Finding an effective abs exercise routine for a fit and conditioned midsection is definitely not easy. You have to be deeply invested in your efforts. If you are, it’s only a matter of time before you will get the body you’ve always wanted. But, of course, you need to have a clear idea about your exercise regimen before you start exercising with dedication.
You’ll often get stuck at a point where you need to decide which ab exercise is right for you. The fitness industry is stuffed with tons of ab workout products and programs. But think for a minute, will those creams and lotions reach into the deep layers of your abdominal fat? Let me answer that for you: No, they won’t.
You can only get rock hard abs with the right exercise routine, diet plan, and the right ab exercise machine. All you need to do is start off with an 8-min abs workout routine that we’ve prepared here for you. This routine is not limited to one exercise, but a combination of 8 ab exercises that target every core muscle in your body. For you to have the desired output, you need to be motivated and dedicated to achieving your goal. You should have a mindset that you have to burn calories and fats at any cost. And do not expect changes overnight, they will show up over time.
8 Min Abs Workout Program
Let’s now talk about our 6-pack 8 min abs workout routine that you can try anywhere. This will actually be perfect for beginners because you don’t really need to have any prior knowledge on how to do these. These are pretty basic movements for a workout but they’re super effective when it comes to burning fat and getting six-pack abs.
The best part of this ab exercise plan is that it requires zero equipment. All you need is your body, the ground and the forces of gravity – and you’re good to go. This routine has been specially designed so that you can have a nice combination of both fat burning and abs sculpting exercise plan. But before that, let us see the different areas of your abs that you will be able to target with these exercises.
Our abdominals are a very big muscle group, which requires a lot of different types of exercises to target every single area in the upper abs, lower abs, midsection, obliques and everything else in between. So, in order to be aesthetically pleasing, you’ll have to target all the parts of that muscle group. The best part of this abs routine is that it’s going to make your core super strong. These are the same exercises that most people do to get started with. But for ultimate results, proper nutrition is also an important factor.
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High Knee Taps
The first exercise is going to be the high knee taps. To do this, first stand up straight and put your hands in front of you, at your waist level, palms down. Then, hit your palms with your knees, alternating between left and right. Keep doing this for 45 seconds and then take a short 15-second break before doing the next exercise.
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Russian Twists
The next one we have for you is the Russian twist. Lie down flat on your back and raise your legs up. But don’t forget to keep your legs straight. Then twist your upper body and touch either side of the floor with your opposite arms. Keep the core tight and make sure that you maintain a proper breathing (breathe out when you squeeze your ab muscles) for a better stamina regeneration. Even if you can go faster, don’t do that; just pace yourself. However, if you want to challenge yourself, you can go for a faster rhythm. The timing is going to be: 45 seconds continuously with a 15-second break.
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Leg Raise
The next exercise we have for you is the leg raise (also known as the leg lifts) that you can also do on a sit-up bench. Lie down on your back with your body straight. You need to raise both of your legs at the same time, keeping them straight all the way up and then bring it all the way down slowly. You want to raise your leg about 12 inches off the ground and again, make sure that you’re keeping your legs straight and then come down again. This is one of the most popular lower ab workouts for men. Continue doing so for 45 seconds and take a break for 30 seconds.
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Hip Raises
This exercise requires a good form. Hip raises, also known as the half bridge, is a great exercise for your spine, back, and core. To do this, you need to keep your body tight. Lie down on your back, just like you did during your leg raise exercise. Now use your legs to push your body up from the ground, pivoting it on the sole of your feet and your shoulders. Keep your hips and thighs straight at 30 degrees off the ground, with the feet planted solidly on the ground, perpendicular to it. Eventually, come back down and repeat the steps again. Try to go slow at the beginning, gradually increasing your speed. Don’t forget to breathe in while coming down and breathe out while going up. The timing is the same for this exercise like the others: 45 seconds on and 15 seconds off.
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Flutter Kicks
The next move on the list is the flutter kicks. This is one of the must-do exercises for advanced and professional fitness enthusiasts. Raise your legs six inches from the ground. Keep your legs straight, core tight, one leg up and one leg down. Then alternate the leg movement so it looks like you’re walking on the air. Keep your hands out of the way and under your lower back. This is an excellent move for tightening and strengthening the core and also for burning the fat accumulated on the top layer of your abdominals. This is also one of those excellent moves that target the lower core which is one of the hardest body parts to hit. Make sure to take rest for 15 seconds after doing so for 45 seconds.
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Plank Knees to Elbow
Now you will use a different angle to target your ab muscles with the plank. The plank is done in a similar position to a pushup for the longest possible time. From a pushup position, you need to bring one knee up, close to your elbow, keep in this position as long as you can, and then get back to the previous position and do the same with your other leg. It’s all about controlling and keeping the core tightened the whole time. Keeping your ab muscles tight is the most important part of this exercise. As you can guess, the timing is going to be for 45 seconds a set followed by a 15 seconds’ rest.
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Chair Sit Ups
Now you will do chair sit-ups. Lie down on your back and raise your legs as if you were sitting on a chair. You want to keep your legs up and cross your legs just the way you’d do on a chair. And then start doing the regular sit-ups. Bring your upper body up using the strength of your abdominal muscles. This way you’re automatically engaging the core. This is one of the most extreme ab workouts, so beginners might have a hard time doing it. If you’re just starting out, don’t stress yourself on your first try. The timing is the same for this one like the others on the list.
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Seated In and Outs
For this position, you need to keep your legs up keeping it straight and raise it six inches off the ground. But you need to sit on a chair instead of lying down. This is actually more like cycling: Lift your legs and start pedaling in the air like cycling. The idea is to have the core tightened and stay in balance. Since many beginners might be reading this, let me tell you: you want to start with a perfect form and then aim to grow better. But if you start with a sloppy form you’ll eventually be sloppy throughout the session.
Final Thoughts
The core principle of this 8 min abs workout is to develop self-discipline. In this short period of time, you can’t afford to lose your focus, even if it’s difficult for you to continue your exercise regimen for changes like pregnancy. Also, reducing the fats on your lower belly area will be the most challenging for you. But you don’t need to follow any extreme ab workout program to make your abs visible. This simple yet effective will be sufficient if you put your sincerest effort.
