IF YOU ONLY buy one piece of workout equipment, invest in free weights. They’re inexpensive, versatile, and a great way to make moves you’ve mastered challenging again.
Simply put, they’ll help to get you motivated to try something new and amplify basic moves. Adding a few pounds to a crunch or lunge can make a huge difference. Trust us, you’ll feel it.
Free weight crunch:
Use your arms in your next crunch set. Perform a crunch while holding a dumbbell or dumbbell plate to your chest; or, try performing a crunch while holding a weight in both hands and stretching your arms behind you.
3 sets of 10 reps
Free weight ab-lift:
Lie flat on your back holding a dumbbell. Put your feet together and raise your legs up, keeping them straight. Engage your abs and use them to pull your upper body off the floor as close to your legs as possible. Hold for 3 seconds before returning to rest position.
3 sets of 10 reps
Free weight ab-bend:
Start by standing with feet hip-width apart and a free weight in each hand. Raise one arm overhead, bending at the elbow. Bend your torso to one side to work your obliques. Repeat this on both sides, bending the same arm as the side you’re working out.
3 sets of 10 reps per side
Free weight oblique twist:
Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor. Holding one weight with both hands out in front of you, raise your upper body, creating a V shape with your chest and thighs. Twist your torso to the right and keep your upper body straight, then return to center and twist to the left.
3 sets of 10 reps per side