If You've Got 13 Minutes To Spare, Try This Equipment-Free Abs Workout
Maybe you've heard of Kayla Itsines, the kick-ass certified personal trainer dominating the fitness space with her BBG workouts and weirdly addicting SWEAT app (it's kinda my fave). And if you didn't, now you do.
Because basically all of us who enjoy sweating on the reg are exiled from the gym for the foreseeable future, the workout queen herself is coming through with a brand-freaking-new 16-week fitness program that requires NO equipment (besides a yoga mat, fam) and basically no space (see: yoga mat).
"My new BBG Zero Equipment aims to help make working out as simple as possible by giving women the knowledge to work out at home without equipment," Itsines says.
If you're out here trying to calculate how a body-weight workout can lead to better endurance and muscle strength, Itsines says her new program is based on time instead of sets or reps and includes lots of plyometric moves (as in jumping) to get your heart rate up, so it's perfect for beginners and people who work out a lot, a lot to feel results.
In other good news: BBG Zero Equipment also features 12-to 15-minute express workouts for those times when her regularly scheduled 28-minute routines seem like too much (or if you want to add something spicy to the end of one of said regimens).
Below, Itsines shares one of those quick and dirty workouts, this one focusing on abs. Snack on this speedy routine, then be sure to check out the rest of her programming by downloading the SWEAT app on iTunes and Google Play ($20/month or $120/year).
Let's do this!
The workout
Perform each of the seven exercises back to back for the time noted. After finishing the circuit, rest for 30 seconds before completing the circuit two more times.
Commando and side plank
Step 1: Start by placing your forearms (wrist to elbow) on a yoga mat and extending both of your legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your starting position.
Step 2: Inhale and place your right hand firmly on the mat directly below your right shoulder and push up. Place your left hand firmly on the mat directly below your left shoulder and push up.
Step 3: Exhale to release your right hand and extend your right arm upwards. At the same time, turn your torso to face the long edge of your mat. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Inhale to lower your right hand and untwist your torso.
Step 4: Exhale to lower your right forearm to the mat followed by your left to return to the starting position. Repeat the movement on the left side. That's one rep. Continue alternating for 30 seconds.
3-Way Mountain Climber
Step 1: Place both hands on the yoga mat shoulder-width apart and both feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your starting position.
Step 2: Keeping your right foot on the floor, bend your left knee to bring it in towards your chest before returning it to the starting position. Repeat this movement on the right side.
Step 3: Keeping your right foot on the floor, bend your left knee and bring it towards your right elbow before returning it to the starting position. Repeat this movement on the right side.
Step 4: Keeping your right foot on the floor, bend your left knee and draw it toward the outside of your left elbow before returning it to the starting position. Repeat this movement on the right side. That's one rep. Continue this sequence for 30 seconds.
Straight-leg jackknife
Step 1: Lie on your back, extend both legs out in front of you and draw your belly button in toward your spine. This is your starting position.
Step 2: Inhale. Then exhale as you slowly raise your legs upwards until they form a 90-degree angle with your hips. At the same time, bring your arms forward and upward towards your feet, slowly lifting your head, shoulder blades and torso off the mat.
Step 3: Inhale as you slowly lower your arms and legs to return to the starting position without lowering your feet to the floor. That's one rep. Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds.
High Knees
Step 1: Plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your weight on your left foot, bend your right leg to bring your knee into your chest.
Step 2: Lower your right leg, and plant your foot on the floor. Keeping your weight on your right leg, bend your left leg to bring your knee into your chest. Increase your speed so that you can hop from one foot to the other. Continue alternating for 30 seconds.
Side plank and oblique crunch
Step 1: Begin by lying on your left side, placing your left forearm firmly on the floor so that your elbow is directly below your shoulder and your forearm is parallel to the short edge of your mat.
Bend your left knee and lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your knee. Then, lift your right leg so that it's in line with your hips and extend your right arm above your head. This is your starting position.
Step 2: Exhale as you bend your right knee and right elbow to meet just above your hip. Inhale to extend your right arm and leg to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds before performing the exercise on the opposite side.
Russian Twist
Step 1: Sit on a yoga mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lean back slightly so that your abdominals are engaged and you are balancing on your sit bones. Keeping your feet together, raise them off the mat and extend your legs slightly, keeping your hands clasped in front of your chest. This is your starting position.
Step 2: While keeping your lower body as still as possible, twist your torso to the right to gently touch your elbow on the mat near your right hip (or as far as you can while keeping your lower body still).
Step 3: Untwist your torso to return to the starting position and repeat the movement on the left side. That's one rep. Continue alternating for 30 seconds.
Rocking Chair Burpee
Step 1: Plant both feet on the mat shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.
Step 2: Bend at both the hips and knees to place your hands on the mat on either side of your feet. Jump both feet backwards so that your legs are extended behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Your body should be in one straight line from your head to your heels.
Step 3: Bend at the hips and knees to move your glutes over your heels to lower your chest towards the mat and extend your arms. Press through your feet to extend your legs and return to the high plank position.
Step 4: Jump your feet forwards then propel your body up into the air with your arms above your head. Land in the starting position. That's one rep. Do as many reps as you can in 3o seconds.
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