Abs

Welcome to the official page of the Whittle My Middle 30-Day Challenge 1 & 2!

Whittle My Middle II

The objective is to increase the length of each exercise as your core strength improves. This challenge will not be very effective if you do the same length or reps for the entire month. In WMM 1, I was able to increase my planks from 30 secs. to 90 secs. in 1 month. You need to keep challenging yourself. As you improve, the length of your workout sessions will get longer too! You are the best judge of how much you should be doing.

What? Here is what I will be doing:

CORE WORK: 5 days a week, doing the following exercises:

Front Plank with fully extended arms

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Side plank with bent arm

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Torso Twists (see here for instructions) 15-25 reps, alternating right and left sides

Note. Instead of a medicine ball you can use hand weights or a large soup can/other heavy object.

Plank-Ups

Start in plank position on forearms, legs extended behind you, resting on toes; raise right leg a few inches off ground, toes out (as shown). Keeping leg lifted, straighten right arm, then left, coming into a raised push-up position. Reverse motion to return to plank. Repeat, alternating lead arms. Do 10-20 reps, switching legs at halfway point.

Note: If this exercise is too difficult for you, try keeping you leg on the ground and just focus on raising and lowering your arms.

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Boat Pose

Begin in a seated position with your knees bent and your feet resting lightly on the ground as you balance on your sit bones (A). With your core engaged, lengthen through your torso and recline slightly, avoiding any rounding of your back. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, then extend your legs, creating a V-shape with your torso and legs (B). Breathe comfortably throughout the move. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Note: Instead of just staying still the whole time, I prefer to bring my knees in to my chest and extending them back into boat pose (one rep, hold for 1-2 secs), all while keeping my feet off the ground. I find this challenges the abs more as you have to stay balanced while moving.

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Side Plank Rotation/twists with arm reaching under body (See photo below) Do 8-15 twists on each side. I prefer to use a bent arm for this one as it is easier on my wrists.