A workout routine to maximize ab strength

Bon food weighing you down? Looking to get stronger at rock climbing? Training to fight off the campus cougar? Just want to work on your abs? Here is an abdominal workout you can do in your dorm. Complete as many sets as you can before 15 minutes run out. For example, do bicycles 15 times and then oblique knee raise plank on your left 15 times etc. Take small breaks as you need to but try to keep moving for the full 15 minutes. Remember to keep breathing.

Bicycles

Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and knees bent. With your hands gently holding your head, pull your shoulder blades back and slowly raise your knees to about a 90-degree angle, lifting your feet from the floor. Exhale and slowly, know that you’ve got this, go through a bicycle pedal motion, bringing one knee up towards your armpit while straightening the other leg. Try to keep your legs from touching the ground. Rotate your torso so you can touch your elbow to the opposite knee as it comes up. Alternate to twist to the other side while drawing that knee towards your armpit and the other leg extended until your elbow touches the alternate knee. This is a fairly common exercise so if you look this up online there will be plenty of other resources.

Oblique Knee Raise Plank

The 0bliques are the sides of your abdominal muscles. Start in a high plank. Bend one leg and bring your knee to just outside the corresponding elbow. This should open your groin up to the ground as you move your knee up. Return to starting position and repeat with the other leg. Keep it controlled but maintain a steady pace.

Leg Lifts

Lie on your back and place your hands, palms down, on the floor beside you. Have your legs together and raise them off the ground exhaling as you go. Raise your legs as high as they can go with you back still flat on the ground. Return to starting position now inhaling as you go. To make this more challenging, bring your feet as low as they can go without touching the ground.

Tip: If your back starts to arch, place your hands under your butt. This will create an easier angle on your spine as you move.

Mountain Climbers

We want to have a well-rounded ab work out so this is the opposite of the bicycle. Get into a plank position, making sure to distribute your weight evenly between your hands and your toes. Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart, back flat, abs engaged and head in alignment. Pull your right knee into your chest as far as you can. Then switch, pulling that knee out and bringing the other knee in. Keeping your hips down, run your knees in and out as far and as fast as you can. Alternate inhaling and exhaling with each leg change. This is also a pretty common exercise so there are plenty of resources to turn to if you need more information.

Set

-15 x Bicycles

-15 x Left Oblique Knee Raise Plank

-15 x Right Oblique Knee Raise Plank

-15 x Leg Lifts

-15 x Mountain Climbers