Workout
Core Workout at Home
No sit-ups. The work here is holding position while something else moves — a plank that gets tapped, a dead bug, a slow leg raise — which is nearer to what a core actually does than crunching is.
- Time
- 12 min
- Level
- Intermediate
- Rounds
- 2
- Approx. burn
- 80 kcal
The moves in this workout
The app sequences them for you. Each one has a demo and a form guide.
- Core
Dead Bug
Transversus abdominis, Rectus abdominis, Contralateral iliopsoas
Equipment: A mat or towel
- Advanced moves
Donkey Kick
Gluteus maximus, Hamstrings
Equipment: None
- Core
Elbow Plank
Rectus abdominis, Transversus abdominis, Erector spinae group
Equipment: None
- Advanced moves
Leg Raise
Iliopsoas, Rectus abdominis
Equipment: None
- Cardio
Mountain Climber
Iliopsoas, Rectus abdominis, Quadriceps
Equipment: None
- Upper body
Shoulder Tap Plank
Rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, external and internal obliques
Equipment: None
Who it suits
Pairs well with the leg session; the two share almost nothing.
How to run it
Six moves and not a sit-up among them. Most of the work is holding a position while a limb moves, which means the thing to watch is your lower back rather than your abs — if it lifts away from the floor, that set is finished no matter what the timer says.
Easier and harder
Easier: bend your knees on the leg raise to shorten the lever, and drop one knee to the floor on the shoulder-tap plank. Harder: straighten the leg raise fully and slow the lowering half until that is the part you feel.
The mistake this session invites
Letting the lower back arch on the leg raise. It is the most common fault in this session and it moves the load off the abs and onto the spine. Press your lower back into the floor first, then lower your legs only as far as you can keep it there.
