10 Abs Moves Emily Skye Swears By For Serious Results
If you follow Emily Skye on Instagram (if not, get on that!), then you already know she's the totally badass guru behind the super-popular FIT Program. This year, she's been refreshingly honest about her postpartum fitness journey after giving birth to her first daughter, Mia. One of her biggest priorities: core work. She shared her go-to abs workout below-post-workout IG selfie optional.
Time: 30-45 minutes
Equipment: Mat, stability ball, sliders
Good for: Core and abs strengthening
Instructions: You can do this workout for time (30 seconds each move) or for reps (20 reps each). Either way, move through each move, one after the other until you've completed all 10 moves. Then take a minute of rest before repeating the circuit. Complete two to three rounds total. Emily recommends completing this workout one to three times per week.
Emily's core tip: "Before doing these moves, practice engaging your core and maintaining strong posture. That means squeeze your pelvic floor muscles, tuck your butt in slightly and squeeze your glutes, keep your shoulders down and back, be sure you back is flat, and keep your head in line with your spine. It should feel like you're drawing your belly button into your spine. If you ever feel your form failing, stop and reset."
Leg Lowers
How to: Lie on your back with your palms facing down. Bend your knees, and lift your legs so your knees are over your hips, keeping your legs in a table top position. Then extend your legs to the ceiling. Pause, then lower your legs back down, keeping them straight. Be sure to keep your back flat against the ground. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Lying Ankle Taps
How to: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lift your shoulders off the ground and tap your right ankle with your right hand, then repeat on the left side. Keep your shoulders lifted the entire time, with your core engaged and back pressed firmly into the ground. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Emily's core tip: "For anything that involves crunching like this one, be sure the movement is coming from your abs, not your neck or shoulders."
Windshield Wipers
How to: Bend your knees and lift your legs until your knees are in line with your hips. Press your palms into the floor and lower your legs to the left. Go as far as possible while keeping your right shoulder glued to the floor, then bring your legs back to center. Next, lower them to the right. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Mountain Climbers With Sliders
How to: Place a slider under each foot, and get into a pushup position with your arms straight and your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles, core and glutes engaged. Without changing the arch in your lower back, raise your right knee toward your chest. Pause, return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. That’s one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Plank Rotation
How to: Start in a pushup position. Keeping your arms straight and your core engaged, shift your weight onto your left arm, rotate your torso to the right, and rise your right arm toward the ceiling so that your body forms a T. Hold for three seconds and return to the start. Repeat on the other side. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Emily's core tip: "For anything in pushup position, don’t let your hips sag. Keep your neck in a neutral position. Brace your abs, draw in your stomach, and move from there."
Side Plank With Arm Thread
How to: Begin in a plank position with shoulders over wrist and legs extended. Pivoting on feet, rotate to your left side and reach your right arm up to ceiling keeping hips lifted and legs straight. Begin to return to plank position as you reach arm under torso while keeping hips level. Then switch to other side. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Spider Climbers
How to: Start in pushup position, hands directly below your shoulders, legs extended with a slider under each foot. Brace your core, then bend your left knee out and slide it up toward your left elbow, keeping your hips as parallel to the ground as possible. Return to start. Repeat with the other leg. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Swiss Ball Oblique Crunches
How to: Lie faceup on a stability ball with your back pressed into the ball, your feet together on the floor, and arms extended straight out. Brace your abs and crunch up until your upper back is off the ball. Then twist to the left. Lower back down and repeat on the right side. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Swiss Ball Planks
How to: Place your forearms on a stability ball and extend your legs directly behind you; your body should form a straight line from head to heels. Brace your abs and hold for 30 seconds.
Swiss Ball Reverse Crunch
How to: Lie on the floor with your legs extended, and a stability ball squeezed between your calves. Your hands are at your sides with palms faced down, or you can place them under your lower back for support. Brace your core and bend your knees, bringing the stability ball toward your chest. Lift your hips so your lower back comes off the ground, keeping the stability ball secure between your legs. Then release back down to the start position. That’s one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, or complete 20 reps.
Rest for a minute, then repeat the circuit. Complete two to three rounds total.
Emily Skye just launched her FIT app, available on IOS. She also partnered with Khloe Kardashian to be a part of her Good American #GoodSquad campaign.
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