Aesthetics are not the only benefit of working on your abs.

Your core is the most important muscle group in your body and working on it will give you beyond-skin-deep benefits. Core muscles are the base of support for your entire body. A strong core will help you with maintaining good posture and performing well at your daily tasks. It is also a key component of good performance in sports and physical activities. Doing a variety of abs and core exercises ensures you are engaging your muscles in different ways.

As with all good things, the key is to work consistently for best results.

THE WORKOUT PLAN

For ultimate effectiveness, prepare to perform 3 sets of these exercises. For every set, we will perform each of the three exercise in given order for 20 seconds. Take 10 seconds recovery rest between each exercise.

EXERCISE	WORK TIME	REST TIME
PLANK JACKS	20 SEC	10 SEC
BUTTERFLY SIT UPS	20 SEC	10 SEC
BICYCLE CRUNCHES	20 SEC	10 SEC

Let’s take a look at how to properly perform these exercises to get those abs showing!

1.   PLANK JACKS

This excellent move is a combination of cardio and core-strengthening exercise. The dynamic movement will work on both upper and lower body and will aid in increasing core strength and stability, burning calories, and reducing fat. Apart from that, the movement requires you to stay in a plank which is one of the best calorie-burning exercises. Not just a fat burner around  abdomen area, it also works by giving you an improved posture, flexibility as well as a tighter tummy.

Directions:

• Start by kneeling on the floor and placing your hands on the floor.
• Extend your legs behind you and tuck your tailbone slightly so that your pelvis is perpendicular to the floor
• Keeping your body in a straight line, slightly bend at the knees and hop both feet out to the sides as if doing a jumping jack.
• Reverse the movement with your legs. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can for 20 seconds

2.   BUTTERFLY SIT UPS

Butterfly sit-up is a powerful sit up technique to reach the core of your abdominal muscles. One of its benefit that makes this move so popular is that it allows to move your torso more forward and closer to the pelvis, unlike other variations of sit-ups. This move is going to perfectly engage your abs and will increase flexibility by giving a great stretch to back muscles.

Directions:

• Lie on your mat while placing both your legs in the frog position by putting the soles of your feet together
• From here. Sit up keeping your back straight and reach for the tip of your toes with your hands outstretched
• Exhale and slowly turn back to the first position. Repeat the movement for 20 seconds.

Tip:  For an advanced version, you can perform the sit-up by placing your hands on your chest.

3.   BICYCLE CRUNCHES

Performing Bicycle crunch can be very challenging but the good news is that your sweat is paid off! The bicycle crunch is the best ab exercise you can do, reaching not only the usual abs but deep abs and oblique muscles. If you want to work your core, this exercise is a great choice. It’s a no-equipment, beginner’s level exercise that you can do anywhere.

Directions:

• Start by lying flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground.
• Pull your navel in to also target your deep abs.
• Put your hands behind your head, then bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulders blades off the ground. Be mindful to not put strain on your neck.
• Straighten your right leg out to about a 45- degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee. Make sure that your rib cage is doing the work and not just your elbows.
• Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep.
• Do as many reps as you can for 20 seconds.

NOTE: Avoid rotating your hips. Your torso should be doing all the work. Keep your lower back pressed into the floor to avoid strain. Also, note that your head should not be pulled forward. If you find yourself straining with your head and neck to get to your elbow to contact your knee, instead just rotate as far as you can with your torso.