One of the most common questions we get at Proactive Sports is how to tone and tighten the abdominal muscles. Here's an at-home circuit you can do without any equipment.
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Repeat this series three times:
Plank
Hold for one minute
Coaching Point: Make sure to keep your shoulders over your forearms and back flat. Don't compromise form for time. Gradually build up to a minute if needed.
Bicycle Abs
30 reps per side
Coaching Point: Bent leg goes to 90 degrees, while straight leg should be one inch above the ground. Keep hands behind your head without pulling on the neck.
Toe Touches
20 reps
Coaching Point: Keep your legs vertically straight and the goal is to touch the shin with a slight pause. Engage the lower abdomen rather than crunching your neck. Higher doesn't mean better.
Side Plank
30-second hold, then 10 dips
Coaching Point: The goal is to keep a straight line with your body without your hips dipping too far forward or back. Keep the dips slow and controlled.
Heel Taps
30 per side
Coaching Point: Laying on your back with your legs in a 90-degree position, lower one leg at a time and tap your heel to the ground. Keep your hands behind your head with a slow and controlled movement. The goal is to feel your lower abdomen firing.
We stress injury prevention at Proactive Sports, so it's important with any regimen to always take progression. Adjust time and reps to do them properly with balanced form. As you get stronger you can always build up. It’s also important to stress that doing 100 sit-ups a day just won't cut it alone. If your diet isn’t up to task, then no amount of exercises will give you that toned core you’ve been looking for. You can find some basic nutrition tips here.
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