This short, core-focused workout is a great add-on to your lower-, upper-, or total-body routine — but also a fantastic choice as a standalone workout for your primary movement of the day. Use the single-round warm-up to physically prime your core muscles for the challenging but adaptable circuits that follow, but also focus on slowly flowing through each exercise to activate the mind-muscle connection for efficient muscle recruitment.  

Each circuit contains exercises that combine isometric holds, dynamic but controlled movement patterns, and a focus on foundational stabilization. These exercises will not only strengthen the core (which includes the abdominals, glutes, hip flexors, and lower back muscles) with traditional flexion/crunching moves, but also improve total body muscle engagement and movement integration (flow).

Note that there are only a couple of plank-related exercises in this workout; therefore, if you have wrist pain concerns during plank/prone position exercises, this routine could be a great option to retain in your lineup for future go-to core routines. An important consideration for everyone is maintaining a slight pelvic tuck during both supine (face up) and prone (face down/plank) position exercises. For example, during the dead bug segment of the activation sequence as well as the forearm plank exercise in circuit #1, imagine that you are introducing your hip bones to your ribs — ever so slightly tilt the top of your pelvic bones up and back toward the bottom of your ribcage.

Below are a few additional tips to make this routine a fulfilling experience for you:

• Modifications for all exercises include decreasing the range of motion and/or bending your knees (shortening the lever) for any moves involving leg extension variations.
• Take note of which exercises are most challenging for you and identify differences in ranges of motion, strength, and reps counts for exercises with a unilateral focus (such as the oblique v-ups). Paying attention to even the most subtle of differences will help direct your focus during future attempts at this workout.
• Feel free to repeat the short cool-down circuit for an extended stretch or add your own stretches to help you return to a relaxed but energized state. You should feel as if your muscles were “worked” during this routine but still finish with a “ready to tackle whatever’s next” mindset.

Enjoy!

Workout
Activation/Warm-Up: 30 sec on / 10 sec off / 1 round (2:30)
-Bear Crawl 3-Second Holds
-Dead Bug – R (right arm, left leg)
-Dead Bug – L (left arm, right leg)
-Rollup

Core Circuit #1: 30 sec on / 10 sec off / 3 rounds (6:00)
-Scissor Kicks w/ Leg Lowers (torso lifted)
-Oblique Swivel Heel Taps
-Forearm Plank

***Water Break #1***

Core Circuit #2: 30 sec on / 10 sec off / 3 rounds (6:00)
-Oblique V-Ups – R
-Oblique V-Ups – L
-Full Plank: Alt. Forward Raise (3-sec hold)  

***Water Break #2***

Cool-Down: approx. 30 sec per stretch (approx. 1:30)
-Child’s Pose
-Cat/Cow
-Cobra Pose