I Did This 5 Minute Ab Workout Every Day for a Month

Mode

In short, here it is training I did:

1. 50 seconds of plank up and down, 10 seconds of rest.

2. 50 seconds superman, 10 seconds rest

3. 25 seconds of side plank on each side, 10 seconds of rest.

4. Two rounds of 20-second hollow body holds with 5 to 10 seconds of rest in between, resting for the rest of the minute.

5. One minute bear crawl

I’m not the biggest morning person, so I usually did the exercises in the evening or at night. Sometimes I did it as a separate activity, but sometimes it happened after many runs. Peloton cycling and hiking.

Journey

Day 1

When I first tried the workout, I tried to make it a stand-alone activity. I wanted to get a clear picture of when movements started to feel difficult without wondering if I was tired from another exercise.

As expected, my abs were definitely on fire during the first workout—especially in the up-and-down plank and hollow body holds. I did this about 35 seconds before the rise and fall really started to burn, and 10 seconds before the first empty delay. On the other hand, supermen and side planks weren’t that bad. Although I could feel my muscles working during these exercises, for me it was just a constant mild burning sensation throughout both movements.

As for the bear crawls, I have to be honest: I never liked them. It’s not that I find them particularly difficult, but that I feel a little awkward doing them. (In fact, I usually swap them out for other moves when I encounter them in other workouts.) Since swapping wasn’t an option this time, I used the bear crawl every day, but I definitely noticed some pacing issues early on. work until the end of the month.

Day 8

A week later, I found myself doing a daily ab workout after my Peloton ride. (By the way: is it better to do this cardio before or after strength training depends on your goals, W.H. reported. If you want to become stronger, you should first train for strength. I’m currently chasing more endurance, so I opted for cardio first.) I figured all the moves would be harder once I got off the bike feeling satisfyingly fatigued (thanks, Ben Aldis!), and for the most part I was right: the up-and-down plank started to get challenging after about 20 seconds, and even my side planks were wobblier than usual.

But on the bright side, I also experienced a surprising improvement in my hollow body retention.. For the first time, I managed to reduce the break between holds to five seconds, and I even added that lost break time to the second hold as an additional challenge.

Day 14

About a week after that #smallvictory, I had my first breakthrough. I trained at night, a few hours after my run, and found that I could easily carry on a conversation while going up and down on the plank. Time flew during my superman days – no pun intended. And the empty grips weren’t too bad either, although I did take a 10 second break between them. In fact, the whole workout just got a little easier.

Day 21

My next and biggest breakthrough came exactly three weeks into my journey. Let me set the stage: it was evening and the training atmosphere was an episode Emily in Paris. As usual, I started with up and down planks and they only started to feel heavy after 40 seconds. Supermen were next, and they seemed simple to me. Side planks? Wind. Even the hollow holds—the hardest part of this workout in my opinion—were easier. This time I only took a five second break in between and my abs didn’t burn after the first shot.

Perhaps the good vibes from my newly discovered Netflix obsession helped. If anything, I really started to reap the benefits of consistent core work. Either way, it was great to get through this workout and get to the finish line.

Day 31

On the last day of the trip, I felt like I had made good progress in this workout. A few notable observations: The up-and-down plank only started to get difficult towards the end of the 50-second interval, and I was easily able to maintain a gap of up to five seconds between hollow body holds. Even my bear crawls became smoother! I can confidently say that I feel ready to level up my day job.



Conclusions

I don’t have a six pack right now, but I feel stronger.

In my understanding, this is a victory! After 31 days, my workouts became noticeably easier. And there were times throughout the month when I felt especially grateful to have given my abs that extra attention. For example, on Day 19 I went on a tough hike that required good balance, and you can bet I was happy to work on my core strength during moments that felt more dangerous. After all, core exercises are important for improving your stability, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The workout combinations kept me going.

Of course, knowing that I would be writing this article gave me some inspiration to keep my creative juices flowing. But I found motivation elsewhere. While adding this workout to other forms of exercise made it more challenging, I also found that doing it in combination helped me approach it with more positivity and focus.

I first noticed this on day 15: I woke up early that day to go for a light walk, and when I got home, I decided it was time for me to do an ab workout. During this class I became more engaged and attentive to form (even during the bear crawl).

Bottom line: I feel like I was happier doing my ab workout—and I put in more effort—on days when it followed runs, hikes, and bike rides. And FYI, if you’re wondering the best way to combine different types of exercise, check out this W.H. article.

I still don’t like bear crawls… but I appreciate them.

Especially since I spent the month focusing on my form and working on doing it with purpose (rather than just getting through them and praying for the time to go by faster). Plus, I learned that they have many benefits. For example, bear crawls work the serratus anterior muscle on the side of your chest, which helps you breathe. W.H. previously reported. As a marathon runner, I’m glad to know this!

I now feel inspired to better understand and tackle other movements that I traditionally avoid (looking at you, jacks) – and I would advise you to do the same.

I will continue to train my abs, but not every day.

Consider this 31-day journey more of a kickstart for me than a long-term training plan. After all, “Your abs are like any other muscle you train, so it’s important to give the muscles time to grow and heal,” Coach. Astrid Swan previously said W.H.. I definitely don’t want to overdo it, so I’ll probably just focus on incorporating a balanced ab workout.

US Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities along with at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. My goal for the future? Fit the basic exercises into this structure.



Erin Warwood is a San Francisco-based writer, runner, and sparkling water lover. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. In her free time, she watches Survivor, tries new Peloton workouts, and reads Emily Giffin novels. Her ultimate goal: to become a morning person.