The 10-Minute Summer Ab Circuit Workout

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Updated on July 17, 2019

Get your core in shape for summer sports with this ab circuit workout. Combining five killer ab exercises with rope jumping will not only give your midsection a total workout, but you'll also build cardiovascular fitness at the same time.

Begin your core workout with a light warm-up to get the blood flowing and to gradually increase your core temperature. This can help reduce your risk of injury. The actual workout consists of a one-minute interval of each the following ab exercises, with a 60-second interval of rope jumping between exercises.

Plank

Start with 60 seconds of the standard front plank exercise. If you can hold this position for the entire 60 seconds, challenge yourself by alternating lifting the right and then the left foot off the ground in a slow, steady motion.

After your one-minute plank, move quickly into your one-minute rope jumping interval. Then go to the next exercise.

Crossover Ab Crunches

crossover crunch — B2M Productions/Digital Vision/Getty Images

The crossover ab crunch targets the obliques. The goal is to touch each elbow to the knee without cranking your neck forward. It's helpful to look up as you crunch and rotate from the torso, not the neck.

Do as many slow, controlled repetitions as you can on one side in 30 seconds, then switch to the other side for the remaining 30 seconds. Follow with rope jumping, then move on to the one-leg bridge.

One-Leg Bridges

Single leg bridge — Verywell / Ben Goldstein

The one-leg bridge is not typically considered a power-house core exercise, but it is excellent for working the posterior chain (the backside of the body). Building strong glutes and hamstrings is essential for torso strength and stability.

The key to making this one a good core strengthener is to resist allowing the hips to sag or one side of the pelvis to rotate or sink toward the ground. If you can keep your pelvis level, you will better engage your core muscles.

For this circuit, hold the one-leg bridge for 30 seconds on one side and then switch to the other side for the remaining 30 seconds. Follow with another 60 seconds of rope jumping before moving to the next ab exercise.

Modification

If you have difficulty with sinking or sagging on one side, perform a basic bridge exercise until you build up enough strength to do this one right.

Oblique Twists With a Medicine Ball

Seated Oblique Twist — Matt Henry Gunther / Getty Images

Your abs may be burning a bit as you hit the fourth exercise in the circuit, the oblique twist with a medicine ball. If not, they will be by the end of this 60-second interval.

To do it right, keep your feet up off the floor and alternate tapping a medicine ball (the weight of your choosing) back and forth from the right side of your body to the left. Do this in a slow, controlled motion for the entire 60 seconds, and then do your jump-rope interval.

Standard Crunch

Young woman exercising on floor, Determination today success to — ljubaphoto / Getty Images

To do a standard crunch, hold your torso up off the ground, staying as close to the floor as you can increase the intensity. You can have your knees bend slightly to make it easier or straighten them out to make it harder.

If you start fatiguing, lift up a bit higher to reduce the effort, or roll up and grab your knees to take a little break. Ultimately, aim to hold the position for the entire minute. Follow with one more interval of jumping rope and you are done. Nice work!