When focusing on exercising my abdominals I seem to easily lose concentration which then causes me to lose motivation. I discovered that if I exercise my abdominals while using a tabata timer app on my phone I’m able to stay focused and finish my ab workout without losing motivation. I wrote up a quick , 3 exercise, ab tabata workout that I have done and I enjoy. For this workout you will only need a mat. This workout could be done on its own or implemented in the beginning, end, or middle of another workout that you have planned. The specific timer app I have on my phone is called Tabata. There is a large selection of tabata timers available in the app store and any of them should work fine.
When I do this workout I set my timer for 30 seconds of work with a 10 second rest. I finish one exercise and move onto the next one on the list. After the third exercise I return to the first exercise to do a second round. I typically do 3 rounds. I would suggest this set up for a moderate to advanced individual. For a beginner try setting the timer for 20 seconds of work with a 10-20 second rest. Complete 2-3 rounds depending on what you feel your body is capable of doing.
Toe Taps:
Lay with your back on the mat. Fully extend your legs up so your body is in an L formation. Take your right hand and reach to the side of your left foot. Then alternate to the opposite side and reach with your left hand to the side of your right foot. Keep alternating for the duration of the timer. As you do this exercise focus on your obliques. Use your obliques to reach for your foot, not your shoulders.
Flutter Kicks:
Lay with your back on the mat. Fully extend your legs up so your body is in an L formation. Lower just your right leg as far as you can without touching the ground. Then bring your right leg back up to the starting position and do the same with your left leg. Lower and raise your legs simultaneously throughout the duration of the timer. This exercise is less about going fast and more about concentrating on abdominals.
Crunch Hold:
To begin this exercise lay on your mat with your feet flat on the mat and a bend in your knees. Once the timer starts raise your back up off the mat with your arms on the side of your legs, not touching your legs or the mat. Stay in this position for the duration of the timer. The closer your back is to the mat without touching the mat, the harder this exercise is. To make this exercise even more challenging also raise your feet off the mat.