When it comes to targeting your abs, situps are not your only option.

Meet Kashanti Dopwell, a 26-year-old NASM Certified fitness trainer with a true passion for health and fitness. She brings you an exciting 7-day Standing Abs challenge that requires no equipment and is APARTMENT FRIENDLY. Whether you want to keep it simple or take it up a notch with weights, this challenge is designed for everyone, allowing you to modify the moves to suit your fitness level.

Get ready to break a sweat with three simple yet highly effective exercises that will work wonders for your core without ever touching the ground. By following the challenge calendar, you’ll be building healthy habits that may just stick around long after the 7 days are over. So, are you ready to start sweating? Let’s do this!

WORKOUT

*Take 30-60 second breaks between circuits.

*Make sure to consult your physician before beginning any exercise or workout program. And don’t forget to stretch before and after your workouts.

Need direction? Check out these demos.

WOODCHOPPERS

The woodchoppers exercise without weights is a bodyweight exercise that focuses on engaging and strengthening the core, obliques, and hip muscles. It’s a dynamic movement that mimics the action of swinging an axe to chop wood, making it an effective functional exercise.

Here’s how to perform the bodyweight woodchoppers exercise:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your knees slightly bent for stability.
2. Interlace your fingers.
3. Engage your core muscles and maintain a straight posture throughout the exercise.
4. Start the movement by rotating your torso to one side, bringing your interlaced hands down towards your hip as if you were chopping wood diagonally.
5. As you rotate, pivot on your back foot, allowing your hips to follow the movement naturally.
6. Return to the starting position and then repeat the motion on the other side, rotating your torso to the opposite direction.

Keep the movement controlled and focus on using your core muscles to perform the twisting motion. The woodchoppers exercise without weights can be a challenging workout for the core, so it’s essential to maintain proper form and avoid using momentum to perform the movement.

You can incorporate a dumbbell or medicine ball into the movement to modify the woodchopper exercise and make it more challenging. Hold the weight with both hands at the starting position, and as you rotate and chop across your body, add resistance by using the weight to engage your core and upper body muscles further.

If you’re a beginner or want a less intense option, you can reduce the range of movement. Instead of twisting and chopping the weight across your body, perform a smaller range of motion that feels comfortable for your fitness level.

ALTERNATING OBLIQUE CRUNCHES + TOE REACH

The Standing Alternating Oblique Crunches + Toe Reach is a dynamic and effective core exercise that can be done while standing, making it a versatile addition to your workout routine. This exercise targets the obliques, abdominals, and hip flexors, helping to improve core strength, stability, and flexibility.

Here’s how to perform the Standing Alternating Oblique Crunches + Toe Reach:

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent for stability.
2. Place your hands gently behind your head, elbows pointing outward, and engage your core muscles.
3. Start the exercise by lifting your right knee up towards your left elbow in a diagonal motion, as if you are crunching your oblique muscles.
4. At the same time, extend your left arm down and across your body, reaching towards your right toes.
5. Hold the position for a moment to engage your core and feel the contraction in your obliques.
6. Slowly lower your right knee and left arm back to the starting position.
7. Now, repeat the same motion on the other side, lifting your left knee towards your right elbow while extending your right arm down and across to reach your left toes.
8. Continue alternating sides in a controlled and fluid movement.

Maintain a steady pace and focus on engaging your core throughout the exercise. Be mindful of your form, and avoid arching your back or using momentum to perform the movement.

As with any exercise, listen to your body and modify the movement by excluding the extra toe reach to suit your fitness level.

HIGH KNEES

To perform the High Knees exercise, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and keep your shoulders relaxed.
2. Place your hands gently behind your head, interlacing your fingers, and keep your elbows pointing out to the sides.
3. Engage your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine and maintain a straight posture throughout the exercise.
4. Begin the exercise by lifting your right knee up towards your chest as high as possible.
5. Lower your right leg back down to the ground as you bring your left knee up towards your chest.
6. Continue this alternating motion, lifting your knees towards your chest.
7. As you perform the movement, focus on using your abdominal muscles to lift your knees.
8. Keep your upper body steady and maintain a controlled pace to avoid swinging or using momentum.
9. Breathe naturally throughout the exercise and try to keep a consistent rhythm.
10. To make the exercise more challenging, you can increase the speed or add intensity by lifting your knees higher.

This exercise engages both your core and upper body, making it an effective way to target your abs while also improving your balance and coordination.

PLAYLIST

We’ve curated an 11-song playlist to keep you in the zone during your standing abs workout. These tunes will give you the push you need, keeping you motivated and inspired throughout your session. So, hit play, get moving, and thank us later for the awesome beats that’ll take your workout to the next level!

Want more 7-day challenges like this? PGS loves finding ways to make fitness fun, affordable, and accessible for busy women so they can look and feel their best. 

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