Core Exercises for Flat Toned Abs & A Strong Functional Core

Perform 10-15 reps of the first two warm-up exercises. These are key to getting a great ab workout so be sure not to skip them.

Continue with 15 reps of the next 5 ab exercises moving from one to the next with little to no rest (15 on each side of single sided moves).

Finish up with 5 reps of the stretch. Be sure not to skip the two warm-up exercises or the stretch. For great results be sure to follow all tips.

Perform this workout after cardio workouts or after full body workouts. Always train abs last and try not to mix up the order of the circuit. The order is key to improving core strength and stability.

Exercise
Yoga Cat Stretch 1. Kneel on all fours, knees under hips and hands under shoulders. Spread the fingers out on the floor with palms flat and contract the abs to bring the head, neck and back in alignment. 2. Inhale and tip the sitz bones towards the ceiling while drawing the shoulders back and down away from your ears; look up. 3. Exhale and tuck the chin while pulling your belly towards your spine. Round the back and feel a stretch down your spine. Core exercises workout tips: The cat cow is an important exercise that will improve spinal mobility one of the most important things you can do to get a better ab workout.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
Supine Bench Psoas stretch 1. Lie on the end of bench with both legs up towards your chest. 2. Hold one leg into towards yoru chest with your hands. 3. Allow the other leg to fall towards the floor and let it hang to stretch the psoas of that leg. 4. Alternate 10 second holds on each side. Core exercises workout tips: The psoas is a faciliatated muscle for most people meaning it always takes over and does all the work the abs are meant to do (especially the lower abs). Stretching the psoas and hip flexors before ab exercises ensures that your abs do their job.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
Opposite Arm Oposite Leg Raise 1. Start by placing yourself on your hands and knees. 2. Slowly raise your opposite arm and opposite leg and extend them out away from the body. 3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side. 4. Always keep this movement slow and controlled. Core exercises workout tips: This exercise is very important for core stability, low back strength, and when performed with arm coming out at an angle instead of forward it also corrects forward shoulder posture and improves range of motion with all ab exercises.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
Double Leg Pressouts 1. Start by lying on your back with your knees towards your chest and your arms flat on the ground. 2. Keeping your back flat throughout the movement kick your legs out and away until they are almost straight. 3. Bring your legs back in and repeat for 15 reps. 4. If you are unable to keep your back flat on the floor throughout the movement shorten the distance that your legs extend until you get stronger. Core exercises workout tips: This exercise has nothing to do with the legs. The goal is to use the abs to keep the back flat on the floor as the legs go in and out. The stronger you get the further out your legs can go without your back arching off the floor. Do not assist by placing hands under the low back. This defeats the purpose of this exercise.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
Saggital Front Reach 1) Start position: Stand with feet hip width apart. Hold medicine ball or dumbbell at waist. 2) Step forward 2-3 feet with the heel striking first and lean torso forward. With both hands, reach down towards the front foot so that finger tips touch the floor. 3) Pushing off front foot, return to start position. Continue with same leg or alternate as prescribed. 4) Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Reaching forward should be performed at the hips and not the low back. Shoulders and hips should remain squared at all times. 5) Do not let front knee extend past big toe or deviate laterally or medially. Back knee should not come in contact with floor. Core exercises workout tips: This is probably the key exercise that eliminates back pain during pushups, planks, and multi-joint exercises. The key is to always draw the belly button in when your upper body is almost parallel with the floor (both when going down and back up). This is called the critical point when your back switches from muscular to ligament support.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
BOSU Plank Tilt 1. Start in a plank position with your knees off the ground or you can plank from your knees. Keept your body in a straight line. 2. Use your arms to tilt the BOSU forward and then back. You will really work your arms, back and abs on this one, so make sure you do not sag in the middle. 3. Repeat for the required number of repetitions and or time. Core exercises workout tip: You can also do this with dyna discs, or with gliding discs (alternate sliding each disc back and forth). The goal is to keep belly button drawn in to stabilize without tensing the upper body.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
Half Kneeling Sequential Lift 1. Start by grabbing the handle with both hands and arms straight. Kneel onto one leg. The down leg should be the outside leg. 2. Keeping your arms straight pull the bar up and across your body. 3. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired repetitions. 4. Repeat with the other side. Core exercises workout tip: Keep hips, shoulders, and head forwards and arms straight (elbows almost locked) as you use the obliques to pull the band or cable across the body.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
Stability Ball Crunch 1. Sit in upright position on ball with feet flat on floor. 2. Walk feet forward allowing ball to roll underneath body until it is positioned on lower to mid-back region. Raise hips slightly to create a “table top” position parallel to floor. 3. Place hands across your chest. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest. 4. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise shoulders up. 5. Return to start position. Core exercises workout tip: Keep the arms across chest, tounge on the roof of the mouth to activate the neck muscles that should be working during the crunch then draw belly button in as you. You should not be able to do more than 15-20. If you can with good form then add 5-10 lb. weight at the chest.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time
Wide Leg Upward Dog 1. Begin by lying on the stomach on the floor. Place the hands along side the shoulders and bring the legs out to the side slightly wider than hip-width. 2. Relax the buttocks and the legs. Inhale and push evenly down through the hands and lift the chest up towards the sky, gently arching the spine. Roll the shoulders back and down and away from the ears, look up towards the sky. 3. Do not allow the lower back to collapse down towards the floor. Stay connected to the core musculature by pulling the navel in towards the spine and lifting the pelvic floor muscles. 4. Stay here for 10 seconds then relax on the floor for 10 seconds and repeat. Core exercises workout tip: Stretch the abs after every ab workout. Alternate 5 times between 10 second stretch and 10 second rest on floor.	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance Tempo Time