THE 10-MINUTE ABS WORKOUT THAT WILL FIRE UP YOUR ENTIRE CORE

“YOU CAN NEVER have too much lower abdominal activation, especially when riding a bike,” says physical therapist Kellen Scantlebury. “These all-important muscles work with the hip flexors to help generate power.”

Scantlebury created this 10-minute abs workout to help you build core strength. And not just your core: each move in the circuit will challenge other parts of your body too. You’ll strengthen your glutes, chest, shoulders, and back while you fire up your core.

How to do it: Perform each move for 30 seconds, then recover for 30 seconds, for a total of five minutes. Do two rounds.

1 SUPERMAN PLANK // Start in a plank position. Raise your right foot off the floor, leg straight. At the same time, raise your left arm and extend it out in front of you. Keep your back straight and try not to wiggle from side to side. Squeeze your abs and glutes, and slowly return your arm and leg to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side with no rest between sides. Alternate for 30 seconds.

2 HOLLOW BODY ROCKS // Lie on your back with your legs straight, knees together, and toes pointed. Extend your arms past your head. Tighten your core – think about pulling your belly button towards your spine – and press your lower back into the floor. Raise your hands and feet, keeping your legs and arms straight. Looking straight ahead, bring your chest and legs off the ground and rock forward and back without changing your body position. 3 SIDE PLANK WITH HIP AND KNEE FLEXION // Start in a side plank position, with your left forearm on the floor and your body in a straight line. Put your right hand on your right hip. With your core tight, raise your right leg and bend it at the knee. Bring it forward and back, like a pedalling motion, for 30 seconds. Don’t let the bottom hip drop. Rest for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

4 DEADBUG // Lie face-up with your arms extended towards the ceiling. With your knees bent at 90 degrees, keep your shoulders down and feet flexed. Engage your core and extend your right arm and left leg away from you until your heel barely taps the floor. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side and alternate for 30 seconds.