Building a stronger core is something we should all be doing. Strengthening your abs can help improve your posture, support your back, and improve your stability. It can also help build a muscular midsection.
And if there’s anyone who knows how to strengthen your core, it’s fitness expert Daisy Keech. Keech is no stranger to helping fitness fanatics achieve a toned midsection. His masses of high-intensity interval training (HIIT)-based exercise videos, including many of the best core strengthening exercisesThey are a testimony of it.
One of Keech’s latest workouts is an eight-minute abs video, which has racked up more than four million views (and counting). And better yet, it’s a workout that features just nine moves with no equipment that will fire up your abs. No, none of the best abdominal rollers are needed for this quick session. Instead, Keech recommends completing each of the nine different floor-based moves for 40 seconds, then resting for 10 seconds. That is all.
But as simple as it sounds, don’t be fooled into thinking this burst of abs is easy. Whether you’re trying to build a six-pack, tone up, or just want to test your core strength, find some floor space, roll out one of the best yoga mats and reserve only eight minutes. This quick workout is sure to have you feeling the burn.
Watch Daisy Keech’s 8-Minute Ab Workout
Keech describes this exercise as his ‘hourglass abs exercise.’ He also mentions at the beginning of the video that he prefers to avoid any exercises that target his obliques, like a side plank.
“An hourglass shape is something I’ve worked really hard for,” he says. “And my exercises are very specific where I don’t work my external oblique.”
Keech explains that he thinks oblique exercises tend to develop your outer waistline. That’s why he avoids these exercises, as he wants to create a tight hourglass figure.
While these exercises can do just that, we prefer to think of this ab workout as a quick, equipment-free punch that will build your core strength in just eight minutes. We say this because science tells us that achieving core strength goes far beyond aesthetics.
In fact, according to Harvard Health (opens in a new tab) Core exercises can reduce the risk of falls, since the abdominals are the “strong central link in a chain that connects the upper and lower body.” Research (opens in a new tab) It has also shown that a strong core can help prevent injury during sports or other everyday activities.
Convinced to build your core? Here are the moves you need to know:
- butterfly kicks
- toe tapping
- scissor kicks
- reverse crunches
- pocketknives
- bike creaks
- bicycle kicks
- russian twists
- basic abs
Remember to repeat these movements for 40 seconds and then rest for 10. Although if you find that you can’t complete each exercise for 40 seconds, practice them for as long as you can. After all, it’s better to focus on your form and perfect your technique rather than risk injury.
If you are new to training your core, you can also refer to this abs workout for beginners. It might also benefit you to master how to make an iron correctly too and how to do a crunch correctly if it’s been a while since you focused on your core.
Or, for more tips on how to build a six packhead this way.
