SWING INTO GEAR

Absolve your stomach of December’s sins with the BULGARIAN HALO-TO ARM THROW , a bellymelting move that will earn you a six-pack for 2018

Get to grips with our Bulgarian bag move for a new twist on boring ab workouts

After another year spent alternating between sit-ups and planks, your abs training could do with an upgrade. Grab a Bulgarian bag, however, and this advanced move will rouse any sluggish gym regimen. Six-pack success comes from the exercise’s ability to target an underused plane of movement – the rotation. It works your entire core, not just the superficial rectus abdominus (little wonder, when you’re swinging 20kg round your head), for abs that have function as well as form.

“What many of us lack when sat at our desks or doing crunches is any twisting movement,” says Matt Shore, specialist PT at Train Strong gym. “The halo-to-arm throw masters this pattern to take your core to the next level.” More specifically, this rotation will engage enough of your mid-section to unearth the abs and obliques which, until now, have possibly remained elusive.

But if your main concern is stubborn belly fat rather than a weak core, you’re still covered. By incorporating multiple muscle groups, this exercise also spikes your metabolism to burn a devilish number of calories.

Perfect the technique and you’ll see results within a month. “Perform five sets of 20 reps three times a week to speed up your results,” advises Shore. Consider this your new bag of tricks.

01 HOLD TIGHT

Get comfortable with the handles, holding the bag down at your knees. The grips will work your forearms hard and letting go could be destructive. Breathe out to engage your core and prepare for the torque.

02 FULL SWING

Throw the bag out laterally to the left, arms extended, before swinging it past your shins in an arc. It’s here that your core kicks in. Fight against the swinging motion to keep your trunk stable and upright.

03 FOR A LOOP

Don’t. Let. Go. Using the bag’s momentum, bring it up to your right and start passing it behind your head to open your shoulder. Your biceps will pass in front of your face as the bag completes its first rotation.

04 THE CATCH

As the bag comes down from circling your head, hinge forward at your hips, wrapping your arms across your body to catch the bag on your back. Pause, reverse the motion and keep breathing – this set is going to burn.