We all want the same thing; a flat, tight, and lean core. The problem is, finding the right abdominal and core training for your body is almost as impossible as finding a (cute) pair of comfortable heels… When people find out that I’m an Olympic Champion Runner, they instantly attribute my success to having really strong legs. However, many people don’t realize that most of a sprinter’s speed comes from her core. Whether your goal is an Olympic Medal or great abs, here’s how you can get there.

First, here are a couple of myths that we’d like to let rest in peace:

• You can get the abs you’ve dreamed of by just doing cardio! (FALSE!)
• You can rely on just crunching your way to a flatter midsection. (FALSE!)

A combination of BOTH cardio and abdominal work is the recipe for success when it comes to losing that belly fat and flattening your core. However, in order to ensure that your workout is both effective and is eliciting the desired results, it’s important to first understand all of the muscles that should be engaged in your core training. Your core is made up of these main muscles:

• The Belt (Transversus abdominus) – the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilize the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure, it acts similar to giant belt that holds everything together.

• The 6-Pack (Rectus abdominus) – slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. This muscle has the characteristic bumps or bulges, when contracting, that are commonly called ‘the six pack’. The main function of this muscle area is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis.

• The Obliques (External and Internal oblique muscles) – these are on each side of the rectus abdominus. The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist. The internal oblique muscles flank the rectus abdominus and are located just inside the hipbones.

• The Lower Back Muscles (Multifidus) – this is a deep back muscle that runs along the spine.

Once you’ve selected the muscle groups that you’d like to target, picking and choosing specific abdominal exercises geared towards those areas will help you see positive outcomes sooner. Not to mention the added health benefits that regular core activity will bring to your daily life. Having a strong center will help you move more efficiently, stabilize your posture, and prevent/decrease lower back pain.

Amazing Abdominal Exercises: Goodbye sweater, hello swimsuit!

Your goal should be to complete each exercise for 45 seconds. This should be tough! You can decrease the length of each exercise to 30 seconds if it becomes too demanding, but remember to push yourself! All of these exercises come with video tutorials that can be viewed at:
View an Abs with Allyson Routine

Straight Leg Raises 45 seconds

Sitting “V” Ups 45 seconds

Russian Twists 45 seconds

Ab Scissors 45 seconds

Ball “V” Ups 45 seconds

When you’re having one of those, “I really need to get rid of this belly” days, keep these Gold Medal Tips in mind and you’ll be on your way to an even slimmer mid-section:

1. Pick easy exercises to start with and when you can easily complete two sets in a row of that exercise, move on to harder ones.
2. Only rest when it is ab-solutely necessary! Break for only 10-15 seconds between two sets of the same exercise.
3. Try doing some of your ab exercises extra slowly. (Take 2-3 seconds to complete one repetition.) You’ll be amazed at how much harder this will work the muscle groups.
4. Don’t forget to implement cardio at the end of your workout!