Ab Workout Moves They Don't Want You to Know About
If you've spent the better part of the summer trying to get your Rihanna abs on and somehow have nothing to show for it, maybe it's time to switch up your routine.
Fitness artist Nicole Winhoffer has the keys you need to unlock your best core yet. With a background in performance, Nicole has trained artists like Mya and Madonna, and focuses on choreography, patterns and movement. Nicole's shtick is body awareness and feeling *fierce*, and anyone who's ever taken one of her classes knows she loves working out to hip-hop music. And she always works out in style.
Nicole was the first global ambassador for Adidas by Stella McCartney (Karlie Kloss now serves as the face of the brand) and she currently has a partnership with Pure Protein. Nicole incorporates dance and music into her workouts, which you can now live stream every Sunday. We asked her to up our ab workout game, and she showed us five new workouts we'd never done before.
"Pick one exercise a day, Monday through Friday," Nicole suggests. "Do them for five minutes at night. Pick your favorite song and workout to the entire song, and replay it when you're switching sides." We're feeling the burn already.
Are you prepared to unlock your best abs yet? Check out Nicole's workouts in GIF-form below and head on over to her website to find out more about her.
Curl and Release
Think of the Curl and Release as two workouts in one. Not only does it exercise your core muscles, Nicole says it's "really good for the inner thighs, too."
Using two chairs, squat on top of both, positioning one foot on either chair. Stretch your arms down towards your feet, bring them back up and stretch them out to your sides. Repeat until you've completed a full set.
Lunge and Snap
Targeting your obliques is essential to tightening up your tummy. Nicole's Lunge and Snap is the gym-ready version of Paulette Bonafonté's famous "bend and snap" you didn't know existed.
Using both chairs again, assume a lunge position. You can hold the back of the chair for support. Bring your back leg out to the side, bend it at the knee and bring it forward. Repeat until you've completed a full set.
Low Ab Swing
The Low Ab Swing is exactly what you need to target those glutes in addition to your core.
Position yourself in the middle of your two chairs, using them as support to ultimately swing yourself backwards. Bend your knees and using your arm and core strength, send one leg back in an upwards motion. Repeat until you've completed a full set. Work you other leg in another set.
Inner Thigh Plank
If Beyonce's inner thigh gap is your goal, this exercise is for you.
Using one chair, assume a side plank position, resting your top foot on the chair. Use your core muscles to bring your body up as you would in a normal side plank, but this time, bend your bottom leg, bring it up and stretch it out in front you. Repeat until you've completed a full set, and begin set number two, working your other leg.
Rear Plank
Work those glutes and your core in Nicole's Rear Plank exercise.
Prop both of your feet on top of one char. Use your core to lift your body up, keeping your hands at your sides. As you lift up, roll your feet until your toes touch the seat of the chair. Repeat until you've completed a full set.