Add Major Muscle Tone To Your Core With This 10-Minute Abs Workout

Add Major Muscle Tone To Your Core With This 10-Minute Abs Workout

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Add Major Muscle Tone To Your Core With This 10-Minute Abs Workout

How to:

  1. Start standing with feet hip-width apart holding the ends of one dumbbell (or the handle of a kettlebell) with both hands in front of face, elbows bent and wide at sides.
  2. Keeping both elbows bent, and the rest of body still, slowly circle the weight around head once, keeping it at eye level. That’s 1 rep.

Unilateral Dumbbell March

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How to:

  1. Stand up straight, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand.Extend your right arm out to your side at a 45-degree angle from your body.
  3. Slowly lift your left leg up until you knee is at hip height.
  4. Then, with control, lower your leg down to the ground.
  5. Repeat with right leg.
  6. That’s 1 rep.

Single-Arm Overhead Press

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How to:

  1. Start standing with feet just wider than hips.Hold a kettlebell in your right hand while keeping your right arm bent with your elbow close to body, so that the weight rests on the shoulder, and place your left hand on your left hip.Sink hips slightly into a quarter-squat.Then, quickly push through feet to extend legs, simultaneously pressing kettlebell straight up until right arm is completely extended overhead.With control, lower kettlebell back down. That’s one rep.

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Low To High Dumbbell Chop

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How to:

  1. Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of chest.
  2. Rotate body toward left foot, lifting right heel and pivoting on right ball of foot so your knee faces the other knee and your hips face the left side while bending over and lowering weight down outside of right foot.
  3. Reverse the movement, and continue rotating through center until body faces right side, pivoting on ball of right foot and raising weight up overhead at 45-degree angle.
  4. Reverse to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
  5. Continue on same side for 20 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

Half-Kneeling Windmill

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How to:

  1. Start by kneeling on left knee with right foot to the side of body and planted firmly on the ground and toes pointed to the right.
  2. Hold a kettlebell in right hand.
  3. Rack the kettlebell at chest, then lift it overhead, keeping eyes on the weight.
  4. Slowly lower body down until left hand reaches the ground.
  5. Then continue lowering until elbow and forearm reach the ground.
  6. Reverse the movement with control and return to start. That’s 1 rep.

Squat To Overhead Press

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How to:

  1. Start standing, feet hip-distance apart, toes pointed out slightly, holding dumbbells in either hand and resting lightly on shoulders.
  2. Sit back into a squat until thighs are parallel with the ground.
  3. Drive up through heels to standing while raising both arms toward ceiling.
  4. Lower hands back to shoulders. That’s 1 rep.

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Weighted Leg Lower

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How to:

  1. Lie on back holding one dumbbell with both hands and arms extended toward ceiling. (Think wrists over chest NOT face.)
  2. Extend and lift legs up directly over hips.
  3. Lower your right leg down as low as you can go without lower back arching up off the mat.
  4. Return to start, and repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep.

Turkish Get-Up

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How to:

  1. Start lying face up with right leg straight on mat, left leg bent, foot flat on floor, right arm out at side on floor at 45-degree angle, and left arm holding kettlebell above shoulder with tricep on floor and elbow at a 45-degree angle from body.
  2. Raise the weight up above chest, keeping gaze on it, until arm is straight but not locked at the elbow.
  3. Push into right forearm to sit up.
  4. Rise onto right palm, lift hips off floor, and slide right leg behind body until kneeling on right knee with shin parallel to top of mat.
  5. Sweep right foot back behind body to come into kneeling lunge with both legs bent at 90 degrees.
  6. Push through both feet to stand, bringing feet together under hips.
  7. Reverse entire movement to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
  8. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat.

Renegade Row

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How to:

  1. Start in plank position, holding one dumbbell in each hand on the ground.
  2. Pull right elbow toward the ceiling until right wrist is near ribs.
  3. Lower it back down.
  4. Repeat on opposite side. That’s 1 rep.

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Half Turkish Get-Up

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How to:

  1. Start lying face up with right leg straight on mat, left leg bent, foot flat on floor, right arm out at side on floor at 45-degree angle, and left arm holding kettlebell above shoulder with tricep on floor and elbow at a 45-degree angle from body.
  2. Raise the weight up above chest, keeping gaze on it, until arm is straight but not locked at the elbow.
  3. Push into right forearm to begin lifting torso up from mat.
  4. Rise onto right palm to sit up tall.
  5. Reverse entire movement to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
  6. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat.

Forward Lunge With Twist

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How to:

  1. Start in a standing position at back of mat, holding one dumbbell (medicine ball) at chest.
  2. Take a big step forward with left foot and lower into a lunge until both legs are bent to 90 degrees while extended arms to straight at shoulder height.
  3. Twist arms and torso over left leg.
  4. Return to center.
  5. Step back to start.
  6. Repeat on the opposite side. That’s 1 rep.

Plank With Triceps Kickback

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How to:

  1. Get into a high-plank position with your feet slightly wider than shoulders.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
  3. Bend your elbow until your tricep is in line with your torso.
  4. Extend your arm back, until it’s completely straight.
  5. Return to start. That’s 1 rep.
  6. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat.

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Flutter Kicks

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How to:

  1. Start lying face up with back pressed into mat, arms extended to straight over chest holding a weight, and legs extended in air at 45-degree angle.
  2. Alternate lifting legs up and down a few inches. That’s 1 rep.

Russian Twist

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How to:

  1. Start seated with knees bent, upper body leaned back until abs are engaged (45-degree angle) and holding a slam ball.
  2. Hold a slam ball at your chest with elbows bent.
  3. Keeping arms slightly bent, twist your torso to the left and slam ball on the ground next to your left hip. Hold for 1-2 seconds.
  4. Twist torso through center to the right and slam ball on the ground near your right hip. That’s 1 rep.
  5. Continue alternating.

Pro tip: For an extra challenge, try lifting heels off the ground.

Jack Knife Pullover

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How to:

  1. Start lying on back, holding the ends of a single dumbbell in hands.
  2. Engage core and extend arms and legs straight, hovering a few inches off the ground so body forms one curved line.
  3. Lifting shoulder blades off the ground, simultaneously bring arms and legs together until hands and feet/ankles touch (or as close as possible).
  4. Reverse the motion to return to start. That’s 1 rep.

Modification: Bring elbows and knees to meet, if straight legs is too challenging.

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Weighted Side Plank

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How to:

  1. Lie on right side with legs bent, right elbow directly under shoulder, and left hand holding a dumbbell.
  2. Lift hips off the mat, extending legs to form a straight line from head to heels, and extend left arm and dumbbell up toward ceiling.
  3. Hold for 20 seconds. Then, switch sides and repeat.

Kettlebell Swing

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How to:

  1. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold a kettlebell in front of body with both hands, arms straight.
  2. With a slight bend in your knees and a flat back, hinge at hips and swing the kettlebell back through legs. Use that momentum to stand and swing the kettlebell out in front of body, up to shoulder height.
  3. Thrust hips forward, and engage glutes and core as you stand up straight. When the kettlebell hits shoulder height, knees should be straight and glutes contracted in a full hip extension.
  4. Allow the kettlebell to swing back down through legs, while hinging at the hips. That’s 1 rep.

Sit Up And Overhead Press

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How to:

  1. Start by laying on back on the floor with knees bent and feet planted, holding the medicine ball on top of chest with the elbows folded in neatly on either side of the body.
  2. Keeping hips and feet planted on the floor, rock into a seated position while simultaneously pressing the medicine ball up overhead.
  3. Reverse the movement to lower back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.

Headshot of Jordan Galloway

Jordan Galloway is a certified personal trainer and the fitness director for Women’s Health magazine and website.

Headshot of Jennifer Nied

Jennifer Nied is the fitness editor at Women’s Health and has more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness journalism. She’s always out exploring—sweat-testing workouts and gear, hiking, snowboarding, running, and more—with her husband, daughter, and dog.