You’ll Work *All* the Muscles in Your Core With This 15-Minute Ab Workout


Ready to fire up your core? Slay this 15-minute ab workout, courtesy of Charlee Atkins. Watch the video.

I love a good at-home workout. But ab workouts—out of the zillions of options out there—are pretty easy to do just about anywhere. Like, you could squeeze in a great ab workout on the floor in your kitchen, or the stairwell at your office, or even in the aisle of an airplane, if you're so inclined.

The moves I'm bringing with me everywhere this summer? Charlee Atkins's 15-minute bodyweight ab workout. The superstar trainer and founder of Le Sweat and Le Stretch just gave Well+Good an exclusive core-shaking workout that requires no equipment besides a mat and your body.

Seriously, this ab workout going to work muscles you didn't even know you had. Atkins's workout consists of two sets that you cycle through twice, with four moves per set. Ready, go!

Here's a perfect 15-minute ab workout, courtesy of Charlee Atkins

First Set

1. Classic crunch: Lying on your back on the mat, lift your head up, raising your chest towards the ceiling while keeping your lower back pressing into the mat. Your heels should be fingertip length from your booty. Keep your elbows open and lift your chest up. Each time you crunch, breathe out and press your lower back into the mat to target the abs.

2. Reverse curl: With your knees starting at a 90-degree angle and your head on the mat, bring them into your chest so that your lower back comes off of the mat. It'll target your lower abs. Exhale as your knees come in and make sure to get your lower back to lift off the ground.

3. Leg lowers: Lie on your back with your hands down by your hips and feet extended straight into the air. Your heels reach up towards the ceiling, then one foot drops and comes six inches off the ground. Slowly bring it right back up and alternate your legs. Make sure your head is resting on the ground, shoulder blades into the mat, and keep your lower back pressing onto the mat.

4. Classic sit-up: With your feet planted onto the floor, bring your hands overhead—don't use too much momentum. Bring your chest towards your thighs and lower back down. To challenge yourself more, leave your hands by your thighs as you lift up. Then repeat from move one.

second Set

1. Plank climber: On your elbows in a plank, pull one knee at a time into your chest. Keep your shoulders over your elbows and your back flat.

2. Heel reaches: Lying on your back with your feet planted on the floor, tap both sides of your heels as you lift your head. Also known as: penguin crunches. Keep your neck neutral and look up at the ceiling.

3. Plank hold: Stay steady and still as you keep your feet together and shoulders right over your elbows, back flat. Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels, and fire up your glutes and quads.

4. 3-point crunch: With your feet straight in the air as you lie on your back, reach up and touch your toes, then lower both legs. Follow that with a heel raise. So it's a toe touch, leg lower, then heel raise. Use your breathe. Repeat the set and then you're done.

To spice things up with weights, here's an at-home dumbbell workout. And an at-home upper body workout that burns in the best way. 

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