A 30-Minute Workout to Target Your Abs and Arms
Earlier this week I biked like a maniac to make it to a group fitness class in the West Loop only to find that the class had been cancelled. I found myself SOL at 7:30 pm with tons of energy to still squeeze in a workout. My solution? Find an aSweatLife 30-minute abs and arms workout to make me sweat without having to dream up anything else on my own, obviously.
I did a treadmill workout first and paired it with this 30-minute abs and arms workout that left me saying to myself, “What the hell did I just put myself through?”
This is your 30 minute abs and arms workout:
60 seconds of each exercise, repeating everything 3x through with a 30-second break between rounds.
- Reverse inchworm push-up
- Triceps dips
- Right side plank hip dips
- Left side plank hip dips
- Hovering butterfly
- 1 legged push-up to 3-leg Down Dog (right leg)
- 1 legged push-up to 3-leg Down Dog (left leg)
- High knees ab rotation standing
- Tricep inchworms slide-throughs
- Long lever plank
Here are the moves:
Reverse inchworm push-up: Start in a plank. Walk your feet, inch by inch up to your hands, keeping your palms pressed towards the ground (working your lowest abdominal muscles). Then walk back out to a plank and do a push-up. Keep repeating walking up, walking back, and one push-up for 60 seconds.
Triceps dips: Set yourself up in a reverse tabletop position, fingertips facing towards your toes. Keep your chest open and lifted as you inhale and bend your elbows straight back, avoiding sagging your hips down. Exhale as you press up.
Side plank hip dips: Place your right hand directly underneath your shoulder and stack your feet on top of each other in a full side plank. Inhale as you dip your hips straight down, exhale as you arc them up, keeping your hand on your hips to stabilize your mid section.
Hovering butterfly: Lie on your back, feet in a diamond shape and hands above your head. Draw your belly to your spine as you hover your ankles off the ground. Exhale and lift up, swimming your arms out and through to reach towards your ankles. Inhale on the way back down with the option to lower your feet to the ground or keep them hovering as you reach back and up.
1 legged push-up to 3-leg Down Dog (right leg): From a down dog position, lift your right leg to a 3-legged dog. Shift forward to a high plank, keeping your right leg hovered. Do one push-up, continuing to hover your right leg. Lift back up to a 3-leg down dog.
High knees ab rotation standing: At whatever pace you feel in control over, lift one leg to hip high and twist across your body. Switch legs and switch the test.
Tricep inchworms slide-throughs: Start in a reverse tabletop position. As you exhale, slide your hips back and underneath you, pressing firmly down through your palms and straightening your legs. Work towards keeping your glutes lifted off the ground as high as you can as you slide your hips as far back as you can. Return back to reverse tabletop and repeat.
Long lever plank: Start in a plank position. Walk your hands out as far as you can to engage your abs and make your plank as challenging as possible. Hold it or walk you hands slowly back in to your regular plank and walk back out as far as you can again. The longer you can hold it, the more difficult it will be.
(Disclaimer: This 30 minute abs and arms workout is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor is it a replacement for seeking medical treatment or professional nutrition advice. Do not start any nutrition or physical activity program without first consulting your physician.)