Quarantine Workout Tips: The Best Exercises To Get Abs At Home

Introduction

The COVID-19 plandemic locked the doors to homes, businesses, and cities. Now, many people are trying to find ways to stay fit while staying in the comfort of their homes.

At this point, you might think that it’s impossible to get that six-pack abs without going to the gym. But, you can still achieve a shredded tummy with these at-home abs exercises.

Top 3 Ab Exercise Picks for Six-pack Abs During Lockdown

“Lockdown” doesn’t mean you have to let your body go to waste. With so many cities still seeing gyms and parks closed, you’re going to have to find solutions to keep fit. Thankfully, there are many.

If you’re wanting to build killer abs or maintain the ones you had prior to lockdown, here are three of our favorite tried and true ab exercises that you can perform in the comfort of your own prison, I mean home! :)

Plank Up Downs

It’s tough not to hear the plank in a conversation about ab exercises. Planking is all about stabilizing your core muscles. Hold the position for as long as you can, and you should feel a good yet burning sensation in your stomach area. That burning feeling in your core makes the plank one of the best, if not the best way to get abs at home.

You can take that exercise one step further by doing a routine called plank up downs. A regular plank requires you to put your hands under your shoulders. For the plank up downs, you’ll lower your position to your elbows before going back to a full extension at your arms.

Start the exercise with a full plank. Make sure that your arms are underneath your shoulders at all times. Then, lower your right elbow first before lowering your left elbow to your mat. You should now be in an elbow plank position.

Rise up slowly from the elbow plank by placing your hand with your palm faced down on the mat before straightening your right elbow. Do the same procedure for your left hand and arm.

One count or repetition is when you return from an elbow plank to a full plank. Aim to do ten repetitions for two sets before moving to other ab exercises.

As with all exercises, remember to practice the correct form. Improper form with this exercise might put you at risk of injuries, particularly in your lower back.

Bicycle Crunch

Are you tired of doing the regular crunches?  Are you prepared to progress through your abs workout routine?  If so, then, you might want to step it up a notch by doing bicycle crunches.

Again, do this exercise on a soft surface, like a yoga mat, to prevent injuries. Once you’re lying on your mat comfortably, begin this exercise by moving your hands behind your head.

Next, lift the shoulder blades off the floor while raising your legs simultaneously. Bend your legs at about 90 degrees. If someone would take a picture of you at this position, you’d be staring at your knees.

Make sure to keep your neck relaxed at this point. Putting tension on the neck may result in unwanted pressure in that area, causing you to have difficulties in breathing. Also, don’t forget to contract your core to help you maintain balance.

Bicycle crunches are relatively dynamic exercises, which means you need to move. Now, with your legs at 90 degrees and your head looking at your knees, engage your core while rotating the left elbow to the left knee. Try to make your elbows and knees “meet” at this point. Do the same step afterward, but for the right elbow and right knee instead. Do these steps ten more times to count as one step.

Russian Twist

This particular core-engaging exercise might seem easy to do at first glance, but it might be a challenging feat, especially for folks who are relatively new to the fitness lifestyle.

Start by sitting on your mat. Then, balance your tailbone with your legs bent and elevated. Your shins should be parallel to the floor. Cross your ankles while maintaining balance. Again, you can keep your balance by engaging your core muscles.

Also, lean back while maintaining a straight upper body. Don’t round your back as it will put unnecessary strain on that area.

Clasp your hands and move them to the left and right sides of the mat. Make sure to maintain proper balance while making this motion. One rotation equals one repetition. Hence, do 15 rotations to count as one set.

The Russian twist is an excellent exercise if you want to work on your obliques or your “love handles”. Make sure to twist your body when you’re doing each rotation to make good use of your oblique muscles.

Final Words

The hollow extension into cannonball, bicycle crunch, and the Russian twist are three of the many exercises you can do at home while your locale is on quarantine or lockdown.

Perhaps, the beauty of these exercises is that you don’t need any expensive gym equipment to be able to do them. All you need is to have the dedication to start and the willpower to push through each exercise with proper form.

However, take note that abs will appear in the kitchen and not on a gym mat. In other words, you can do hundreds of Russian twists or bicycle crunches with correct form, but if you don’t follow a strict and healthy diet, your “hidden” six-pack abs might never show up.

So, remember to support your at-home exercise routine with a healthy and balanced diet, and you should be able to see your hard work paying off in no time.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.