If you’re looking for a 10-minute abs workout, Pamela Reif is your girl. With over 9 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, Reif is an efficient trainer: she jumps right into the workout and performs the exercises in real time, making it easy to follow up. Can you set your core on fire in 10 minutes? I unrolled my yoga mat to find out more.
As a fitness editor, I’m no stranger to Reif’s workouts. In fact, you can read what happened when i tried his famous six minute crunch routine with over 21 million views here. I’m a fan of how short and snappy Reif’s workouts are: they sculpt your core without you having to spend hours in the gym, plus you can fit them into your lunch hour.
In the caption to this excellent six-pack workout, Reif writes that the workout targets “lower, upper, and side abs,” that it’s an advanced workout, and that it’s “100% male-friendly.” You don’t need any equipment for the workout, so put the best adjustable dumbbells aside (or check this out). 15 minute dumbbell crunch routine if you want to use them).
Looking for more exercise inspiration? Read what happened when this writer did 50 russian twists every day for a weekand when we tried this 7 minute resistance band glute workout.
What is Pamela Reif’s 10 Minute Abs Workout?
Pamela Reif’s 10-Minute Ab Workout is a series of 20 bodyweight exercises, held for 30 seconds each. The video has a timer in the upper right corner, allowing you to follow along in real time. When it comes to form, Reif writes, “make sure you keep your lower back flat on the mat. Just lower your legs as far as you can, so your lower back doesn’t come off the mat.”
Reif also recommends lowering your head back to the mat if you feel any of the exercises put too much pressure on your neck. He also recommends thinking about your abs throughout your workout: “It’s about the mind-muscle connection. Lift your legs with the strength of your abs, not your thighs.”
As the workout is only 10 minutes long, there are no breaks, though if you’re a beginner or getting back into exercise after an injury, feel free to pause the video and take a break whenever you need to.
The workout is easy to follow, but if you like to prepare in advance, include the following exercises:
Cross knee and leg raise: For this crunch variation, Reif has one leg straight and the other crossed, with the knee pointing to the side, almost like a figure-four stretch. Keeping her lower leg straight, she engages her abs and draws her torso in toward her legs. He lowers himself back to his starting position and repeats.
Dennis knife and spank: For this exercise, start lying on your back, with your arms and legs straight and raised a few inches off the ground. Moving from your core, lift your head, neck, and torso off the ground and lift your legs toward your torso at the same time. Keeping your arms extended, clap behind your legs before lowering back to the starting position.
Single Leg Drop Reverse Crunch: Another Pamela classic: doing two moves in one. For this exercise, she completes a reverse crunch, then once she’s lowered her glutes to the mat, lower one extended leg out from her body. Raise it all the way to the ceiling, then complete another reverse crunch.
I Tried Pamela Reif’s 10-Minute Killer Abs Workout – Here’s What Happened
Reif wasn’t lying when he said this workout was advanced – a few exercises and my core was shaking.
Reif wasn’t lying when he said this workout was advanced – a few exercises and my core was shaking. It turns out he wasn’t alone, a quick look at the comments on the video confirmed that this was a challenging exercise, with one person writing, “It’s when the plank feels like the easiest exercise that you realize it’s working.”
Many of the ab exercises were challenging, combining two different exercises into one for a real burn. While 30 seconds is a relatively short rep, the lack of rest turns this workout into a slow build – you really feel it in no time.
As someone who suffers from sciatica, I have to be careful during ab workouts to make sure I don’t arch my lower back. Most of this training was done lying on the ground, however I found that I had to reduce the range of motion by a few movements, or lift my legs higher to ensure my back remained pressed against the ground.
I also appreciated the activation exercises at the beginning of the training. Something often missing from YouTube workouts, the activation exercises prepared me for the workout. Here it is how to engage your core and why it matters.
Ten minutes later, my core felt like it had gotten a good workout. A few hours later, I was in pain. The next morning, I was only 20 seconds into my Pilates reformer class before I felt my abs shake. This is a great abdominal exercise for anyone looking for a quick and effective burn. It is one that I will definitely repeat, once my abs have recovered.
