While no-equipment ab workouts are effective, we sometimes need extra resistance to keep ourselves challenged and interested in what our workouts have to offer – and of course, to build stronger muscles.
If you are no stranger to core work, you might like the extra weight to challenge and progress your training more – giving your body the chance to adapt to additional resistance and grow stronger. Strong muscle curves look good on everyone. By building strength in key areas (your shoulders, butt, and legs), you can make your body appear more shapely.
This strength circuit incorporates dynamic, balance-based exercises that will engage your whole body—while also tightening the muscles around your stomach to help define your waist. Don’t forget: Diet is just as important—if not more—than exercise for losing belly fat.
How it works: Up to four days per week, do 1 set of each exercise back to back, with no rest between moves. Do the full circuit 3 times, resting 45 to 60 seconds between circuits if needed.
1. Squat to Rotating Press:
How to:
- Stand with feet slightly wider than hips, holding dumbbells together in front of the body.
- Push hips back and bend knees to lower into a squat, reaching dumbbells to the floor.
- Press through heels to extend legs as you curl weights up into the chest, drawing abs in tight.
- Immediately press weights overhead as the upper body rotates right, pivoting left heel up (palms should be facing in with arms slightly in front of the head in full extension).
- Immediately return to starting position; repeat on the opposite side to complete 1 rep.
- Sets: 3 Reps: 12.
Related article: How Can I Lose Weight In My Abs Legs And Arms In One Workout And Quickly? 5 Moves 1 Set Of Dumbbells
2. Reaching Row:
How to:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand in a split stance with your right foot forward.
- Lower into a lunge, hinging forward from hips about 45 degrees (be sure to keep back naturally straight), reaching dumbbells down toward feet with palms facing thighs.
- Bend left elbow behind the body, opening elbow out to the side, pulling weight in front of the shoulder.
- As the left arm extends back to the floor, bend the right elbow behind the body to switch sides, moving arms quickly.
- That’s 1 rep.
- Do all reps on the first side, then repeat with the opposite foot forward.
- Keep abs drawn in tight and allow the torso to rotate slightly from side to side during the row.
- Sets: 3 Reps: 12
Related article: Sculpt And Shape A Sexy Upper Body With These 5 Exercises
3. Curtsy Curl:
How to:
- Grab a dumbbell in your left hand and shift weight onto the left leg.
- Cross right leg behind left and lower into a curtsy lunge, bending both knees (keep most of the bodyweight in left leg), hinging slightly forward from hips, reaching dumbbell to the outside of the left leg.
- Rise up out of the lunge, extending the right leg out to the side as the left leg straightens, rotating the torso to the right as the left elbow bends to curl the weight across the chest.
- Immediately return to starting position; repeat.
- Do all reps on the left, then repeat on the right to complete 1 set.
- Sets: 3 Reps: 12
Related article: How Long Do I Need To Build Abs? 7 Minutes A Day Should Do The Trick!
4. Balancing Triceps Extension:
How to:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and balance on the right leg with the knee slightly bent, left leg extended low behind the hip.
- Hold the dumbbells behind the head, with elbows bent in close to ears (if it’s too challenging with both weights, hold only one dumbbell).
- Draw abs in tighter and bend the left knee in front of the hip as arms extend to the ceiling (weights will be slightly in front of the head at the top).
- Without lowering the left foot to the floor (unless needed for balance), slowly return to starting position; repeat.
- Do all reps on the first side, then repeat on the opposite leg to complete 1 set.
- Sets: 3 Reps: 12
Related article: Blast Belly Fat With This 5 Brilliant Exercises In Just 5 Minutes
5. Side Plank with Reach Under:
How to:
- Grab a dumbbell in the left hand and get into a side plank, propping the upper body up on the right elbow and forearm.
- Bend bottom knee for support and raise hips until body forms a straight line from ankles to shoulders.
- Extend left arm up to the ceiling above the shoulder, looking up at hand.
- Keeping hips steady and abs drawn in tight, reach under and behind torso with the left hand (eyes should follow left hand), then lift arm back to the starting position.
- That’s 1 rep.
- Do all reps on the right, then repeat on the opposite side to complete the set.
- Sets: 3 Reps: 12