No Time to Waist: The Ideal Home Workout to Perfect Your Summer Abs

Ankit Nayal | Mar 14, 2020 9:00 am | Add a comment | 629 reads

This post is provided courtesy of Ankit Nayal, director of BActive Sanlitun Soho gym, as well as an ACE certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist.

We've covered workouts for one, workouts for twos, and now we're onto what you've all been waiting for: workouts to sculpt your flabby midsection into a carved abdomen fit for Grecian gods.

While you've been hibernating in your apartment all this time, spring is readily approaching, which means that you only have a couple of months to get your body into shape for the beach. If you couldn't care less about what your body looks like in a swimsuit, then maybe you'll be interested to hear that a strengthened core improves posture as well as helps ensure that the body's weight is correctly distributed – these workouts are a win-win no matter why you're doing them!

Before we begin, a reminder that each of these workouts is based on the Tabata training style, a high-intensity interval training (HITT) system that originated in Japan and is ideal for burning fat, improving your metabolism, and boosting athletic performance. A circuit comprises eight exercises and you are advised to follow the order below:

Circuit: 8 exercises, 1-3 rounds each depending on your fitness level
Work time: 20 seconds per exercise, 10 seconds rest before the next exercise
Post circuit rest: 60-120 seconds after each circuit
Workout duration: 4 minutes to 15 minutes (depending on circuits and rest)

What you'll need: A towel, a timer, a big bottle of water, and a yoga mat.

Vegaas Singh, who is also a certified personal trainer at BActive Soho, demonstrates each exercise in the photos below.

Let the exercise begin!

Target muscles: your core!

Arms-high partial situps: Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and raise your arms perpendicular to your body. Sit up halfway, then slowly return to the floor. Repeat.

Flutter kicks: Lie on your back and keep your legs straight, extending to the side and pointing your feet. Lift your feet a couple of inches off the ground before fluttering your feet up and down alternately.

Leg raises: Lie on your back, keep your legs straight, and put your hands under the hips for extra support. Lift your feet a couple of inches off the ground and from that position raise the legs until they are vertical. Lower back and repeat.

Russian twist (with optional bottle of vodka): Sit on the floor in a raised situp position, holding both your hands together (or holding on to a slightly heavy object) in front of your chest. Twist your hands and body to one side, touch the floor, and then twist back. Alternate sides and continue.

Reverse crunch: Lie on your back, lift your knees toward your chest and perform a crunch by raising your upper body off the floor with your hands touching your temples, then extend your legs and arms in the opposite direction. Back to start and repeat.

Superman rows: Lie on your stomach, with your arms stretched out to the front, and slightly raise your upper and lower body off the floor. Hold the position and move your elbows toward your body and back. Repeat.

Side plank (left side): Lie on your left side, resting your left forearm on the floor for support. Raise your hips so your body forms a bridge and hold your core tight.

Side plank (right side): Repeat the previous step but on your right side.

That's it! Now just repeat these steps every day and you'll be well on your way to those washboard abs you've always dreamed of.

Ankit Nayal has been a bodybuilding athlete since 2016, and has ample experience in making his clients fit and healthy. He also loves to undertake various social impact projects, and is actively involved with Fitness4Hope, FitFam Beijing, Krankin Through China, and a current campaign to help physically disabled orphans and disadvantaged children at Our Learning House (more on that here).

Connect with Ankit on Instagram @currygainz or on WeChat ID: @ankit_n_c for regular gym motivation, workouts, and healthy food tips. You can also follow the BActive public account for updates on 24-hour gym life: