Anna Victoria Is Here To Show You Exactly How To Transform Your Abs
If you follow personal trainer and Fit Body app creator Anna Victoria on Instagram, you already know her abs are #goals. And Anna is happy to share all her go-to moves for stomach-sculpting and getting strong all over (she has tons of great ab workouts on her app, FYI). In fact, below she shares her 15 favorite moves—many of which have helped her clients totally transform their core.
In order to see those types of results it’s important to train your abs from every angle. There are four main muscle groups in your midsection: your transverse abdominis, TVA for short ( deep stabilizers that wrap around your stomach like a corset), rectus abdominis (i.e. your six pack, the outer most layer of your abs), and the internal and external obliques, which you use every time you do moves that make your rotate your torso side to side.
If your goal is to get abs fast, then it’s important to do a combination of exercises that’ll target all these different areas in your abdominal wall like the ones on the list below. In addition to instructions on how to do each move, straight from Anna herself, you’ll also find info on what specific areas of your abs they target. Just pick a few ab exercises from the list below and turn them into the ultimate ab workout.
Time: 15 minutes
Equipment: None
Good for: Abs, core
Instructions: Choose three moves below. For each move, do 15 reps,then continue to the next move. Repeat the entire three-move circuit two to three times.
1. Assisted Reverse Side Situp
How to: Start lying on left side, resting most of weight on left hip, with legs in the air at a 45-degree angle, and place left forearm on the floor for support. Bend knees as you bring them toward chest, and lift chest to meet them. Lower back to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps on each side.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
2. Bent Leg V-Up
How to: Start lying on back with legs in air and bent at 90-degrees (shins parallel to floor) and hands clasped over chest. In one movement, straighten legs and lift torso up, extending arms and trying to touch toes with hands. Lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: six-pack abs and transverse abs
3. Alternating Toe Reach
How to: Start lying on back with legs extended in air at 45-degree angle and arms straight out to sides on floor at shoulder level. At the same time, raise right leg up and lift torso trying to touch toes with left hand. Return to start and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
4. Leg Raise and Reach Clap
How to: Start lying on back with legs lifted in air at 45-degree angle and arms by side pressing into mat. Without letting lower back lift off floor, raise legs to hip level while curling upper body off floor and bringing hands to clap behind knees. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: six-pack abs and transverse abs
5. Lying Windshield Wipers
How to: Start sitting on tailbone with upper body propped up on forearms and legs lifted in the air and rotated toward top right corner of mat. Slowly, and without moving upper body, make a half circle with legs, arching up and over until the come to hover at top left corner of mat. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: six-pack abs, obliques, transverse abs
6. Russian Twist
How to: Start seated on the floor balancing on tailbone with legs bent and elevated so shins are parallel to floor, with ankles crossed, hands clasped at chest and torso leaned back and rotated to left side. Squeeze your abs muscles and rotate your upper body to the right side. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
7. Side-To-Side Crunch
How to: Start lying on back, with knees bent, feet flat on ground, arms by sides, shoulder blades and head curled forward off mat. Without lovering your chest, reach your right hand to your right foot, return to start and quickly repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: obliques
8. Side Plank Dips
How to: Start in a left side plank with left forearm on the floor, parallel to top of mat, elbow under shoulder, right hand on hips, and right leg stacked on top of left. Lower hips toward the ground a couple inches, then come back up to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps on each side.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
9. Side Plank and Reach Through
How to: Start in a left side plank with left forearm on the floor, parallel to top of mat, elbow under shoulder, right arm extended straight in air at shoulder level, and right leg stacked on top of left. Engage core and slowly rotate chest down toward floor while bringing right arm under and across body chest. (Gaze follows fingers.) Raise back to start. That’s one rep.Do 15 reps on each side.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
10. Toe Reach
How to: Start lying on back with legs extended straight toward ceiling at hip level, upper body resting on mat, and arms clasped in front of chest. Using lower abs, curl torso up off floor and reach hands toward toes. Lower back to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: six-pack abs and transverse abs
11. Plank
How to: Get into a low plank by starting on all fours then lowering down onto your forearms, keeping elbows under shoulders, and extending legs out behind body, balancing on balls of feet and forming a straight line from head to heels. Gaze slightly in front of your face, engage abs, and hold for 30 seconds.
Good for: transverse abs
12. Plank With Hip Dip
How to: Start in a forearm plank position. Engage abs, squeeze butt, and slowly dip right hip to right side but stop just before the touch the floor. Reverse the movement and repeat on the left side. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
13. Cross Mountain Climbers
How to: Start in a high plank position with your arms straight and your body in a straight line from your head to heels. Bring your right knee toward the left elbow. Return to the starting position and then pull your left knee toward your right elbow. That’s one rep.Do 15 reps.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
14. Bicycle Crunch
How to: Start lying on back with left knee pulled toward chest, right leg extended in air at 45-degree angle, shoulder blades and head curled off mat, hands behind head with elbows wide, and torso rotated toward left knee. Reverse the position of legs while rotating torso toward right knee. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: obliques and transverse abs
15. Deadbug
How to: Start lying on back with arms extended straight over chest and legs lifted in the air and bent at 90-degree angles. Maintaining contact between low back and floor, brace core, then slowly and simultaneously straighten and lower right leg until heel nearly touches floor and left arm until hand nearly touches floor overhead. Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps.
Good for: transverse abs
Need more inspo? It’sTransformations Week on WomensHealthMag.com! For more amazing beauty, fitness, and weight loss transformations, check out the rest of our Transformations Week collection.
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