What’s the point in paying £30 for a gym membership if you never have the time to use it? Luckily, if you play your cards right you can get ripped from home for free. Just grab a mat and work your way through our top core exercises and you’ll be looking like a superhero in no time.
For the best results some of these exercises should be completed using a weight plate or medicine ball, but a paper weight or any heavy object will do the trick.
The Prone Plank
- Get into push-up position with your hands in line with your shoulders
- Hold the position for 30 seconds, being sure to keep your back straight and core tensed
- Repeat three or four times, allowing for a maximum of one minute rest time between sets
- Slowly build the amount of time that you can hold yourself in position – try setting yourself small goals as you progress
Russian Twists
- Sit on the mat with your feet lifted a few inches above the ground
- With a weight or medicine ball raised above your torso, twist from side to side, making sure to keep your abs engaged throughout
- Aim to complete three sets of 50 reps (with each individual twist counting as one rep)
Crunches
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground
- Keep your hands in a fixed position, such as behind your head or crossed at your chest
- Tensing your core, raise your shoulders off the floor and towards your knees
- Slowly return to your start position and repeat
- Aim to complete around three sets of 35 reps – once you are comfortable in completing the sets, add a weighted plate or medicine ball to increase the effort on your abs
Side Plank
- Lie flat on your side
- Prop your body up so that you are resting on your elbow and maintain a straight line from head to toe
- Hold this position for one minute, tensing your core and breathing heavily to engage your abs
- Repeat while lying on your other side for symmetry
- This exercise also supports your lower back to to keep you feeling peng as you get older
Of course, all of this exercise won’t help you get a six pack unless you also keep an eye on your diet. Speaking about his training regime for Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt said: “If you just cut the crap out of your diet, and if you spend an hour a day doing something physical that will make you sweat, six months will pass by, you will feel better mentally, physically, spiritually.”
The easiest way to add a healthy spin to your diet is to cut out processed foods. We know this is a massive pain in the arse because processed foods are usually the easiest to make, such as microwave meals. However, these meals are filled with sodium so that they can stay on the shelves for longer, and that high salt content will make your body bloat (which is bad news for your abs). Try sticking to natural sugars such as fruit, whole grains such as oats and brown rice, and of course plenty of lean meat such as chicken to help with muscle growth.
Another quick fix for your diet is to drink lots of water. Water may not be the most exciting drink about, and I’m sure you’d much rather have a Diet Coke instead, but water raises your metabolism so that your body won’t store fat as easily. It also reduces hunger, making it a great way to cut down on snacks between meals.
The only thing left to do is hit the mat and work for those abs. Good luck!
