Bodyweight crunches and planks just don’t cut it when you want to build rock-hard abs. For that you need to up the workload placed on your core muscles, and these abs-focused dumbbell moves will quickly fatigue these muscles.
Do the moves in order, without resting between exercises, to complete one round. Rest for two minutes between rounds. Do four rounds in total.
1 Swing
Reps 12
Hold the dumbbell in both hands, then swing it down between your legs, then back up to head up. Allow the weight to swing back down and go straight into the next rep.
2 Side bend
Reps 12 each side
Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in one hand. Bend down to work your side abs, then straighten back up. Do all the reps on one side, then switch hands and do the same number of reps on the other.
3 Woodchop
Reps 12 each side
Hold the dumbbell in both hands to one side of your legs, then swing it diagonally up to finish with the weight above your opposite shoulder. Reverse the move back to the start. Complete all the reps on one side then do the same number of reps on the other.
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4 Seated Russian twist
Reps 12
Sit with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding the dumbbell in both hands. Rotate your torso to one side, then back across to the other, then back to the middle. That's one rep. Make the last move of this circuit, the seated Russian twist, harder by raising – and keeping – your heels off the floor (pictured).
