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Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365[/caption]
Planks, Russian twists and crunches are mega core burners, but you can take them to the next level with the ultimate workout equipment hack: a towel. By now, you might have seen different towel workouts, where you pull it tight at both ends to create resistance. But these ab burners kick things up a notch by using a towel to create less stability, challenging your core to work harder. Sure, static planks will fire up your abdominal muscles, but add a knee tuck with a towel underneath your toes, and you’ve got a serious tummy toner.
Meaghan Murphy, CPT, Good Housekeeping executive editor, stopped by the set of Daily Burn 365 to show us how to glide and twist to a tighter midsection with some of her favorite ab-toning towel moves. Ready? Do eight reps for each of the moves below, rest for 60 seconds and repeat for three rounds.
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3 Ab Exercises You Can Do With a Towel
1. Plank with Sliding Knee Tuck
The key to this move is to keep your upper body and core steady as you drive your knees toward your elbows. Be sure to stack your shoulders above your hands and tuck your chin so your head and neck are aligned with the rest of your body. If you need a modification, try placing your hands on an incline, like a box or bench.
2. DIY “Ab Roller”
It’s a common mistake to initiate this movement with your arms. But to make the most out of this ab exercise, engage the muscles in your core to glide the towel underneath your hands forward. As your arms gradually extend, keep your upper body and hips lifted and avoid rounding your back as you bring your hands back to tabletop position. This will help you work your lower ab muscles and create definition in those hard-to-target areas.
3. Seated Torso Twist
If you’re not a fan of bicycle crunches, your obliques get serious TLC with this version of the Russian twist. Remember to keep your spine long and abs engaged as you hold tightly to both ends of the towel and twist from side to side.
Want more no-equipment ab exercises like these? Head to DailyBurn.com/365 to get new live workouts, daily.
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