They put focused training and development on those muscles to provide stronger and more defined abs.

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Place your forearms flat with your elbows directly under your shoulders.

Abs, abdominals

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With your legs straight out, raise yourself on your toes.

Keep your body in a straight line.

This move also helps to stabilize and strengthen the core without straining the spine.

illustration of forearm plank

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you’re able to also make planks easier by doing it on your forearm instead of the hands.

For harder alternatives, complete planks on your hands to raise your body higher.

you’re able to also elevate your feet to position your body in a decline.

side plank exercise

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Common mistakes:

The two most common mistakes when performing planks are arching the back or sagging the hips.

These mistakes can put extra weight on your arms and create unnecessary pain.

Side Planks

Lie on one side of your body.

bicycle crunches

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Put the bottom arm horizontally to your body with your weight on your forearm.

Stack your legs with the bottom foot on the edge of your foot.

Raise your body to hold the position in a straight line.

illustration of how to do the russian twist core-strengthening exercise

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Repeat with the opposite side.

Side planks should be done with 20 to 60-second holds in two to three sets.

Side planks focus specifically on the oblique muscles to contribute to a more sculpted and defined ab appearance.

reverse crunch

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The sustained isometric contraction of side planks leads to greater muscle activation and definition.

It also improves overall core stability and posture.

The best way to make side planks easier is by holding the workout on your knees.

That modification will provide additional stability and reduce the workload on your core.

A simple way to increase the difficulty is by raising your top arm and leg at the same time.

you could also add weight on your hip or do the workout on an unstable surface for a challenge.

The common mistakes with side planks include either rotating the hips or dropping them.

Not keeping the hips square can put strain on your back, while dropping your hips disengages the core.

Raise your knees on the ground as if performing a sit up.

Interlock your fingers behind your head.

Lift one leg up and extend out while the other leg stays bent in a tabletop position.

Rotate the elbow of the extended leg in towards the bent knee.

Continue to repeat this motion and increase the speed.

The twisting motion targets the muscles from different angles to help get a more sculpted and toned midsection.

This can also be done while standing as an easier option.

To make this harder, try slowing down the movement and adding pauses.

This will engage your core to take the workout up a notch.

Avoid rushing through the exercise.

This leads to poor form and a less effective core workout.

It is also critical to not pull your neck up, swing your elbows, and hold your breath.

Russian Twists

Start by sitting on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat.

Lean back in a V-shape.

Hold your hands together in front of you.

Rotate your torso from side to side and bring your hands down to your side.

By keeping your feet on the ground, it will increase your stability.

Smaller rotations will help to focus on movement control.

Russian twists can be made harder by lifting your feet off the ground to engage your core more.

Try variations like leg lifts or leg extensions to make your core work even harder.

Poor form is the most common mistake with Russian twists.

Be mindful that you are not leaning too far forward or back.

Reverse Crunches

Lie flat on the floor with your knees in a tabletop position.

Put your arms at your side with palms facing down.

Press your lower back to the floor and engage your core.

Use your abs to lift your hips off the ground and knees towards your chest.

Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position.

Don’t let your feet touch the ground.

The goal for reverse crunches is two to three sets of 12 to 15 reps per set.

This workout specifically targets your lower ab muscles compared to traditional crunches.

An alternative variation would be single leg lifts.

Make this harder by performing leg extensions or raising your legs higher.

If you want to add weight, give ankle weights a try.

Ultimately, focus on controlled movements to get the most effective workout for your core.

This means that controlling the movement is important to get the most effective workout possible.

so that achieve maximum results, this routine should be done three to four times per week.