Abs on Fire: A Quick Ab Workout from the BarreAmped Fire DVD

Fire up your workout with these great ab exercises from the BarreAmped Fire Extreme Sculpt DVD. All you’ll need is a mat or a soft surface to workout on. Make sure your body is warm before beginning any workout.

Start by lying on your mat with your knees bent in to your chest. You’ll want to feel your lower spine slightly imprint into the mat.

Gently clasp your hands around the front knee and extend the back leg while keeping your shoulder carriage lifted up and your head in line with your spine. Inhale into your diaphragm (rib cage). On the exhale, close your rib cage (diaphragm), lift your pelvic floor muscles and abdominal wall, and switch legs. Repeat 8-10 times.

Make it easier: Extend the leg higher

Make it harder: Extend the leg lower

Next, extend your front leg up and hold onto the calf muscles. Keep back leg slightly lifted off the mat. Inhale into the diaphragm, letting abs and pelvic floor expand. Exhale and switch the legs. Hold. Inhale holding the back leg. Exhale, close the rib cage, lift the pelvic floor muscles and abdominal wall. Hold. Then switch the legs. Repeat for up to 10 sets.

Make it easier: Keep the knees soft or bent.

Make it harder: Pulse top leg in twice before switching and keep top leg super straight.

For your last ab exercise, lower your upper body all the way down and settle into the mat with the lower back in a neutral position. (You should feel the natural curve of the lower back creating a small bit of space above the mat.) Extend your arms long and ground them down beside the hips. Keep your gaze up. Bring both legs up straight above the hips (with a slight bend if you need it for flexibility). Inhale and lower the legs down a couple of inches without letting your lower back change at all. Exhale and lift the legs back up. Repeat up to 10 times.

Make it easier: Keep a soft bend in the knees and don’t lower legs as far.

Make it harder: Lower legs as low as possible without allowing the lower back to change at all.

Use this Side Bend Reset Stretch after working your abs — or at any point during the day to release, refresh, and renew! Just make sure your body is warm before any stretching.

On a mat or soft surface, bring your legs directly underneath your hips. Extend your right leg out and ahead of your hips. Keep the foot down. Reach your left arm up and over the straight right leg and reach palm up. Drop right hip down (if you can). Hold this stretch for up to one minute while you breathe. Repeat on the other side.

If you enjoyed this quick abs workout, you’ll love the BarreAmped Fire Extreme Sculpt DVD! You can grab a physical copy from Amazon or download the digital version directly to your computer!