Mini band core workout; so you can have a 6 pack at home or on the road! Just kidding.
A 6-pack comes from more than just doing a few abdominal exercises.
But this workout is a timed circuit you can do at-home with just the use of your mini bands!
Timed circuits are great because it gives you the time to really focus on your form and breathing rather than counting every rep; you just listen for the timer to go off and then move onto the next movement.
Mini band workouts add a different type of resistance than weights do.
Weights add resistance through only part of the movement whereas mini bands keep resistance on the joint through the entire motion!
They are a great way to focus on one muscle group and really feel how the muscle is contracting through the exercise.
Check out my latest blog post on strength training techniques and how they can benefit your training!
So lets grab our mini band and start this core workout!
Table of Contents
Timed Circuit – :30 seconds on, :15 seconds off / 4 Rounds
〉Ab bicycles
〉Plank jacks
〉Ab marches
〉Plank side crunches
〉Switch kicks
〉Knee drives
Form: Lay flat on your back and place your mini band around the arches of your feet. Press your low back to the floor as your opposite knee/elbow touch (while the other two are straightening out) and the switch. The band on your feet is going to act as more resistance, so make sure you are using your core and not your legs!
Modifications: The resistance of the band is what makes this exercise easier/harder.
Form: Place your band around your ankles and start in a push-up position. Keeping your wrists under your shoulders, butt down and core tight; jump your feet out wide and then back together. You want to do this as quick as you can but make sure you hold your form correctly.
Modifications: You can always just step tap one foot out to the side at a time rather than jumping.
Form: Start laying on your back with knees bent and feet in air. Place the band around your knees. One at a time you are going to slowly drop your heel to the ground (keeping knee bent) and then bring it back up to meet the other before switching. The main focus of this movement is keeping your low back pressed to the floor to engage the transverse abdominis.
Modifications: The resistance of the band is what makes this exercise easier/harder.
Form: Place band around arches of feet and start in a push-up position. One at a time you are going to bring your leg out to the side and up as you try to meet your elbow. This movement is meant to target your oblique muscles, so make sure you are opening up your hip and bending your knee out to the side.
Modifications: The resistance of the band is what makes this exercise easier/harder.
Form: Place band around arches of feet and start standing. Instead of doing a jumping jack (when feet go out and in) you are going to do switch kicks. This means your feet are going to jump forward and backward (right leg goes forward/left leg goes backward and switch). Keep your core tight and make sure you focus on the movement rather than just trying to get them over with.
Modifications: You can always step tap one foot at a time for this movement to omit the jump.
Form: Place band around arches of feet and start in a standing position. One at a time you are going to bend your knee and bring it towards your chest (keeping your foot flexed) and then switch legs. Make sure your core is tight and that is where your focus is otherwise it will be your legs doing the bulk of the work. You can also have your elbow come down to keep your knee if that is easier for you!
Modifications: The resistance of the band is what makes this exercise easier/harder.
A core warm up is going to look like any other full body warm up. This is because your core is used during most compound movements, and therefore we do not need to specifically warm it up but rather just warm up the body as a whole.
› Squats with arms overhead x12 reps
› Lunge with twist (twist both directions) x10 reps
› Walk-outs (walking hards as far as possible and back in) x10 reps
› Superman (legs and arms lift off ground, on stomach) x15 reps
› Cobra stretch (up and down, don’t hold it) x10 reps
› Childs pose (stack hands to the right and the left ) x:30 seconds each side
› Cat/Cow x10 reps
› Knee sways (on back, dropping both knees to the right and left) x20 reps
Once you start to really focus on core work and building strength, you will realize how important it is! Not only does it help you in proper breathing and posture, it also helps you in all of your daily activities! Without a strong core/trunk you would not be able to sit up straight, bend over and tie your show, stand on one foot, or even sit down and stand up! It is the CORE of our entire body, and we use it for everything. So take care of it and make sure it is getting the proper exercise it needs to continue making you stronger and well-rounded. Check out more at-home workouts here, or visit my youtube channel below!
