Strength Primer Workout: Core

Take advantage of the exhilarating energy of fall to master a few moves and get stronger. This is the third and final in a series of workouts focused on the major muscle groups to give you a template to pump some iron.

This week’s workout: core. Your six-pack will thank you after this intense workout.

Workout 3: Core

Warm-Up

Perform 10 to 12 reps of each move with little to no rest between each move.

Walkout Plank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQb4d3HCaqE

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Hinge at your hips and reach down for the ground with both hands.
Walk your hands out to a plank position, hold, then walk your hands back to your feet.
Return to standing. Repeat.

Mountain Climbers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynb1hXrQ-d4

Begin in an extended plank position, with arms straight, hands under shoulders and your body in a long, straight line from head to heels.
While keeping your hands on the floor, drive your right knee in toward your right elbow.
Quickly reverse the positions of your legs, extending your right leg until it’s straight and supported by your toes while bringing your left foot forward. You’ll feel like you are “running” in place.

Springing Mountain Climbers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfppyVnSZuI

Begin in an extended plank position, with arms straight, hands under shoulders and your body in a long, straight line from head to heels.
Jump your right foot forward, bending your knee and placing your right foot next to your right hand.
Jump your right foot back, and as it goes back, jump your left foot forward, bending your knee and placing your left foot next to your hand.
Continue alternating legs in a smooth movement.

Donkey Kicks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEeiTOi8dvk

Begin in a tabletop position, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees on the ground under your hips, toes on the ground.
Lift your hips slightly to hover your knees off the ground—keeping your back flat. Jump your feet up off the ground and kick them up and back like a bucking donkey. Land softly in your starting position and immediately spring off the ground again. Repeat.

Workout

SET 1: Perform eight to 10 reps of each move with little to no rest between each move. Repeat entire set twice, resting one to two minutes between sets.

Stability-Ball Push-Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cueeKNViRQ

Begin in an extended plank position, with your hands under your shoulders and your feet on a stability ball.
Lower your chest toward the ground, bending at your elbows to perform a push-up. Press back up and repeat.

Star Oblique Kicks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIwxHrFdcg0

Begin lying on the ground, arms and legs extended so you form an X.
Reach your right hand toward your left foot as you crunch up toward the ceiling, placing your right hand on the outside of your left ankle.
Return your hand and foot to the ground and reach your left hand toward your right ankle, placing it on the outside of your ankle.
Return to the ground and repeat.

Plank to Side-Plank Star

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH6yVwOy-Cg

Begin in an extended plank position, with your hands under your shoulders and your toes on the ground.
Bring your right hand off the ground and rotate your body open to the right, sending your right hand to the ceiling and stacking it over your right shoulder. As you rotate, stack your right foot on top of your left foot.
Holding your side plank, lift your top (right) foot up to hip height. Lower it back down, then rotate your body back to plank and place your hand on the ground.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Flutter Kick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR-mkHXjuTo

Begin lying on the ground, hands overhead and stacked together like a diver.
Crunch your arms and legs off the ground, bringing your shoulders off the floor.
Kick your legs up and down like you’re swimming, hovering them off the floor.

SET 2: Perform eight to 10 reps of each move with little to no rest between each move. Repeat entire set twice, resting one to two minutes between sets.

Spider-Man Push-Ups

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqK7PepATO0

Begin in an extended plank position, with arms straight, hands under shoulders and your body in a long, straight line from head to heels.
As you begin bending your elbows, bring your left knee out to the side toward your left shoulder.
At the bottom of your push-up, begin pressing the floor down as you extend your left leg and push up to return to your plank position.
Repeat with your right knee and continue, alternating sides

Side-Lying Oblique Twist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kP5283PWpg

Begin lying on your left side, feet stacked.
Bring your right arm above your head, biceps by your ear. Your left hand should rest on the floor in front of you for support.
Keeping your feet together, lift them to hover off the ground. Crunch your knees into your chest as your top arm reaches up and over for your heels.
Release the movement and repeat.

Russian Body Twists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtJc3pwzLMA

Begin lying on your back, with your hands out in a T.
Bring your legs off the ground, bending your knees to 90 degrees over your hips and flexing your feet.
Twist through your trunk and lower your knees to your right, bringing them into a hover over the ground.
Lift your knees back to center over your hips and twist through your trunk to lower them to your left.
Repeat, dropping your knees side to side.

Scissor Kicks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuALlguZa6M

Begin lying on your back, hands under your head or fingertips behind your ears.
Crunch your chest toward the ceiling and bringing your legs off the ground to hover.
Drive your feet apart, then scissor them right over left, driving them back out and scissoring them in left over right.
Repeat, alternating top and bottom leg.

Cool-Down

Hold each stretch 20 to 30 seconds (on each side).

Standing Side Bend With Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbtsIFX3saY

Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a taut band in your hands.
Bring the band up over your head, stretching the band.
Perform a side bend to your right, keeping the band taut.
Bring the band up and over, bending to your left.
Repeat, bending back and forth deeper into the stretch each time.

Knee Hug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XEuLk14AEQ

Begin lying on your back, hands by your sides.
Bring your knees into your chest, wrapping your arms around your shins.
Hug your knees toward your chest and relax into the pose.

Relaxation Pose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTRcrMYisoo

Recline from a seated position so that you are lying on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing up, knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Lift and lower your hips slightly and then extend one leg at a time.
Release any tension in your feet, legs, hips, spine, upper back, shoulders, arms, neck and head.
Hold the position for several minutes, breathing evenly. To return to an upright position, roll gently to one side and push your hands into the floor to lift your torso and let your head follow.

Photo and video credit: Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Model: Dan Elwood