Get your core burning with these workouts
You know you’ve had a successful intense abs session when you feel your abs burning. And truth be told, it is wildly satisfying.
When it comes to sculpting a strong and defined core, incorporating dumbbells into your ab workouts can take your routine to the next level. By adding resistance, you not only increase the challenge but also enhance the effectiveness of each exercise. Dumbbells provide a versatile way to target various muscles in your core, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis, leading to greater strength, stability, and definition. In short, with added weights, you will feel the burn in your abs.
Here are some core sculting workouts that can be done with dumbbells.
This exercise involves standing with feet hip-width apart while holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of the face, elbows bent wide at the sides.
Slowly circling the weight around the head once at eye level engages the core muscles by requiring stability and control throughout the movement.
This exercise targets the entire core, requiring it to stabilize the body while performing the circular motion with the weight.
This one starts with standing with feet slightly wider than hips, holding a kettlebell in one hand with the arm bent, and the weight resting on the shoulder.
As the hips sink into a quarter-squat, one pushes through the feet to extend the legs while pressing the kettlebell straight up overhead, then lowers the weight back down.
This exercise targets the entire core, including stabilizing muscles in the torso, while engaging the shoulders, arms, and legs, making it effective for building overall strength.
This exercise involves standing with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of the chest.
Rotating the body toward one foot and bending over to lower the weight outside of the opposite foot, then reversing the movement to raise the weight overhead at a 45-degree angle, targets the obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis.
Engaging the shoulders, back, and legs, this exercise improves core strength and overall coordination by working multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
This exercise begins in a standing position, holding a dumbbell or medicine ball at chest level. Stepping forward into a lunge while twisting the torso toward the same side as the forward leg engages the legs, glutes, obliques, and transverse abdominis to stabilize the torso during the twisting motion.
This effectively works the entire core while strengthening the lower body, making it a comprehensive exercise for building strength and stability.
This exercise begins with lying on your back while holding the ends of a single dumbbell in your hands.
Engage your core muscles and extend your arms and legs straight, hovering a few inches off the ground to form a curved line with your body.
Lift your shoulder blades off the ground as you simultaneously bring your arms and legs together until your hands and feet or ankles touch, or as close as possible.
Reverse the motion to return to the starting position, completing one repetition.
If planks and side planks are not enough, try this.
This workout involves lying on your right side with your legs bent, right elbow directly under your shoulder, and your left hand holding a dumbbell.
Lift your hips off the mat, extending your legs to form a straight line from head to heels, and extend your left arm and the dumbbell up toward the ceiling.
Hold this position for 20 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
