On the days when you don’t have time for a full gym workout, you don’t need to rule out exercising altogether if you’re in the mood to be active. Moving your body a little is better than not moving it at all and you can still strengthen your muscles in a short amount of time.
Abs workouts are great for days when you’re after a workout snack. While compound exercises are great for training your abs and core, direct abs work is well worth adding on top of that. Short abs circuits are mostly easy to do at home too, requiring little if any equipment – you won’t even need to turn the TV off.
This workout from fitness trainer Ali Meltzer is only three movements, and challenges your arms as well as your abs. All you need is a pair of dumbbells, but if you don’t have any equipment at home, the workout will still benefit your abs. You can always check our selection of the best dumbbells for home and see if any pairs suit your budget.
This 10-minute session also works well as a workout finisher, when you’re looking for an extra burn at the end of a strength session. Watch Meltzer demonstrate the movements with the correct form in the Instagram reel below.
Complete each exercise for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest, and repeat for a total of five rounds. Ensure your core is engaged throughout the entire workout by squeezing the area between your upper abdominal muscles and your ribs. Keep breathing, though – often people hold their breath while bracing their core.
Concentrate on keeping your arm and shoulder muscles engaged too, especially when lifting the dumbbells overhead. It will promote hypertrophy (building muscle), as well as helping to promote proper form and prevent injury.
Combine Meltzer’s session with this dumbbell legs workout or home legs workout for a full-body burn, and rotate it with this 10-minute abs workout from a fitness model to ensure variation in your training.
