It doesn’t have to take all day to train the abs. In fact, you can get a great ab workout in just eight minutes.
This is what makes it so strange that so many guys – even gym rats – still don’t have the flat stomach they’re looking for. Sure, abs aren’t particularly fun to train but seeing as you can get impressive results in just a few minutes and with no equipment, there’s no reason you can’t train quickly before bed and get all the benefit you need.
Anyone can fit eight minutes into their day. Whether you’re the busiest person alive or the most tired, you can afford to get up eight minutes earlier and complete a few setups. So if you’re serious about getting a washboard stomach, here’s a simple routine you can use to do it…
1 Minute of Spiderman Plank-Crunch
To begin with, you’ll be in a plank position with your forearms on the floor and your body straight. Right away this tests the transverse abdominals to help give you a flatter stomach and stronger core. Now you’re going to bring the right knee up toward the right elbow, before returning back to the plank position (this part works the obliques). Do the same on the other side and that’s one rep of the Spiderman plank.
1 Minute of Cable Rotation
Stand holding a cable out in front of you at about shoulder height. Now, simply rotate your body to pull the cable away. Perform for thirty seconds then swap sides and carry on.
Don’t have a cable pulley device at home? That’s no problem! You can get the same precise benefits by using a resistance band.
1 Minute of Bicycle Crunches
Lie on your back as though you’re going to do regular crunches but with your legs off of the ground. Now twist to bring your right elbow to your left knee at the same time as rotating your right leg forward. Effectively you’re ‘cycling’ your legs while alternating crunches targeting each side of your stomach.
1 Minute of Cross Crunches
Your arms and legs will be splayed out so you’re lying on the ground in an x. Now you’re going to touch your left hand to your right leg, before doing the same on the other side.
1 Minute of Ab Roll Outs
It is a brutally difficult move that trains transverse abdominis in particular. Start in a standing position with your hands on the floor and then slide them out until they’re straight you’re on your finger tips and tip-toes suspended above the ground. Then slide back up to finish.
To do this you’ll need something to slide or roll across the ground. You can use a skateboard, a cloth on a slippery surface or even a barbell with the weights allowed to rotate freely.
1 Minute of Kettlebell Windmills
Totally undervalued, this move is exhausting and highly effective. Clean and press a kettlebell over your head to get into the starting position and then swing it over and around your head so it passes in-front and behind. You’ll need to roll your body to do this. If you don’t have a kettlebell, hold onto a single weight plate.
1 Minute of Jack Knives
Now you’re going to lie on one side keeping one leg on top of the other. As you inhale, curl your torso around to bring your knees up to your chest. Perform 30 seconds on each side.
1 Minute of Press Sit-Ups
To finish, perform weighted sit ups holding a barbell or two dumbbells and add a bench press to the end of each repetition.
