Many of you have been asking for a more intense abdominal workout to focus on really getting those core muscles sore and building strength even more.  We have created this video to do just that, by utilizing exercises that pinpoint the abdominals, obliques and lower back as well as using extra resistance in the form of additional weight.

Keep in mind that though we use dumbbells and in one example a medicine ball you can actually use any weighted object you want and achieve the same results.  Also, if you find that using extra weight is a bit beyond your current strength levels then all of theses movements can be done without weight and still provide excellent results.

With that said this routine is not meant for beginners. Most of these movements are far more advanced than a beginner can control and can result in injury if attempted. If you're new to exercise then you will need to judge for yourself as to whether or not this workout is appropriate for you. Keep in mind that with any exercise proper form is very important not only to help you get the most out of each move but also to keep you injury free.  It does not matter if you are a beginner or have been exercising for decades, if you find you are having trouble keeping proper form then you need to stop doing that exercise and just try to do better the next time you attempt this routine.

This routine does use a few different pieces of equipment however the only equipment that is really 100% necessary is a Physio-Ball (also know as, Ab-Ball, Exercise-Ball, or Swiss-Ball). Though we don't generally like to use equipment that can't be substituted, this piece of equipment is rather unique and necessary for the exercises it is used with. If you don't already have one then we would suggest getting one. They are relatively inexpensive ranging from $10 - $50 USD depending on the quality and can be used for a large range of core and balance exercises.

Though this workout's primary focus is on the abdominals, obliques, and lower back, it would normally not burn very many calories, however, because of the exercises we have chosen to use that incorporate multiple other muscle groups as well as using extra resistance in the form of extra weight we have actually been able to get this routine up to an impressive calorie burn.  You can expect to burn 7 calories per minute on the low end and up to 12 calories per minute on the high end giving you a total burn from 126 to 216 calories in this 18 minute workout.

Workout Structure:

• 3 Groups of 3 Exercises; 2 Sets of 10 Repetitions per exercises per group.

Group One:

• Jackknife Crunch
• Back Bow
• Supine Oblique Rotation

Group Two:

• Ball Crunch
• Ball Back Extension
• Ball Oblique Crunch (Left and Right)

Group Three:

• Crunch
• Swimmers
• Side Hip Raise (Left and Right)