Get a Ripped Six Pack and Tighten Up Your Core

Hi and welcome back to the Flex-to-Fit workout blog! I’m Shannon Denton, a personal trainer with KBands Training, and today I’ll be taking you through a short ab workout superset that can help you tighten up your core and ad definition to your six pack. As we work through the exercise sets in the Flex-to-Fit series, we target specific muscle groups to increase tone, build athletic strength, and improve performance across a variety of sports. But we also try to help you get the most out of your suspension and resistance equipment by providing demonstrations of how they work.

Today, we’ll be targeting the six pack ab area, but since many of the muscles that contribute to a strong six pack are located in the hips, legs, and lower back, we’ll be bringing an additional element of resistance to this routine by using the Kbands. Notice how I have the straps securely in place around my upper legs with the long resistance band attached in the front and the short band in the back. Before we begin this ab workout, attach your straps and choose a level of resistance that works for you.

Aside from the Kbands, this ab workout will only require a little floor space and a medicine ball. Ready? Let’s get started!

Six Pack Ab Workout

Sit on the floor with your weight fully centered in your rear, in a position we call a V-sit.  Bend at the knee and raise your feet off the floor while keeping your back straight and under control. If you’re properly positioned for this ab workout, you should already be feeling a bit of tension in your stomach area.

With your weight balanced on your rear, draw your bent knees toward your chest and touch your hands together under your legs. Then move your hands out of the way, straighten at the knee, and move your feet apart until your legs form a V. The resistance in the Kbands should increase the tension you feel in your hips, the outsides of your legs, and your six pack.

Practice that move for a minute. Got it? If your body position matches mine in the video, you’re on the right track. Now we’ll add another layer of tension by using the medicine ball. Instead of just touching your hands together under your legs, pass the medicine ball from one hand to the other as your knees come up to your chest.

After a few reps of this ab workout move, you may be feeling a burn in your core muscles, but you can make the ab workout easier by paying attention to your breathing. Each time you exert force in the targeted area, breathe out through your mouth. Then inhale through your nose.

Complete this move for ten full seconds, focusing on your breathing, balance, and body position. If your back feels tight, or your balance feels off, put the ball down for a minute and use your hands to support yourself. But pick it up again quickly in order to keep the pressure on your six pack and gain the maximum benefit from this ab workout. Four sets of this move should form complete ab workout. Try to rest for no more than 15 to 30 seconds between each set, and as you gain strength, see if you can move from four sets to six.