Summer is here and I am sure many of us have asked ourselves the question, “How can I get a strong sexy stomach!?” I know I have. In fact, I usually ask myself that question year round. Today I am going to share with you five tips that I have found work your core to help give you a strong sexy core.
First I want to share that I will not be sharing with you my abs in this post. I am a work in progress and am working on getting a stronger mid section. Pregnancy and my love of non-healthy foods have made my stomach a bit squishier than I desire. You want 6-pack abs, you have to make sure your nutrition is on track first.
I found that when I do these activities, my core is engaged and worked… without really trying to work my core. These moves and activities engage the core with the movement. Resulting in strong sexy abs!
5 Fitness Moves to Achieve a Strong Sexy Core
Sprints
Sprints give your body an exhausting, high-impact workout in a short amount of time. When you sprint your heart is working harder resulting in more calories burned, faster metabolism and well-defined, lean muscles. When I sprint, I find that my entire core is engaged and worked… without hitting the floor for any targeted moves. Sprinting and/or hill workouts work your core in a good way!
Check out these resources and articles about sprinting:
Do Sprints Work Your Abs?
Treadmill Workouts to Improve Speed
Sprints with Friends
Check out these resources and articles about hill running (to increase your speed):
1 Mile Up-Hill HIIT Workout
Running Tip: Hill Running
Hill Training: What goes up must come down
Swimming
Swimming is a full body cardio and strength workout. This is a great way to burn fat while working your stabilizing core muscles. To stay a float and propel your body forward you need to have your core engaged. Reaching long while kicking strong, you have the resistance against the water and movement which results in a great full body workout.
Check out these resources and articles about swimming:
Strong Abs Swim Workout
Swimming To Get a Six Pack
Just Keep Swimming – Swim Workout
1800-2000M Swim Workout
Water Workout
Spinning
Spinning. Yes spinning on a bike can help define and strengthen your abs. This is more noticeable when you are clipped in, because you have to push and pull each leg evenly. I find that when I do a spin class my lower abs get an amazing workout (as well as my lower body, back, and heart!).
Check out these resources and articles about spinning:
Tips for Your First Spin Class
10 Need to Know for your first Spin Class
My First Spinning Class
30 Minute Chase & Race Spin Workout
Firecracker SPIN Workout
Strength
Any time you add strength (weights) to your fitness routine you will build strong muscles. When you do strength movements on any part of your body, you should have your core engaged to maintain balance and proper form. This small, yet simple, movement engages the core and works the core to strengthen your stomach muscles.
Check out these fun strength workouts and articles:
Body Weight Workout for your Core
Working Balance into Strength
Running & Strength
Strong is the New Sexy
Loads of Workouts Here
Sit-Ups
I can’t talk about strong abs without including the famous sit-ups. There are many variation of moves from floor, planks, mountain climbers, burpees and weighted sit-ups. Any movement that engages the core will work the core and make it stronger.
Check out these resources and articles on how to work your core:
5 Minutes to Flat Abs
5 Minutes to GREAT Abs!
Burpees… I love to hate you!
Sweaty CORE Workout
1 Minute Flip-Flop Finisher
These five fitness moves: Sprinting, Swimming, Spinning, Strength and Sit-Ups are all excellent ways to engage and work your core. These exercises will give you a strong sexy stomach. The key is making sure your nutrition is on point. 80% of abs are made in the kitchen! That is a lot of time spent in the kitchen versus the gym!
Agree with all of your tips. Nutrition is really important. No matter how hard you workout, if you eat like crap it shows. Strength training is all core if you do it right. I love kickboxing too!
Yes. Nutrition is totally key! Oh yes, kickboxing would TOTALLY be a core workout!!
Great Round up Rachel!
Thank you!
Great tips! I really love HIIT workouts to engage my core and feel I get the best results that way. And like you said nutrition is KEY! I like high knees and mountain climbers and I love all types of plank work. Good stuff. 🙂
Thank you. Yes, nutrition and HIIT… and oh those high knees and mountain climbers! Good stuff! 🙂
I love my wine and champagne too much, so keeping on top of my stomach area is key. Great tips Rachel. I wish I were a swimmer, I love that sport. I do enjoy the old fashion sit up/crunch believe it or not. I have always loved doing those.
Yes, I don’t mind the floor exercises to work my abs, but I do have a bit of distasis recti that is still unresolved so those floor exercises don’t really help me, unfortunately.
Good tips! I’ll be coming back to this once I have my little one 🙂
Holy cow… information central. My Pinterest is getting burned up right now 🙂
Haha! Right!? 🙂
I love to swim! I wish I could find time to fit that in. Spin class and I do not agree with each other 🙂
Yes, I love swimming too… but it does make it a bit harder to fit in time (change/shower/change etc). Spin class hurts so good… 😉
I love sneaky ab workouts! Great collection of workouts here too! Thanks for including mine. 😀
Yay! Thank you! You are most totally welcome! 🙂
Those are all great suggestions Rachel! I would add anything that defies gravity, like jumping on a trampoline. In order to stay stable in the air you must engage your core :-)It allows me to stay safe and master some pretty whacky7 tricks :-)Being conscious of our core as we engage in any physical activity will help us get that lean , sexy stomach. I personally aim for strength and not a 6 pack. As an aerialist a strong core is essential for me, especially my obliques. It allows me to stay safe and master some pretty wacky tricks 😉
That is awesome! Yes, I doubt I will ever have 6-pack abs… but I do want/need a strong core! 🙂
Swimming is one workout I don’t think I can ever tire of. It’s so easy on the body, but produces great results.
Yes! Yes! Yes! I absolutely agree! It is such a great workout too!
Swimming is one of my favorite workouts. I took a water aerobics class that worked my core and it was AWESOME!! Great list of things to do.
Swimming is the one thing I try to do at least three or four times a week that doesn’t kill my ankles, where most of the damage from not only my RA, but obesity, is. Eventually I’ll be able to do the rest of the stuff on your list. I might not ever have pretty or sexy abs (4 kids and 4 c-sections have pretty much negated that), but healthy? Yeah, I’ll get there!
Oh Audrey, I totally hear you! I am 3 kids and 3 c-sections in 3 years… I totally feel you! 🙂
sprinting or swimming are probably my favorites!
Awesome! What are your favorite post-baby workouts now?
I LOVE spin classes. The time seems to fly by.
Thank you for these tips because I’ve been wondering if that 5:30am spinning class is worth getting up for.
I love that line “80% of abs are made in the kitchen”
Great round up of resources for improving your core. Ever since I hit 40, I need more help in that area.
I admit I can’t get into planking … I am not sure why. Maybe I will give it try again.
A friend of mine says she does (1) 2-minute plank every single day. The woman is in amazing shape, even after breast cancer. I keep telling myself that I need to do that but never do. Your list is great!
Wow, thank you for the different workouts. Definitely something I need to work on. I want to work at getting stronger in general.
Thanks for sharing the tips. Didn’t know spinning could work your abs so well. I can’t handle biking indoors. I am the type of person who needs more stimulation, and so am addicted to trail riding.
I totally think trail riding TOTALLY engages your core ! You need to have an engaged core to keep your balance on that uneven terrain! 🙂
This is a fantastic post! (BTW you and I plank the same!) I am bad about nutrition at times, too, but I really want to get more toned. I ordered Piyo today, did you?
Too funny about the planking, Lisa. My wrists hurt if I do it upright. 🙂 Yes, I totally ordered my Piyo yesterday… and just received confirmation that it has already shipped! yay!
Cardio and eating clean! That’s how you get a sexy stomach 🙂
Love this post as there are so many great ways to tighten up your core other than to just do sit-ups! Thanks for posting this! I will pass it along 🙂
Yay! Thank you so much! 🙂
I won’t be planking, but I can definitely do the treadmill incline!
Yay! Yes you can! You are awesome, Lisa! 🙂
I think spinning is FUN! (And some might call my crazy for thinking that!) These are great tips! Thanks for sharing!
I agree. Spinning can be a BLAST… especially when you have the right instructor! 🙂
Great list of ideas on improving your core! I’m getting into this now on my own, your resources will be valuable in my journey. Thanks!
Yay! I am so glad I could help you on your journey!! 🙂
Great lit! I don’t do anything strenuous any more. Great to see swimming included. When I was younger I swam competitively, it’s the best exercise in the world as it uses all muscles.
You are welcome. Yes, swimming is the best! 🙂
It’s true that engaging the core all the time makes a big difference. It took me a while to get in that habit, but I do it now. I don’t enjoy sit-ups and planks, but I do those too. Sigh.
I keep working on this but admit, I really just need to cut out my cheese addiction! Great tips though….need to work harder!
mmm… cheese! I have a few not-so-healthy food addictions too. Chocolate chip cookies anyone!? 🙂
What a great set of tips! Thanks!
I have always wanted to try a spin class. This list might motivate me.
I think there’s long been a misconception that doing situps and ab exercises are the way to get strong abs. Cardio is definitely the way and eating well. Thanks for these tips!
I really should be planking more!
Great fitness tips!
I love spinning & swimming!!! Will try sit-ups tonight :). Thanks Rachel!