Core Couch Workout

Core Couch Workout

I swear I’m not purposely being gimmicky with this workout. The other week I just really wanted to do a quick core workout while watching Netflix on my couch. Don’t judge me—you try teaching six megaformer classes in a day with the first starting at 6AM and the last ending at 8:15PM. Trust me, you’d want to workout on your couch, too.

It was perfect for doing at the end of a long day: challenging without being sweaty, and pretty mindless if you set an interval timer to beep at you when it’s time to switch it up.

Core Couch Workout

Equipment I Used:

• 6-lb medicine ball (you can use any weight, dumbbell or just your bodyweight)
• My couch (a stepper or bench would work, too)

Set an interval timer for 18 rounds of 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. You’ll go through the following circuit of exercises 2 times. In total this workout will take you 12 minutes. Want it to be more challenging? Go through for a third round.

• Suitcase Crunch: Start by laying on the floor, butt up against the couch, knees bent and calves resting on the seat of the couch. With a weight in your hands (I used a med ball but you can really use anything—or nothing) overhead, you’re going to crunch your torso up off the ground, bringing the weight forward and tapping your shins with it before slowly lowering down to your starting position.
• Suitcase Crunch Hold: In the same position as the previous exercise, crunch up, torso lifted off the ground, and bring the weight in front of you so that it’s just hovering over your shins (don’t rest it on them). Hold this position for the 30 seconds.
• Reptile Incline Plank: Start in a plank position with your feet on the couch and hands on the floor, stacked directly underneath your shoulders. From here, crunch your right knee up towards your right shoulder. Bring your foot back to starting position and repeat with the left knee. Continue to alternate sides, crunching those obliques while holding a plank.
• Straight-Back Seated Leg Hold: This isometric hold is so much more challenging than it looks (for me anyway). I admittedly can’t hold it for 30 seconds straight and have to tap my feet down to the floor for a quick breather every 10 seconds or so. Sit on the floor with your back flat against the couch. With your fingertips tented on the floor for support, contract your lower abdomen and lift your feet off the floor, knees softly bent. Hold your feet hovering off the ground with back straight against the couch for the 30-second interval, taking as few breaks as possible.
• Side Plank Bottom Leg Lifts (RIGHT): Start in a side plank position with your right hand on the floor underneath your shoulder and your left foot on the edge of the couch. Your bottom right leg should be free to move. From here, you’re just going to pulse your right leg down and up, never letting it come fully to rest on the floor (or couch).
• Side Plank Top Leg Crunches (RIGHT): Stat in a side plank position with your right hand on the floor underneath your shoulder and feet on the couch. From here, you’re going to crunch your top left knee in towards your left elbow, squeezing that left sidebody while also engaging the right oblique to keep hips lifted and level in that plank position.
• Side Plank Bottom Leg Lifts (LEFT)
• Side Plank Top Leg Crunches (LEFT)
• Reverse Plank: This is a plank, only belly-side up. With feet on the couch and hands underneath your shoulders, engage your glutes and back to lift your body up into a straight plank position. Hold position for the whole 30 seconds, being careful not to let that butt start to drop down towards the floor—hold it up!

WEARING | tank: c/o Cozy Orange // leggings: c/o Champion

The tank I’m wearing in today’s workout is another piece gifted to me by Cozy Orange. The material is so comfortable, and I love the back strappy detailing. Usually if I have a tank with cups in the bra, I immediately rip them out and throw them away (I’m weird and like looking as flat-chested as humanly possible), but I actually kept them in this top—I like the added oomph for once.

Original article and pictures take pumpsandiron.com site