At-Home Bodyweight Core Workout

If you’ve been following along for a while, you’ve probably caught on to the fact that I love me some bodyweight workouts and I lurve me some core workouts. I’m gonna skip the chit-chat and get right to today’s quick core workout. It’s a great one to do at home on buys days!

Bodyweight Core Workout

You’ll do each of the six exercises for 30 seconds, trying not to rest in between each move. Once you’ve completed them (3 mins total), rest for 30 seconds and then repeat three more times for a total of 4 times through the circuit of 6 exercises.

Most of the exercises target one side of your body. First time through, do them all on the right side; second time through do them all on the left side; and alternate back and forth for the remaining two rounds as well.

• Plank Knee Sliders (alternate sides each round) | Start in a plank position with wrists aligned underneath shoulders, abs engaged and spine straight. From here, lift your right leg and bend your right knee in towards your right wrist, making physically contact if possible. From this starting position, you’re going to slide your knee up and down your arm, zipping it towards your armpit as you pull your abs in and round your back slightly up towards the ceiling (think of a mini-cat stretch) and then sliding it back down to the wrist. At the bottom, you want the knee at a hover; try not to rest it on the floor. The goal is to keep the knee lightly touching your arm the whole time, but just keep the knee pulled in as close to the arm as possible.
• Hand Release Push Ups | Start in a plank position and begin to bend your elbows as if you were doing a push up, but instead lower your body all the way to the ground. From here, lift your chest and hands off the ground, squeezing your upper back. Lower your hands back down to the ground by your rib cage and press your body back up into a high plank position.
• Side V-Up Crunches (alternate sides each round) | Start laying on your side, balancing on that bottom hip with your bottom hand on the floor in front of you for support. Top arm is bent with hand behind your head and elbow out wide; legs should be extended and hovering off the ground. This is your starting position. From here, you’re going to crunch up and in, bending your legs and bringing your knees in towards your top elbow as you lift your torso up and in to meet them. Use that bottom hand for support, but try to push off it minimally. Slowly lower back down and extend back out to a hover.
• Seated Leg Circle Crunches (alternate direction each round) | Start in a seated position with your fingertips lightly on the ground behind you for support. Extend your legs straight out. From here, keeping your legs straight, you’re going to circle them over to the side, up, down to the other side and back down to a hover. Think of your feet as the hands on a clock. At 6 o’clock, your torso will be reclined back at a hover; at 12 o’clock, you’ll lift and crunch your torso up and in, bringing your body into a “v” shape. Fair warning: these can be uncomfortable if you have tight hips (bend your knees slightly to make it more manageable). Circle your legs clockwise the first round; counter clockwise the second; and continue to alternate the last two rounds.
• Bicycle Crunches to One Side (alternate sides each round) | Start laying on your back, hands behind your head (but not pulling on your head) and legs extended straight out, hovering off the floor a couple inches. From here, bend your left knee in, keeping the right leg extended out straight, and crunch your upper back up off the floor, twisting the right elbow across your body to meet the left knee. Lower back down as you extend your left leg back out to meet the right (still keep the legs hovering and try not to rest your upper back and head completely on the floor) and then continue to repeat to that same side.

To make it harder: When you crunch the right elbow towards the left knee, pick your torso all the way up (instead of just the shoulders) so that you come into a seated twist.

• Plank Jump Jacks | Start in a plank position with hands aligned underneath shoulders. Jump both feet up towards your hands and then quickly back to a plank. Then jump feet out to the sides (like a horizontal jumping jack) and quickly back together. That’s one rep. When doing the “jack” part of this move, try to hold a strong plank alignment with your upper body—don’t let your butt pike up into the air or hips sag downward.

WEARING | leggings c/o W.I.T.H. (<