle in the air. Once you feel comfortable, swing you knees to your legs going as low to the ground, without touching it, as possible, whilst ensuring that your core and abs are tight. Bring your legs back up to the center and repeat on the opposite side.

We challenge you to complete 30 of these and you’ll really feel the burn!

The side plank

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Forget the standard plank, mix it up with a little side action. Begin lying flat on your side, then place you hand under your shoulder and lift up your body weight ensuring that your body in a straight line and stays tight. Tuck under your bottom and your abs activated and hold… hold… hold….. for 30 seconds. The more you do this the longer you’ll be able to hold this position – don’t forget to switch and do both sides!

Mountain climbers

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Lie on your front and lift your body up with your arms extended (as though you’re ready to do a press up) making sure that your hands are directly underneath your shoulders. Once you’ve found your balance, lock in your core and tuck in your tummy ensuring that your back isn’t arching. Lift your knee up towards your chest and back down, then do the same with the opposite. Speed it up and continue for 45 seconds (WARNING – it will feel like forever at first but trust us, it gets easier!)

The bicycle

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Lay flat on your back and pop your hands behind your head. With your lower back pressed into the floor, contract your stomach muscles to lift your shoulders blades off the floor – don’t strain your neck though! Lift your feet off the floor and bring each knee in toward the opposite elbow, then repeat on the other side. Pick up the pace and keep this going for at least 30 seconds, rest for 10 and repeat 3 times. It’s basically like a mountain climber only the opposite way round.

So go on, we DARE you to take part in our core challenge! Whether you do it first thing in the morning before you jump in the shower or even after a sweaty workout – either way you’ll soon start to find your core is stronger, leaner and fitter.

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