ABS Workout

In the faster-is-better world we live in, carving out 30 to 45 minutes a day for a good workout can seem like a major challenge—and that can totally mess with your quest for a strong core. Enter: the 7-minute workout.

This strategic, super-effective form of high-intensity circuit training is supported by science. To complement the original—and give you even more 7-minute options, we asked Yusuf Jeffers, certified personal trainer and Head Coach at Tone House in New York City, to create a companion abs workout that requires only your body weight.

A killer combo of core-strengthening moves and cardio, this circuit’s designed to “attack” not only your abs and obliques, but also the muscles in your back, pelvic floor, and even your shoulders, says Jeffers. And, truth be told, it beats doing hundreds of crunches. “If you’re training for a sport—or just for everyday life—you usually don’t use any one muscle in isolation,” he says. “This correlates closer to actual, functional movements.” And that’s a good thing: While crunches certainly strengthen your abs, the body benefits more—by torching more calories, for example—from movements that recruit more than one muscle group.