12 Core Workouts To Get You Bikini Ready
Knowing what exercises to do in order to strengthen your body is so important. You want exercises that are safe so you don’t injure yourself, and you want exercises that are going to be effective. Here are 12 core workouts to get you bikini ready!
1. Knee Highs
Knee highs are a simple core workout. This workout works more than you’d think. With this workout, you strengthen your abdominal muscles, your leg muscles, and your bum muscles. But you’re also working on increasing flexibility in your hip flexors (muscles that connect your leg to your groin) and your balance. To do this exercise, you want to hold a dumbbell at your chest, while raising your knees to meet the weight.
2. Mountain Climbers
This exercise is brutal and effective. You begin in a push up position and raise your knees to your chest, one at a time. You can do this slow or at a faster pace. This is called the mountain climber because you look like you’re climbing a mountain. This exercise really works the ab muscles; you’ll be toned in no time.
3. Scissor Kicks
Scissor kicks are so great for your abdominal muscles. You must lay flat on your back with hands at your sides, and raise your legs one at a time. These core workouts will strengthen your abs and lower back. You’ll be chiseled before you know it!
4. Sumo Squat Side Bends
This exercise is easy and will give you a great stretch and workout. For these core exercises, stand with your feet wide apart in a squat position. Have a weight with both hands above your head. Then, alternate bending left and right. This exercise is a great stretch and workout!
5. Crunchless Core Workout
For this core exercise, you lay on your stomach with your hands under your head. Then, you lift your feet and legs up, and alternate swinging one foot above the other. This exercise is also really great to strengthen the lower back; not to mention that it works the leg muscles, as well. These core exercises are super effective!
6. The Plank
This core workout is a beast. The plank works so many muscles and is so effective. But, the plank does an awesome job at working the core as well. Your core is strengthened along with your back, hips, arms, legs, butt, and many more muscles.
7. Sit-Ups
This exercise is among the oldest core workouts out there. However, the sit-up is still an effective method to strengthen abdominal muscles. You sit with your feet under something sturdy and lay on your back with your knees up. You then pull yourself up with your abs. If you want to make it harder, don’t put your feet under anything at all. If you’re looking for a twist on the old school exercise, you can add a punch when you pull yourself up in sitting position.
8. Reverse Crunch
This reverse crunch exercise is so brutal and effective. This exercise targets that little area of belly fat underneath the belly button. To do this exercise, lay on your back with your knees up. Then lift your tailbone off of the ground and squeeze that little area of belly. This exercise will have your abs burning in no time.
9. Dead Lifts
Dead lifts are great core workouts for your body. For dead lifts, you want to have weights in your hands and have your knees slightly bent. Then, you keep your back straight and bend over, letting your weights take you forward. You then slowly stand back up, with your back still in a straight line. This exercise strengthens your core, your back, your legs, and works on your balance as well.
10. The Windmill
The windmill is another great core exercise. You take a weight or dumbbell in one hand and lift it above your head. You then take your opposite arm and extend it, bending to the ground while the dumbbell is still overhead. Keeping your back straight the whole time, this exercise works balance, strengthens the back, as well as getting your abs ready for summertime.
11. Side Plank
The side plank is more brutal than the regular plank, in some respects. You hold yourself up on your side with your elbow or hand, and your feet are stacked up on one another. You then raise your sides up and down, which works your side abs mercilessly. These core exercises, just like the regular plank, also works countless other muscles.
12. Twisting Windmill Boat Pose
This core exercise is great to get your abs in shape for your bikini this summer! This exercise has you sitting up with your legs and feet raise and your arms out to your sides. Then, you twist your whole upper body and torso to one side, then the other. This movement really works the core muscles and works on balance as well.
