4 WEEKS TO SUMMER ABS AT HOME

I bought a women's health, book of abs and love all the different workouts in it. I wanted to try them all out for you and share my thoughts.  

I'm starting out with the big daddy workout of the book.

 7 DAYS OF ABS 

Here it tells you to focus on shorter goals instead of monthlong goals, to build consistent behaviors that create long lasting fat loss. Follow this plan and check it off your to do list daily, according to the book, you will 

"scorch thousands of calories and score abs in four weeks" 

I tweaked this workout a little to suit my own needs after I tried it out. The pictures are of me and I am sure most are not perfect form...  I am by no means a trainer or a fitness expert. And as always, consult your good 'ol doc before trying a new fitness regimen. 

WHAT YOU NEED:
 You can easily do this workout at home with only a few pairs of dumbbells, a stability ball, a chinup bar and a step (or chair).

Monday: Perform Workout A (45 minutes) 

Tuesday: Rest day. Focus on your diet and if you are not too sore, perform any type of cardio you'd like. This can be a run, your favorite sport, or just a walk around the block. (30 minutes) 

Wednesday: Workout B (45 minutes) 

Thursday: Cardio (30 minutes) 

Friday: Workout A 

Saturday: Free Day. Take off or do cardio :) 

Sunday: Today is a day of rest. No exercise whatsoever. Rest, relax, and let your body recover. 

On Monday, you'll restart the week of workouts, but this time you'll begin with Workout B. just remember prior to every workout, make sure to perform a 5-10 minute warm up to prepare your body and prevent injury. 

Tips I've learned throughout my process...... Drink lots of water, get enough protein and veggies in your day and eat on a regular basis. Don't skip meals. 

WORKOUT A 

 This workout is made up of four groups each consisting of two or three exercises. Try to rest as little as possible between all exercises within a group. Once you complete 1 set of all exercises in a group, rest for 2 minutes. Repeat this process two more times for a total of three sets. 

1A. Alternating DB chest press on Swiss ball 

Reps 12/Sets 3

 

A. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a Swiss ball.

*Raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line for, your knees to your shoulders. Your arms should be straight and above your chest. Palms facing outward but turned slightly inward. 

B. Without changing the angle of your hands, lower one dumbbell to the side of your chest. 

 

C. Press it back up to the starting position, then repeat with your other arm. 

*Continue alternating arms until you complete all reps. 

1B. Swiss ball jackknife 

Reps 10/Set 3

 

A. Assume a push-up position with your arms completely straight. Rest your shins on a Swiss ball. Your body should be straight from head to ankles. 

B. without changing your lower back posture, roll the ball towards your chest by pulling it forward. 

*Pause, then return the ball to the starting position by rolling it backwards. 

 

1C. Unsupported One-Arm DB Row

 

Reps 15/Sets 3

 

 

A. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand, bend at your hips and knees, and lower your torso until it's almost parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbell hang at arm's length from your shoulder.

 

B. Pull the dumbbell to the side of your torso, without rotating or lifting your torso as you row the weight. Make sure you keep your elbow tucked close to your side.

 

*Pause, the return the dumbbell back to the starting position. Do all reps, then repeat using your left arm.

 

2A. Squat Thrusts

Reps 10-15/Sets 3

A. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.

B. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body as deep as you can into a squat.

C. Place your palms on the floor, then kick your legs backward, so that you're now in pushup position.
*Quickly bring your legs back to the squat position and jump up quickly back to the starting position. That's one rep.

2.B Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift

Reps 12-leg/Sets 3

A. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip and hold them at arm's length in front of your thighs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
*Raise your left foot slightly off the floor.
*Without changing the bend in your knees, bend your hips and lower your torso until it's almost parallel to the floor.
*Pause, then raise your torso back to the starting position.
*Do all reps, then switch legs.


2C. Jump Lunges

Reps 20/Sets 3

A. Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length next to your sides, your palms facing each other. Stand in lunge position.
*Lower your body as far as you can, or until your knee nearly touches the floor.

B. Quickly jump into the air with enough force that your can scissor-kick your legs so you land with the opposite leg forward.
*Repeat, alternating back and forth with each rep.

3A. Dumbbell Pullover

Reps 10-12/Sets 3

 

A. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie faceup on a swiss ball. Your feet will be flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbells straight over your chin with your arms extended.

 

B. Without changing the angle of your elbows, slowly lower the dumbbells back beyond your head until your upper arms are in line with your body or parallel to the floor.

 

3B. Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

 

Reps 6-10/Sets 3

 

 

 

A. Grab a dumbbell and stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbell at arm's length above your head, your palms facing each other.

 

B. Without moving your upper arms, lower the dumbbell behind your head. Pause, then straighten your arms to return to the starting position.

 

3C. Single Leg Squat (Zombie Squat)

 

Reps 10-Leg/Sets 3

 

A. Stand on your left leg in front of a chair or bench. Hold your arms straight out in front of you.

 

B. Balancing on your left foot, bend your left knee and slowly lower your body until your right heel lightly touches the floor. Pause, then push yourself up. Do all reps and switch to the right leg.

 

4A. Thrusters

 

Reps 10-12/Sets 3

 

 

A. Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them next to your shoulders, your palms facing each other. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.

 

B. Lower your body until tops of your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, while keeping your torso upright.

 

C. Push your body back to a standing position as you press the dumbbells directly over your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells back to starting position and repeat.

 

 

4B. Swiss Ball Plank with Feet on Bench (or kitchen chair)

 

Reps 60 Secs/Sets 3  

 

 

 

BE CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE.

 

A. Place your forearms on a swiss ball and your feet on a bench. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Brace your core by contracting your abs as if your were about to be punched. Hold this position for 60 seconds.

 

4C. Bodyweight Squat

I choose to do them with weights.

 

Reps 10-15/Sets 3

 

 

A. Stand tall as you can, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body as far as you can like you are sitting in a chair. Pause, then slowly push yourself back into the starting position. Never let your knees go past your feet.

 

 

 

WORKOUT B

Perform 1A to 1E sequentially, resting 30-45 seconds between exercises and 90 seconds are you complete a set of all the exercises in a group. Perform this circuit a total of 4 times. After your last circuit, rest 60 seconds and proceed to Group 2.

 

 

1A. Dumbbell Lunge

 

Reps 10-side/Sets 2

 

 

 

 

1B. Mountain Climbers

 

Reps 20-leg/Sets 2

 

 

 

A. Assume pushup position with your arms completely straight. Lift your right foot off the floor and slowly raise your knee as close to your chest as you can. Make sure you don't change your lower back posture as you lift your knee.

 

B. Return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. Alternate back and forth for 30 seconds.

 

1C. Swiss Ball Rollout

 

Reps 10-15/Sets 2

 

 

 

 A. Sit on your knees in front of a swiss ball and place your forearms and fists on the ball. Your elbows should be bent about 90 degrees.

 

B. Slowly roll the ball forward, straightening your arms and extending your body as far as you can, without allowing your lower back to collapse

 (so... nothing like this pic LOL)

*Use your abdominal muscles to pull the ball back to your knees.

 

 

1D. Swiss Ball Jackknife

 

Reps 8-10/Sets 2

 

 

A. Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight. Rest your shins on a swiss ball. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles.

 

B. Without changing your lower back posture (again, not like this pic), roll the swiss ball toward your chest by pulling it forward with your feet. Pause, then return the ball to the starting position by rolling it back ward.

 

1E. Underhand Grip Rear Lateral Raise

 

Reps 10/Sets 2

 

 

(try to keep your arms more straight)

A. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a pair of dumbbells and bend forward at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Let the DB hang straight down from your shoulders, palms forward.

 

B. Without moving your torso, raise your arms straight out to your sides until they're in line with your body. At the top of the movement, your thumbs should be pointing up. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

 

 

 

 

Perform 2A to 2D sequentially, resting 30-45 seconds between exercises and 90 seconds after you complete a set of all exercises in the group. Perform this circuit four times. After your last circuit, rest 60 seconds and proceed to Group 3.

 

 

2A. Negative Chinup

 

Reps 10/Sets 4

 

(I don't have a chinup bar where I can take a pic)

 

 

2B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

 

Reps 15/Sets 4

 

 

 

A. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, and hold them at arm's length in front of your thighs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.

 

B. Without changing the bend in your knees, bend at your hips and lower your torso until it's almost parallel to the floor. Pause, then raise your torso back to the starting point.

 

2C. Jump Squats

 

Reps as many as possible in 30 seconds/Sets 4

 

 

 

2D. Rolling Side Plank

 

Reps as many as possible in 45 seconds/Sets 4

 



Hold for 1 to 2 seconds

 Hold for 1 to 2 seconds

Back to starting position, then other side

Hold for 1 to 2 seconds

Continue repeating until time is up.

 

Perform 3A to 3C sequentially, resting for 45 seconds between exercises and 90 seconds after you finish all exercises in the group. Complete all the exercises in this group a total of three times.

 

3A. Dumbbell Chest Press on Swiss Ball

 

Reps 10-12/Sets 3

 

 

 

3B. Bodyweight Squat

I choose to do them with weights.

Reps 10-15/Sets 3

 

3C. Squat Thrusts with pushup

Reps 10-15/Sets 3

 

 

 Perform squat thrust from workout A. When in pushup position in the last frame, go ahead and add in a full pushup.

 

 

And that's it! Make sure to eat proper and follow this workout! You will see a change in no time :)