How to Make Your Abs Burn in Less Than 10 Minutes with an At-Home Barre Workout!
If you’re ready to carve out those abs and light a fire in your core, an at home barre workout is the way to go! The benefits of a strong core our endless, and these 3 moves have chiseled out my core time and time again. These 3 moves I’m sharing with you here are my go-to all time fire starters, the ones you feel for a few days after.
1) BLOCK BURN – For this one you will need a yoga block or something similar (maybe a tall thick book). Place the block or the book between the right knee and the right elbow. Extend the left hand straight back over you head and hover the arm off the ground. Extend the left leg out long toes towards the bottom of you mat and hover. Squeeze your right knee and right elbow into the block to create stability and strength. Take a deep breath in and on the exhale reach your left arm and left leg up towards the ceiling. You have the option to crunch up each time or option to keep the head, neck, and upper back on the ground just moving left leg and left arm up towards the ceiling on each exhale. Repeat 12 times on one side and then switch. Do 3 sets! I promise you will feel the burn on this one! AND! Don’t forget to breathe. Every time we do this move in a live class you hear that deep exhale/sigh of relief when everyone finishes and removes the block.
2) ISOLATED AB BIKES – My goodness! If you’re not burning yet, you’re in for it. This one is somewhat similar. Extend both legs out long. Reach both hands over head toward the end of your mat. Interlace all 10 fingers and place the hands at the base of your skull. Let the elbows flare wide. Keep them there!! Lift both legs to a hover and squeeze them close together. Crunch up lifting head, neck, and upper back off the floor. You are in a hollow body core engaged and strong. Think top of the hip up towards the floating rib. Then take left elbow to right knee. Extend back out. Repeat on the same side. Continue this 12 times on each side for 3 sets. FIRE!
Keep in mind you may need to pause between these movements. You can windshield wipe the legs side to side, come up into a bridge pose to release the tension in the abdomen, lie still to reset the spine or grab some water. If you start to feel pain in the lower back with any of these movements, you have some options. 1) Don’t lower the legs so far down. Lift them up higher to the ceiling until the pain is gone. 2) Reduce the number of reps from 12 to 6 on each side and maybe 2 sets. Then work your way back up. 3) Rest the extended leg on the floor. You do not need to hold the hover.
The most powerful thing I can say to you is to take ownership of what honors your body on the day you’re doing this work. Do not feel like you’re cheating because you didn’t suffer through pain! Pain is not always gain, and if you have a weak core and push through incorrectly it will NOT be good. Be the ambassador of your health.
3) COVETED BARRE PULSE – This one is a traditional barre move we can’t leave out of our classes. It’s effective, it’s connected to breath, and the strength that’s built makes it a move that you love later. Lying on your back take both feet up to the ceiling. Wrap both hands around the back of the right calf or the back of the right thigh, hamstring. Option to keep the head, neck, and upper back on the floor. If you prefer to add that crunch, go for it. Again, the more supported your body feels the better your experience and most of the time the better the results. Lower your left leg down to a hover over the mat. Take two full quick exhales as you pull the right leg into your chest an inch or two twice (referred to as pulse). The breath and the pulse connect. Then switch. As you switch legs your body will naturally take a passive inhale. Then wrap the fingers around the left calf or hamstring. 2 quick exhales as you pulse for 2. Then switch. Do this move 8 times on each side, 2 sets. This will surely be the cherry on the ab work for the day.
The best thing about these 3 moves other than the strength and stability they create is you can do them anywhere! Traveling, working from home, on vacation, etc. No matter where you are you can always burn out the abs in 10 minutes or less.
If you do this workout or bodywork practice, I would love for you to drop a comment below and let me know how it went! Let me know if you’re sore, you need more, or any other things that pop up that you want to chat about. If you’re ready to get on a core regimen, support that lower back, and cultivate a centered kind of strength and stability, join us inside the Virtual Studio to kick your wellness practice up a notch. I’ll see you inside.
XXXX,
Jessica!
