The 7-Minute Abs Workout That Will Fire Up Your Core

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of SELF.

Sculpting your abs requires firing up every inch of your midsection, from the top of your rectus abdominis, or six-pack muscles, to your obliques. This routine challenges them all in seven moves. Don’t rush: Slow, controlled movements ensure your core muscles do the work, not gravity or momentum. Each exercise in the routine below will take about a minute to complete. When you’re short on time do one round of the seven-move circuit. For supercharged results, do three sets of each move up to five times per week. Now let’s get to the abs-mazing moves.

Your Trainer Hannah Davis, a trainer in Cleveland, Tennessee, and founder of Body By Hannah

You’ll Need gliding disks (or small towels or paper plates)

You Can Do the routine before or after cardio, but if you’re strength training, do these moves last

1. Bicycle

Works abs, obliques, hip flexors

• Sit on floor with knees bent, feet lifted, hands behind head.
• Keep chest up and back straight as you lean back to engage abs.
• Twist to bring right elbow to left knee, straightening right leg.
• Repeat on opposite side for 1 rep. Do 10 to 15 reps.

2. Slider Pike

Works shoulders, abs, hip flexors

• Start in a high plank with feet together, a gliding disk under each.
• Use abs to lift hips, bringing feet as close as possible to hands without bending knees.
• Slowly slide back to start for 1 rep. Do 10 to 15 reps.

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The Best New Sports Bras For Every Cup Size And Workout

When it comes to your workouts, you need a sports bra that can keep up! SELF staffers put 170+ styles to the test during hours of yoga, HIIT, and long, sweaty runs. Here are the 27 MVPs for every cup size and workout style.

A/B Cup

Low Impact:

1. C9 by Champion: Yogis will dig this seamless bralette with sexy straps. Seamless Strappy, $20; Target.com/C9

2. PopPhysique: Designed by its barre class namesake, this simple and strappy bra is ideal for those tiny pulses. The Pop Sports Bra, $42; PopPhysique.com

3. SmartWool: Wicking merino wool is perfect for long hikes said one tester. Seamless Double Strappy, $55; Smartwool.com

Medium Impact:

1. Patagonia: Testers say they wouldn’t change a thing about this simple, chic bra. Cordelisse, $49; Patagonia.com

2. The North Face: According to a tester, this is “the most perfect bra for a workout.” Dynamix, $50; TheNorthFace.com

3. Olympia: Show off those abs with this wear-alone bra perfect for any sculpting class. Thalia Neo, $82; OlympiaActivewear.com

High Impact:

1. New Balance: Editors call this happy-hued winner “snug” and “supportive.” Metro Run, $46; NewBalance.com

2. Athleta: The T-back keeps arms and shoulders free to let you groove during dance class. Up-Tempo Microstripe, $49; Athleta.com

3. Brooks: Adjustable straps and a hook-and-eye closure mean no getting stuck trying to take off your bra. FineForm, $50; BrooksRunning.com

Related: This 10-Minute Plyometric Workout Burns MEGA Calories

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That Moment When: Nzingha Prescod

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of SELF.

Nzingha Prescod was doing lunges during practice in 2014 when she felt a sharp, pinching pain in her right hip. It turned out she needed surgery for torn cartilage. “It was scary,” she says. “I didn’t know if I’d even be able to continue fencing.” The Columbia University grad dedicated herself to an intense five months of rehab. But her comeback was more than just physical. “I had to change my mind-set,” she says. “Instead of thinking about losing, I focused on what I could control.” Ready to compete again come 2015, the Brooklyn, New York–based athlete entered the fencing world championships, where she fenced 2012 Olympic gold medalist Elisa Di Francisca. “Against someone so respected, I’d usually think, It’s my time to be out, but I ignored my doubts and trusted myself.” Prescod won the bout, and she’ll take that confidence to Rio de Janeiro this summer. “I know that I can beat anyone in the world,” she says.

Nzingha Prescod’s Road To Rio:

Nine: Prescod’s age when she started fencing at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, a nonprofit fencing club for inner-city youths in New York City. Now, she volunteers there.

10: Prescod’s world ranking in foil fencing.

First: In 2015, Prescod became the first African-American woman to win an individual medal at the senior world championships.

Top, Uhlmann; TheFencingPost.com for similar styles. Pants, $240, and foil, $70, Uhlmann; TheFencingPost.com. Shoes, Adidas, $69; TheFencingPost.com.

Styling, Taylor Okata; Hair, Dana Boyer for Bumble and Bumble; Makeup, Suzy Gerstein for Lancome; Manicure, Yukie Miyakawa for Dior Vernis.

To learn more about all Olympic hopefuls, visit teamusa.org. The Olympics begin August 5th on NBC.

For more, pick up the June issue of SELF on newsstands, subscribe, or download the digital edition.

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Olympic Gymnast Gabby Douglas Goes For Gold

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of SELF.

Flash back to the 2012 Olympics: Gabby Douglas sprints across the floor in a magenta leotard, leaping into the air and taking flight. Four stunning rotations later, she touches down, nails a leap, then sticks the landing. A huge smile flashes across her face. That smile—and the epic floor routine preceding it—instantly captured the hearts of Americans. It also captured Douglas a gold medal in both the individual all-around and team competitions—a history-making moment as the first American gymnast to do so.

Now, the 20-year-old is at it again, training hard to compete for that “best in the world” title this summer in Rio. And she’ll complete every routine with her famous smile—not because she’s a competitive gymnast and the judges are expecting it, but because gymnastics has always made her spirits skyrocket.

“My oldest sister taught me how to do a cartwheel when I was three,” says the Virginia Beach, Virginia, native, who loved them so much that she quickly upped the ante to one-handers (and then no-handers). “Learning new skills and tricks fuels my passion.” Even though Douglas has completed handsprings, swings on the bars and bouts at the beam literally thousands of times, she hasn’t lost her childhood joy for the sport.

And when you spend more than 30 hours in the gym each week, finding the fun becomes extra important. “Gabby gets it. She understands,” says her trainer, Christian Gallardo. “She gets in there, busts her butt and works out hard. But instead of saying ‘Ugh, that was so exhausting,’ she’ll say, ‘I’m so much better because of it.’ ” In the morning, Douglas does a mix of strength and conditioning exercises, then practices her floor routine, among others. She breaks to “chill out” with friends for lunch, then gets right back in the swing of things. By 2 PM, she’s tackling more events, like beam and bars.

Her champion’s mind-set—happy, strong—is attainable for everyday exercisers, too. The key is to experiment until you click with a sweat-ivity that just feels good. “In a way, exercise is an expression of your personality,” says Heather Milton, senior exercise physiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Sports Performance Center. “Maybe marathon training isn’t your thing, but you love a group class. You’ll have more fun when you’re comfortable.”

So consider this a license to find the stuff that makes you smile—no slogging through a run when you really want to Spin your heart out or get drenched in a hot-yoga class.

For more, pick up the June issue of SELF on newsstands, subscribe, or download the digital edition.

Be sure to tune in: the Olympics begin August 5th on NBC. To learn more about all Olympic hopefuls, visit teamusa.org.

Sports bra, $23, shorts, $25, and shoes, $150; Nike.com.

Styled by Michaela Dosamantes Hair, Dana Boyer for Oribe Hair Care; makeup, Laura Stiassni for Dior Addict.

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A 10-Minute Fat-Burning Plyometric Workout You Can Do At Home

Mikolette, Getty Images

Plyometric exercises are the current fitness darlings. And what makes them so effective also makes them extra brutal. That’s because plyometric exercises are fast, dynamic, and explosive movements that typically cause your heart rate to skyrocket (translating to mega calories burned). Doing them will help improve your power, speed, and endurance. Burpees—yeah that’s a plyometric. Jumping lunges—yes and yes.

So while these types of exercises may not be your favorite, they’ll get the job done. Amanda Butler, C.P.T. and fitness instructor at The Fhitting Room in NYC incorporates these types of movements into her classes and shared a few of her favorites that you can do at home.

Ready to work? Watch trainer Tamara Pridgett demo each move from the 10-minute routine below. Then, put on your sneakers, clear a little space in your living room and get ready to crush it!

Your 10-Minute Plyometric Workout

How to do it: Do 10 reps of each exercise in order. Rest for one minute then repeat the circuit as many times as you can until time is up—10 minutes is your goal! Take breaks as needed, this routine is tough.

The moves:

1. Jumping Lunges: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees then jump up into the air bringing your right leg forward, and left leg goes back so that you land in a lunge position. As soon as you land with soft knees, jump back up into the air and switch legs mid air to land with the opposite leg forward. Be sure to keep your chest up.

2. Burpees: Start with your feet hip-width apart. Drop your hands down to the floor and jump feet back so that you’re in a high plank position. Lower your entire body to the floor (if you want to make it more challenging you can do a strict triceps push-up). Then quickly press your whole body off the floor, jump feet forward, and jump up.

3. Single-Leg Deadlift + Hop: Start with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your left leg and extend it behind you as you tilt forward with your chest (keep a slight bend in your right leg). Then, bring your chest back up, as you lower your left leg and pass it through center to bring it in front of you with left knee bent. As you do this, hop up so that your right foot leaves the floor. Repeat this on the same side for all reps before moving to the other leg.

4. Froggers: Start in high plank position with your feet hip-width apart and your shoulders stacked directly over wrists. Now hop your feet forward in a wide position (just outside your hands) and drop your hips towards the floor. Check your balance by lifting your hands off the floor (it helps to keep the weight in your heels). Then jump feet back to start position.

5. Sumo Jump Squats: Start with your feet wider than your hips with a 45-degree turnout. Lower down into a squat position (you may feel a stretch in your inner thighs), then jump up into the air as high as you can and straighten out your legs. Land back on the floor with soft knees and return back to the sumo squat position.

6. Plank Jacks: Start in a forearm plank with your feet hip-width apart and shoulders stacked over your wrists. Keeping your core engaged, jump your feet in together and back out like jumping jacks.

7. Plyo Push-Ups: Start in high plank position. Bend arms and lower your chest to the floor. As you press yourself back up, add an explosive push off the floor bringing your hands off the floor, then land back on the floor with soft elbows.

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This Must-Try Plank Variation Work Your Abs And Shoulders

Make those planks extra challenging with this killer variation from POPSUGAR Fitness.

No matter what your workout style, you’re bound to come across a plank in your life, and for good reason. The move works the entire body and also creates an awareness that can help in everyday life and activities. Once you’ve mastered the traditional plank, step it up a notch with a knee driver. If you can believe it, a knee driver forces your abs and shoulders to work even harder. It’s also a favorite of trainer Adam Rosante, who is known for killer total-body workout. Add it to your next strength-training routine or challenge yourself during commercial breaks the next time you have a marathon TV session planned.

• Begin in an elbow plank position with the abs engaged.
• Draw the left knee into the chest. Then step the foot back to the elbow plank position. Now draw the right knee into the chest and then step it back to the elbow plank position.
• This counts as one rep.
• Continue alternating sides and complete as many reps as you can in a minute.

Originally written by Michele Foley, POPSUGAR Fitness

More from POPSUGAR Fitness:

• If You Only Do 1 Exercise to Get Stronger, This Should Be It
• Your Arms and Abs Will Transform After This 2-Week Challenge
• Learn 12 Plank Variations in 1 Minute

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This Swimming Routine Is The Most Fun Way To Work Out This Summer

This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of SELF.

Planning on hitting the pool this summer? Squeeze in a refreshing workout, while you’re at it. “Aquatic exercise combines cardio, strength, and resistance training that’s gentle on your joints,” says U.S. Olympic team women’s head coach David Marsh. It’s low-impact, efficient, and seriously on-season. He created this challenging strength-and-cardio routine for SELF, so dust off your goggles and get your inner Missy Franklin on. 

1. No-Hands Treading

Swim to where you can’t stand up and tread water. Once you’re in a good rhythm, bring arms out, perpendicular to body, and rely solely on leg power to stay afloat. After 30 seconds, reengage arms for a 30-second rest interval. Continue for four minutes.

2. Water Sprint

Sprint a quarter of the way across shallow end of pool (feet on bottom), then swim back to wall. Sprint halfway across shallow end; swim back. Sprint three quarters of the way; swim back. Sprint full width; swim back. Rest one minute. Repeat.

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