Ready to feel the fire? Celeb trainer Kira Stokes is bringing the heat straight to your obliques.
News flash: There's a lot more to abdominal muscles than the little bumps you like to call the "six-pack."
In reality, you should care more about your transverse abdominis and internal and external obliques; they're the ones responsible for deep core and spinal stabilization (when you do things like squat, run, and throw) and act like a corset to cinch up your stomach. Ready to give these muscles a little TLC? We've got just the thing: A stoked-style obliques workout flow from celeb trainer Kira Stokes, created of the Stoked Method and this 30-Day Plank Challenge.
"People always say you can't work certain parts of your abs and not others," says Stokes, "But you can still focus on certain areas." And the focus here is all obliques.
One important form tip, straight from Stokes: Keep your lower back pressing into the floor throughout each movement that is done lying faceup, to make sure you're properly engaging your abs.
You'll need: Mat (optional)
How it works: Do the entire obliques workout circuit on one side, then switch sides and repeat. Do 2 rounds on each side.
Isometric Bicycle Hold
A. Lie faceup on the floor with legs extended and hands behind head, elbows pointing toward feet.
B. Lift shoulder blades off the floor, draw left knee to left elbow, and hover right leg off the floor. Keep both feet flexed.
C. Actively push left elbow and left knee together.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Rotated Bicycle Pulse
A. Lie faceup on the floor with legs extended and hands behind head, elbows pointing toward feet.
B. Lift shoulder blades off the floor and rotate to draw right elbow to left knee.
C. Pulse right elbow and left knee toward each other.
Do 10 pulses, then hold for 10 seconds.
Straight-Leg Diagonal Pulse
A. Lie faceup on the floor with legs extended, hands behind head, and elbows pointing out to the sides.
B. Extend left leg toward the ceiling and hover the right foot off the floor. Keep both feet flexed and reach right hand toward left foot.
C. Holding this position, pulse right fingers toward left foot.
Do 10 pulses.
Cross-Body X
A. Lie faceup on the floor with arms and legs extended, forming a sort of "X" shape with left arm extended out to the side and right arm overhead to start.
B. Lift torso and left leg off the floor to tap right hand to left foot or shin, balancing on left hip and left forearm.
C. Slowly return to starting position, tapping right arm and left leg to the floor before beginning the next rep.
Do 10 reps.
Side Plank Pulse
A. Start in side plank position on the left elbow with feet stacked and right hand extended toward the ceiling.
B. Maintaining a straight line from head to ankles, pulse hips up one inch.
Do 5 pulses.
Side Plank Hip Drops
A. Start in side plank position on the left elbow with feet stacked and right hand extended toward the ceiling.
B. Drop hips a few inches toward the floor, then engage obliques to return to starting position.
Do 5 reps.
