Abdominal Strength Training Drill #6

Strengthening the core is crucial to maintaining balance and stability.

Here’s a simple 9-minute drill I’ve been testing for about 2 weeks that will help work the rectus abdominis, obliques and transversus abdominis muscles. Muscle is built by resistance exercises when the muscle is under stress. In order to achieve this, I have suggested a tempo for the workout below.

Overview

There are just 3 rounds of 3 sets.With the sit-ups and the Russian twists: you should aim to do as many reps as you can in the allotted time.

With the sit-ups and the Russian twists: you should aim to do as many reps as you can in the allotted time. The tempo should be 40X0 (or count out 4 seconds as you slowly return to your starting position. The X means you should explode through the contraction.)

The Workout

Set 1 – Sit-ups for 45 seconds

Rest for 15 seconds

Set 2 – Plank for 45 seconds

Rest for 15 seconds

Set 3 – Russian Twists for 45 seconds

Rest for 15 seconds

Repeat this sequence 2 more times.

Modifications

Not everyone is at the same place, so you may find modifications necessary. Here are some suggestions.

Regressions (if you find this routine too challenging) – reduce the tempo (30X0 or 20X0) is the easiest option here. For the Russian twists, you can rest your feet on the ground. You can also reduce the range-of-motion. Instead of full sit-ups, do half sit-ups. I would suggest this if you are a beginner.

Progressions (if this is too easy) – There are many things you can do to add complexity to this drill. The most obvious would be to add weight. Do the sit-ups and Russian twists with a small plate or medicine ball. For the planks, try keeping one leg/one arm/an arm and the opposite leg off the ground.

References

If you’ve never done any of these exercises, here are some quick video demonstrations.

Hopefully, you find this post useful. If you do, please let me know by adding a comment below. If you enjoyed this article, please share it on your favourite social platform!

Mark