40 Min Pilates All Abs – Core Workout is Day 33 in Heather Robertson‘s HR12Week 5.0 program.
This is an all bodyweight core strength workout. You are only standing for the warm up–everything else is on the mat. You are on your back or in plank. It is tough. Not counting the warm up and stretch, this is 30+ solid minutes of mat based core work. No fun! But effective.
The exercises are done interval style: 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of recovery. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Heather previews the next exercise.
40 Min Pilates All Abs – Core Workout is 40:19 minutes; 45 second intro, 4:40 minute warm up and 3:50 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness mat.
- Side bridge & twist (side elbow plank, top arm is extended to the ceiling, lower hip to mat, raise hip then reach top arm under body)
- Side leg lift & crunch (in modified elbow plank (bottom hand and knee on floor), top leg is extended straight with insole on mat, top arm is extended over your head, raise top leg then bend knee, pulling knee into chest while also bringing top elbow to knee)
- Bridge & tuck (in side elbow plank w/ top arm extended overhead, bent top knee and bring knee into chest while also bringing top elbow to knee, return to start and lower hip to mat)
- One way bicycle (lay on back, legs are raised with both knees bent at 90 degrees, hands are behind head, crunch upper body while bringing one elbow to opposite knee while other leg extends straight, remain crunching to one knee entire interval)
- Double pulse bicycle (tradition bicycle maneuver but twice on one side before repeating on other side)
- Repeat #1-4 on other side of body
- Bicycle twist (traditional bicycle maneuver)
- Frog toe tap (lay on back, hands behind head, head/shoulders elevated, legs are raised off floor, keeping feet together with knees bent and open, lower legs tapping feet to floor then raise legs back to start, knees remain bent and open entire time)
- Flutter kick (lay on back w/ hands behind head and head/shoulders elevated, legs are extended straight and elevated a few inches off the floor, flutter legs like swimming)
- Plank kick & tuck (in straight arm plank, raise one leg up behind you then bend knee bringing knee to elbow outside of body, alternate legs)
- Mountain climber
- Elbow plank hold
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-12
For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
