 Plank Row

Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club

Get into a plank position with a glider under each foot. If you don’t have gliders, you can use
paper plates or towels, Stokes says. Hold the plank, press down on the gliders and slide your legs
out behind you, maintaining the plank position. Your arms will extend as you slide your body
back. Then, pull your body back into the starting position. Keep a straight plank pose the entire
time. Make sure you’re pushing and pulling as far as you can, getting as much range as possible.
Do 10 to 15 forward and backs (counting forward and back as one) or for 30 seconds.

“Think of cleaning the floor and wanting to get it done as fast as possible,” Stokes says. The key
is to really press down on the gliders to create friction between the glider and the floor -- that’s
what really gets your core engaged. If you just let them fly, you’ll only be working your hip
flexors. This move works your entire rectus abdominus, Stokes notes, so you’re getting both a
stretch and building strength, which is rare for core workouts.
 2
Bear

Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club

Get into an extended arm plank, propped up on your hands with hands directly beneath your
shoulders, feet hip-width apart. Press down on the gliders and slowly pull the knees in so they
come about four inches in front of your hips. Then, push back to starting plank position, keeping
the core tight the entire time, drawing the navel in. Continue for 30 to 45 seconds, or 10 to 15
reps. You should be moving very slowly to get the most out of each move, Stokes says.
 3
One-Legged Mountain Climber
Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club
Start in a plank position with your right knee pulled into your chest. Keep the right knee
completely stable so you have a constant contraction on that side. Then, slide the left knee in and
back, maintaining the height of your hips. Do 10 to 15, then switch and do the same on the other
side.

In this move, your abdominal wall is contracted on one side by holding the knee in tight and the
other side is more active so both sides are working. “They’re hard,” Stokes admits. “It’s more
about the quality of your movement than necessarily the quantity,” so start out with fewer reps if
that’s what it takes to do them correctly.
 4
Army Crawl
Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club
Get down into a plank position, squeezing your butt, with a glider under each foot, on the edge of
your mat. Using your forearms, crawl forward about five steps, until your gliders hit the end of
the mat, and then crawl back. Make sure to hold the plank position and keep legs straight and
hips stable. Do this three to five times, counting forward and back as one full rep.
 5
C-Curve
Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club
This exercise is a great standard move to keep on hand that lengthens and takes pressure off the
lower back, which ab workouts tend to strain. “A basic c-curve is very therapeutic after the glide
work, so it makes sense to do this in conjunction with the glide work,” Stokes notes.

To get into position, first sit on the floor on your tailbone, as if you are about to lower back into a
sit-up position, with a ball (you can sub a T-shirt or pillow, too) squeezed tightly between your
thighs. “When you hold something [here] and squeeze, you engage the inner thigh which works
more through the low abdomen,” Stokes says. Rest on your elbows and make sure to maintain
that height throughout. Arch your back into a small stretch, tuck the tailbone and drive the low
back down. Pick your elbows up and hold onto the backs of your thighs. Keep shoulders down,
chin open and elbows wide. This is the c-curve position.

From here, grab a set of light weights (soup cans work, too!) and hold arms out by your knees.
Lower arms and tap the ground, then lift back to start position. Repeat as you hold the c-curve
for 60 to 90 seconds, concentrating on the arm movements the entire time. You can even do
bicep curls instead, Stokes says. “Anything to take your mind off the fact your abs are burning.”
 6
Hip Tips

Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club

Lie flat on your back, legs straight up in the air. Place a ball between the inner thighs. As you
press in on the ball, tip the hips up. It's a subtle movement: Be careful not to rock your hips, just
tip them up slightly, initiating all movement from your lower abdomen. Crunch in and tip the
hips, release halfway, repeat. Progress by holding weights in your hands. Do 15 to 20 controlled
reps.
 7
X-Factor
Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club
Start with your body sprawled out on the floor in an X, holding a weight in each hand. Lift your
left hand and bring the weight toward your right shin, lifting your torso and keeping your belly
pulled into your spine, until you roll all the way up to balancing on your tailbone. You can come
up onto your elbow a bit to make it a little easier -- don’t use it as a crutch, but as a guide. Lower
back down and alternate sides. Try turning your foot out, still keeping the leg straight, to get a
deeper inner thigh workout at the same time. Do 12 to 15 on each side.

“This move works your whole transverse abdominus, and again, you’re moving the legs so
you’re working the lower abdomen,” Stokes says.
 8
Six Pack Scissor
Valerie Fischel for YouBeauty.com at Reebok Sports Club
Lie flat on your back. With your left leg straight and about two inches off the ground, bring your
right leg up toward the ceiling. Bring your hands behind your head. Lift the left foot and tap it to
the right heel, crunch, then release just your shoulder blades (don’t drop your torso), and bring
the leg back to its starting position a half-inch from the ground. Do 12 to 15 per side, completing
all on one side before switching to the other.

“Pace is last thing to be concerned about,” Stokes says. “Slower is better, slower is harder.”
Again, going for quality over quantity is how you are really going to safely and effectively sculpt
your muscles.
Crab crunch

Sit with legs in front of you, knees bent, and feet hip-width apart on the floor. Place hands
shoulder-width apart on floor behind you, with thumbs forward and fingertips at a slight
diagonal. Lift butt and extend right leg just barely off floor; bring left hand behind head.Crunch
forward, bringing right knee toward chest and rotating left elbow in to meet it; for more
challenge, simultaneously bend right elbow to dip toward floor.Return to previous position. Do
12–15 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
1. AStand with feet wide, toes turned our, arms by sides. Squat lowering arms towards the
floor to start. Jump as high as you can. When you land, shift body weight to right leg,
then lift bent leg out to side, twisting torso toward left with elbows bent and hands
together at chest.
2. BQuickly return to start position. Switch side sand repeat to complete 1 rep. Do 10 reps,
alternating sides.
1. AStand with feet hip-width apart, arms by sides. Squat, raising extended arms forward at
shoulder level to start. Lunge backward with right leg, bending both knees 90 degrees, as
you rotate torso left and reach right arm to floor, left arm up.
2. BStep right leg forward to start position. Switch sides and repeat to complete 1 rep. Dp
10 reps, alternating sides.
1. AStand with feet hip-width apart, arms by sides. Squat, bringing hands together in front
of chest to start.
2. BTouch right knee to floor, then left knee (so you come to kneeling).
3. CBring bent right leg back to squat, then bent left leg to complete 1 rep. Stay in squat and
repeat, this time starting with left knee. Do 10 reps, alternating sides.
1. AStand with feet together, arms by sides. Lunge right leg out to side, knee bent 90
degrees and toes pointing forward (left leg stays straight); bring fists together in front of
chest to start.
2. BPress off floor with right foot to stand on left leg, then lower into a single-leg squat
(with right foot hovering next to left), reaching right arm toward floor by left foot, left
arm up. Return to start position to complete 1 rep. Do 10 reps, then switch sides and
repeat.
1. AStart on floor in plank position with feet together. Jump feet wide, then back in. Bend
right elbow and lower forearm to floor, then left, coming to forearm plank.
2. BJump feet wide, then back in. Plant right palm on floor, then left, and push up to
complete 1 rep. Repeat, this time starting with left elbow. Do 10 reps, alternating sides.
Inverted Reach

Lie faceup, knees bent, feet hip-width apart, right hand behind head. Hold
weight in left hand, elbow on floor at chest height. Squeeze knees together and
extend right leg. Lift left shoulder and reach toward right knee, keeping chest
open (as shown). Return to start for 1 rep. Do 15 reps. Switch sides; repeat.
Reach & Cross

Start on hands and knees, weight in right hand. Pull left knee to chest as you
bring right elbow to knee. Swing leg back and up, reaching right hand toward
left foot (as shown) for 1 rep. Do 15 reps. Switch sides; repeat.
Arm Lift & Leg Swing

Start in a high plank, hands beneath shoulders, weight in right hand. Lift
weight straight up to chest, elbow pointing out. Lower weight to floor. Swing
right leg out to side, touching toes to floor (as shown). Return to start for 1
rep. Do 15 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Works abs, shoulders, glutes, upper back

Frog Crunch

Lie faceup, legs together and 45 degrees off floor, arms extended overhead
with weight in both hands. Bend knees and open legs, keeping feet together as
you lift upper body and bring arms forward until weight is between knees (as
shown). Return to start for 1 rep. Do 30 reps.

Works arms, abs

Pelvic Lift & Heel Tap

Lie faceup, hands behind head, upper body slightly lifted. Lift legs to ceiling
with weight between feet. Engage abs to lift butt and pelvis off floor. Return to
start. Bend knees and lower feet to floor (as shown). Return to start again for
1 rep. Do 30 reps.

Works lower abs, hips, legs, glutes