How to Do a Full Abdominal Workout in Three Minutes

Having no time is no excuse for this quick abdominal workout.

Stop crying you don’t have the time to exercise. Many mini-workouts take less than half an hour, and sometimes less than five minutes. You can do a full abdominal workout in three minutes, using only the floor, your abdominal muscles, a weight for one of the moves and a few simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Weight or heavy object

Instructions

1. Do three different crunches. Lie on your back with your legs bent at 90 degrees and your ankles crossed. Do 10 crunches with your arms bent and hands behind your head while looking straight up at the ceiling. Do 10 crunches with your arms extended to the right, as if you are going to catch a ball that was thrown to the right of your legs. Repeat the arm extended crunches for 10 on your left.

2. Bicycle. Continue to lie on your back, bending your arms and placing your hands behind your head. Bicycle your legs, moving your left elbow towards your right knee as it comes near your face and your right elbow towards your left knee as it nears your face. Do 10 bicycles with your feet pointed, another 10 with your feet flexed.

3. Remain on your back and raise both legs to a 90 degree angle from your torso. Pulse your feet towards the ceiling using your abdominal muscles to push your legs upward. Pulse for a count of 10.

4. Leave your legs straight up in the air and touch your toes, crunching your abdominals in the process, for a count of 10.

5. Stay on your back with your legs extended towards the ceiling and bend your knees towards your chin and then back up towards the ceiling. Repeat for a count of 10.

6. Stand with legs shoulder width apart and bend at the waist directly towards the left then back to center for a count of 25. Repeat on the right.

7. Stay standing and grab a weight or medicine ball. Hold it in front of your stomach with your elbows bent. Twist the weight with your body as you turn to the right, then left, for a count of 60.

Tips & Warnings

• This quick fix abdominal workout can be done on its own or as part of your regular workout. You can disperse the moves throughout your exercise routine as you see fit.

• Do this sequence at least three times a week for best results.

• Mix up the order of the exercises to add some variety.

• If you don’t have weights or a medicine ball, you can use anything that has some heft and is around the house, like a few hardcover books, a gallon of milk or a mini cast iron Buddha statue.