Mar
Workouts
The 7 Minute Resistance Loop Band Total Ab Workout
Loop band training is one of the most effective ways to target your midsection. These versatile, low-cost workout aids provide targeted resistance to make every core move more effective. You don’t need to spend a lot of time working your abs. If you are regularly putting in more than ten minutes then you could definitely benefit by trading in some of the excessive time for more intensity, which is precisely what the loop bands allow you to do.
This 7-minute workout requires nothing more than an exercise mat to lie on a medium strength resistance loop band. So, let’s get to it!
Exercise #1
Sit on the floor and place the loop band around your lower quads, just above the level of your knees. Now lie face down on the floor with your knees bent and your feet pulled up to your butt. When you place your arms by your sides, your middle finger should just graze your heels. This positioning will allow your knees to track right over your ankles when you push up.
With your palms flat on the floor, lift your hips as high as you can into the air. At the top position, spread your knees apart as far as you can. Then lower back down to complete the rep.
The movement pattern is lifted, open, close, down.
As you open your knees, pull your belly button down toward your spine. Do 15 smooth continuous reps, inhaling as you lift the hips and exhaling as you lower the hips back to the floor.
Exercise #2
From the same starting position as in exercise #1, lift your bent knees up off the floor to form a 90-degree angle in the air. The knees should be right over the hips. Now, keeping your palms on the floor, bring your knees in towards your torso by contracting your abs and then press them towards the ceiling before returning to the start position. Focus on pulling your navel in toward your spine. Maintain the 90-degree angle in your legs throughout the entire movement.
The movement pattern here is in, up, back.
If you feel any discomfort in your lower back while doing this move, you can touch your feet back down to the ground between each repetition.
Do 15 reps of this exercise.
Exercise #3
From the previous starting position, straighten your legs into the air so that they form as close to a 90-degree angle to your torso as your flexibility will allow. Now, keeping your palms on the floor by your sides, extend your legs out to the sides. Maintain straight legs throughout as you pull your navel into your spine. Perform 15 smooth in-out repetitions, feeling for maximum activation in the lower part of the abdominal wall.
Exercise #4
Straighten your legs into the air so that they form as close to a 90-degree angle to your torso as your flexibility will allow. Now, with your palms resting on the floor alongside you, extend your straightened right leg towards the floor, while the left leg maintains its upright position. The length of movement of the right leg will vary according to your experience and flexibility. Your goal is to get it down to about a 45-degree leg angle to the floor the tightness in your core area. If you go any lower than this, you will probably feel an uncomfortable twinge in the lower back, which is not what we want.
Do 10 reps on each leg with this exercise.
Exercise #5
From the previous starting position, place your hands behind your head. With your knees about shoulder width apart, perform a crunch movement by drawing your knees back toward your elbows. Tightly contract your abs as your knees and elbows make contact, then kick your legs back to the starting position.
The movement pattern of this exercise is in, squeeze, out.
Do 15 reps on this exercise.
Exercise #6
Straighten your legs into the air so that they form as close to a 90-degree angle to your torso as your flexibility will allow. Now, with your palms resting on the floor alongside you, lift your hips toward the ceiling and then open your legs by pushing your quads against the resistance of the band in the top position. Be sure to keep your navel compressed into your spine throughout.
The movement pattern is lift, open, return.
Perform 15 reps on this movement.
Exercise #7
Lie face down on the floor with your knees bent and your feet pulled up to your butt. When you place your arms by your sides, your middle finger should just graze your heels. This positioning will allow your knees to track right over your ankles when you push up.
With your palms flat on the floor, lift your hips as high as you can into the air. In the top position, spread your legs apart against the resistance of the band. Again, be sure to draw your navel into your spine with each repetition.
Perform 15 reps on this exercise.
Exercise #8
Straighten your legs into the air so that they form as close to a 90-degree angle to your torso as your flexibility will allow. Now, with your palms resting on the floor alongside you, draw your knees back toward your chest and lift your hips up the to the sky, returning to the start position in one fluid motion. You may want to spread your hands a little wider on the floor with this move to provide extra support.
Perform 15 reps on this exercise.
Exercise #9
Straighten your legs into the air so that they form as close to a 90-degree angle to your torso as your flexibility will allow. Now, with your palms resting on the floor alongside you, and keeping your legs straight, push against the resistance of the band to spread your legs out as far as you can, and then back to the start position.
Do 15 reps of this exercise, keeping a focus on that tight core throughout.
Conclusion
This 9-exercise resistance loop band workout is hard work. It requires you to move fluidly from one move to the next with absolutely no rest between exercises. That will get your core fired up and, by the 3rd or 4th exercise, your abs will be on fire. That is exactly what you want and need in order to bring the results that you desire.
Perform your loop band resistance ab workout 3 times per week on alternate days to achieve the best results.
