A Daily Bodyweight Routine to Trim Your Waistline
If you’re looking to tighten your abs and shrink your waistline, we’ve got some great news: Incorporating this bodyweight circuit into your daily routine can help you shed pounds and flatten your stomach. we chatted with Caine Wilkesan Olympian and certified USA weightlifting coach at Garage Gym reviewswhich says that by using only your body as resistance, you can target multiple muscle groups, including your abs, obliques (side abs) and lower back, all of which are essential for a strong and lean core.
Research shows that high-repetition bodyweight training raises heart rate, provides cardiovascular benefits, and increases strength. In addition, bodyweight exercises can help increase your stability and endurance because they often involve functional movements that mimic real-life activities, such as lifting, bending, and twisting. These moves will help you build core strength and sculpt a well-defined midsection.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the best daily bodyweight circuit to flatten your stomach and shrink your waistline.
In this article:
A daily bodyweight circuit to flatten your stomach and shrink your waistline
What you need: This workout requires only your body weight, which means you can do it almost anywhere, anytime. Wilkes designed the workout to target the entire body, focusing on strengthening the core and burning fat. If you push yourself, you can expect to complete it in about 20 to 30 minutes.
The routine:
Complete 4 rounds of the following.
- Bodyweight Squats (10 reps)
- Pushups (10 reps)
- V-ups (15 reps)
- Superman’s (15 reps)
- Around-the-World Lunges (5 reps per leg)
- Jumping Jacks (30 reps)
1. Bodyweight Squats (10 reps)
Here’s how to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outwards.
- Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, pushing your hips back as if sitting in a chair.
- Keep your back straight and your chest up as you lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Push through your heels and stand back up to the starting position.
Tip: Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement and keep the knees tracking over the toes.
“The bodyweight squat is a great leg burner, but it’s also a full-body workout, engaging your core, back and upper body to maintain good form throughout the movement,” explains Wilkes. “Full-body exercises are great for weight loss because they can help burn more calories.”
2. Pushups (10 reps)
Here’s how to do it:
- Start in a plank position, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body forming a straight line.
- Lower your body toward the floor by bending your elbows while keeping your core tight and your back flat.
- When your chest almost touches the ground, push through your palms to return to the starting position.
Tip: Avoid letting your hips hang or raise as you go through the push-up. Engage your core and maintain proper form throughout.
“Proper push-ups are a challenge of timing under tension, as you continue to hold up in a plank position throughout the set, burning your shoulders and core. When performing push-ups, try to keep a straight line from your feet to your shoulders, not letting your hips travel get up too high and don’t let your back sag or relax, instructs Wilkes.
3. V-ups (15 reps)
Here’s how to do it:
- Lie flat on your back with your arms extended over your head and your legs straight.
- Lift your legs and arms off the ground at the same time and reach your hands towards your toes.
- If you can’t touch your toes at first, simply stretch your legs as high as you can.
- Slowly lower your arms and legs back to the starting position, keeping your core engaged.
Tip: Keep your movements controlled and avoid using momentum to complete reps.
4. Superman’s (15 reps)
Here’s how to do it:
- Lie down with your arms extended in front of you and your legs straight.
- Simultaneously lift your arms, chest and legs off the floor and engage your back muscles.
- Hold the raised position for three counts before lowering back to the floor.
- Repeat for desired number of reps.
Tip: Squeeze your glutes and lower back at the top of the movement to maximize engagement.
Supermans are an excellent exercise for strengthening the lower back, glutes and shoulders, which are important for improving posture and supporting core strength. By targeting the posterior chain, this movement balances out the anterior focused exercises, promoting overall strength and stability while helping to shrink the waist.
“Supermans help engage the upper and lower back muscles, which is a nice addition after crunches of V-ups,” says Wilkes.
5. Around-the-World Lunges (5 reps per leg)
Here’s how to do it:
- Stand upright with your feet together.
- Step forward into a lunge, lowering your back knee toward the floor until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
- Take a step back and do a side lunge to the left, lowering your hips while keeping your chest up.
- Take a step back and do a reverse lunge, taking the leg back while maintaining good form.
- Do all 3 lunges (forward, side, back) for one rep on each leg.
Tip: Keep your torso upright and avoid letting your knee pass your toes during lunge.
Wilkes explains, “This simple lunge variation gets the adductors and abductors involved by alternating with side lunges.”
6. Jumping jacks (30 reps)
Here’s how to do it:
- Stand tall with your feet together and your arms at your sides.
- Jump your legs out wide while raising your arms above your head.
- Jump back to the starting position, bring your arms back down to your sides.
- Try to maintain a steady rhythm throughout the movement.
Tip: Land softly to reduce impact on your joints and keep your core engaged.
Adam Meyer, RHN
Adam is a health writer, certified holistic nutritionist and 100% plant-based athlete. Read more about Adam