My Favorite Core Workout

This summer, I had a goal to work out a few times a week since I have not been swimming. When it’s core day, one of my favorite workouts to do is one that I used to do for dryland on my swim team, fondly called “ab circles”. One of the best parts is that it doesn’t require any materials and can be done easily at home.

Ab circles consist of six rounds of workouts. Each round exercises the upper, lower, and side abs, and the back. The rounds conclude with different types of planks. Each workout is done in intervals, either 30 seconds on-15 off, or 45 on-15 off (or your choice of intervals).  

Upper 

Upper is usually crunches. Some of my favorite crunches are pretzel, 90-degree, streamline, straight leg, and regular crunches.  

Pretzel– Start cross legged, cross your arms over your head and behind your back. Normal crunch movement. 

90-degree– Laying down, lift your feet off the ground so that your hips are at a 90-degree angle. Then bend from your knees so that your lower legs are at 90-degree angles to your upper legs. Normal crunch movement.  

Streamline– Start laying down with your feet on the floor. With your arms in streamline, place them between your knees, then sit up as your raise your arms over your head. As you lay back down, let your arms fall between your knees again.  

Straight leg– lay down with your legs stretched out and your heels resting on the floor. Normal crunch movement.  

Lower 

For lower (my least favorite of the four), I usually do variations of leg raises, including double leg raises, single leg raises, flutter kicks, and candlesticks.  

Double leg raises– Laying on your back, raise your legs straight in the air at a 90-degree angle to the rest of your body. Lower them again, without letting them touch the floor.  

Single leg raises– Same as above, but one leg at a time, never letting either leg touch the floor.  

Flutter kicks– Lay on your back, lift your legs about six inches off the floor, and kick up and down in small movements.  

Candlesticks– I tend to do these laying on my back with my arms flat on the floor, and lifting my legs straight up in the air.  

Side 

For side, my favorites include Russian twists, penguin toe touches, windshield wipers, bicycle crunches, and side planks. 

Russian twists– Sit with your feet hovering off the ground, and twist so that you tap your hands one side of your body, then on the other.

Penguins– Laying down with your feet on the ground, push one of your arms forward to touch the side of your foot. Do the same on the other side.  

Windshield wipers– Lay down with your arms out to either side. Lift your legs straight up, then lower them to one side, letting them touch the ground. Do the same on the other side. 

Bicycle crunches– Set up like a normal crunch. Then bring one knee into  your chest. Crunch and twist the opposite arm so that your elbow touches your knee. Do the same on the other side.

Side planks– Start in a regular plank, then lift one arm of the ground and twist so that you completely face to the side. Stay on one side for half the interval then switch to the other side. 

Back 

For back, I usually do supermans, pulses, donkey kicks, and cat-cows.

Superman– Lay on your stomach. Lift your hands and legs off the ground, and pull your shoulder blades toward each other.  

Pulses– Very similar to supermans, but instead of holding the position, lower yourself to just above the ground, then lift your arms and legs up again.  

Donkey kicks– On your hands and knees, kick one leg up in the air, then bring it back down. Do the same on the other side.  

Cat-cows– Cow: Hands and knees, arch your back so that it forms a slight dip downward. Inhale, then switch to cat as you exhale. Cat: Hands and knees, arch your back in the opposite way so that it pushes toward the sky. Lower your head. Keep switching between the two positions.  

Planks 

At the end of each round, choose one type of plank to hold for the same interval as the rest of the exercises.  

–Regular (on your forearms) 

–One arm off the ground (one round choose an arm to take of the ground, then the next round, do the other arm off) 

–One leg off the ground (same as arm off the ground) 

–High plank (on your hands, beginning pushup position)  

You could also add four more rounds in high plank (two with one arm off the ground, and two with one leg off the ground), depending on what you have time for.  

As an example round, I would do 30 seconds of pretzel crunches, 15 seconds off. Next, 30 of double leg raises, 15 off. Then Russian twists for 30 seconds, 15 off, and finally 30 seconds of cat-cows, 15 seconds off. To end the round, I would do 30 seconds of a regular plank and then take 15 seconds off before starting the next round.

Depending on the amount of rounds you choose to do and the intervals you choose, this is about a 20–40-minute core workout. I love ab circles because it really works all parts of the core and allows for a lot of variety to keep me engaged. Maybe you’ll find you enjoy it as well!