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Abs + Core Workouts

30-Minute Cardio Abs Workout (1 Dumbbell)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | July 31, 2023

This belly fat burning, 30-Minute Cardio Abs Workout is HIIT for your abs. These nine ab exercises target the lower abs, upper abs, obliques and deep transverse abdominal muscles. Tone your midsection and burn calories at home (modifications offered for all fitness levels).

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The best way to get abs at home? Pair fat burning cardio with core strengthening ab exercises!

This fat burning cardio workout isn’t just 30 minutes of planking — it’s nine non-traditional core exercises with weights that will sculpt your abs while raising your heart rate.

This is high intensity interval training (HIIT) for your abs! A HIIT ab workout to build muscle and burn fat at home. 

two women performing a side plank and oblique crunch in a cardio abs workout

Cardio Abs Workout FAQs

What Are The Most Effective Core Exercises?

In my opinion, the best core exercises train your core to do what it is intended to do — stabilize your trunk as your limbs move away from your body (think planks and push-ups). That’s why I love functional core training, like this Standing Core with Weights, Weighted Ab Workout and Functional Core Workout. Functional core training targets your abs, back, hips, glutes, and pelvic floor. 

What Are The Benefits Of Pairing Cardio And Abs Together?

Pairing cardio and strength training together is key for building muscle and maximizing fat burn. I personally love to pair cardio and abs together because your core should be engaged during cardio exercises.

How Many Times A Week Should I Work My Abs And Core Muscles?

I suggest doing a 5-10 minute abs and core workout three times a week. If you follow any of my free workout plans, you’ll be working your core daily. I build core training into all of my workouts. And if you’re working on healing your core post-baby, I recommend this Diastasis Recti Program.

two women performing a wood chop with dumbbells in a cardio abs workout

30-Minute Cardio Abs Workout

Burn belly fat at home with this killer cardio and abs routine. A HIIT workout for your abs to increase core strength and decrease body fat. 

Nine weighted ab exercises that will challenge your core from every angle — lower abs, upper abs, and obliques.

Modifications are offered throughout, making this a great cardio abs workout for beginners or advanced athletes.

Add this cardio abs workout to your weekly workout routine 1-2 times a week to build muscle and improve endurance.

Workout Equipment:

Optional Single Dumbbell. I suggest anywhere from 5-25 lbs. Rachel and I used a 15-20 lb dumbbell in this workout. Adding a weight to this cardio ab workout increases the calorie burn.

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HIIT Core Workout | two women performing a crunch with dumbbell

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Cardio and Abs Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 3 HIIT Circuits (3-4 ab exercises per circuit)
  • Timed Intervals (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
  • Repeat Each Circuit x2 Sets
4 Cardio Exercises to Burn Fat and Tone Your Abs!

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE: 

  1. Plank Launcher T-Pull
  2. Lateral Shuffle and Pivot Dumbbell Press
  3. Lying Pullovers and Toe Touch

CIRCUIT TWO: 

  1. Half Kneeling Hinge Swing and Stand Up Press, R
  2. Half Kneeling Hinge Swing and Stand Up Press, L
  3. Reverse Crunch and Single Arm Floor Press, R
  4. Reverse Crunch and Single Arm Floor Press, L

CIRCUIT THREE: 

  1. Bear Crawl Fast Feet
  2. Push Up and Pop Up Squat Hold and Dumbbell Press Out
  3. Side Plank Hip Dip and Crunch, R/L

BONUS MOVE: Plank Jack and Pike Tuck

two women performing a pivot punch with dumbbell | hiit core workout

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon Cardio Abs Workout

9 HIIT Cardio Ab Exercises

Plank Launcher T-Pull

Targets: The entire core with an emphasis on the obliques. Your quads, shoulders and arms are also engaged.

Your core stabilizes your hips as you pull the dumbbell overhead. This full body core exercise is also sure to raise your heart rate.

two women performing a plank launcher and t-pull with a dumbbell in a cardio abs workout with weights

How To Do A Launcher T-Pull

  1. Center your dumbbell on the mat between your hands. Start in high plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
  2. From this plank position, engage your core as you push your hips back towards your heels; bending at the knees. Then explosively drive your body back into high plank position (nose to finger tips).
  3. Hold plank and grab the dumbbell with your right hand. Flex your core and open into a side plank as you pull the dumbbell overhead with your right hand. Hold this position for a moment as your body mimics a sideways “T” shape. Hips high and obliques turned on.
  4. With control, return the dumbbell back to the mat as you return to the starting position.

Modification: Perform the plank launcher from your knees, the perform the side plank with your left knee on the mat. Option to do this as a bodyweight ab exercise instead of a weighted ab exercise.

Lateral Shuffle And Pivot Dumbbell Press

Targets: The entire core, specifically the deep stabilizing muscles of the core; hips, glutes, shoulders and upper body.

The farther you press the dumbbell away from your body the harder this cardio ab exercise will be (and the more your core will have to work). This HIIT cardio and core exercise is sure to raise your heart rate.

two women performing a shuffle pivot pass in a HIIT cardio abs workout

How To Do A Lateral Shuffle And Pivot Press

  1. Hold a dumbbell horizontally between your hands at your chest (one head of the dumbbell in each hand).
  2. Take one large lateral shuffle to your right, then plant your front right foot and pivot your back left foot as you push the dumbbell away from your body (similar to how you pass a basketball).
  3. Toes follow hips (back left toe pivots right, following the hips as they turn to the right).
  4. Bring the dumbbell back to your chest, then take one large lateral shuffle to your left. Pivot your back right foot as you push the dumbbell away from your body.
  5. Return to the starting position and repeat this shuffle, pivot, pass movement.

Modification: Replace the lateral shuffle with a squat.

Lying Pullovers And Toe Touch

Targets: The lats and core — lower abs on the pullover and upper abs on the toe touch. This is strength training for the upper and lower abs.

two women performing a lying pull over and touch touch as part of an abs workout

How To Do A Lying Pullover And Toe Touch

  1. Lay flat on your back, legs extended (feet stacked over hips). Hold a dumbbell between your hands horizontally, holding one head of the dumbbell in each hand.
  2. With a slight bend in the elbows, slowly lower the dumbbell overhead towards the ground. Try to keep your low back pressed into the mat/ground. As you lower the dumbbell, lower your right leg toward the ground, tapping your right heel to the ground.
  3. Then exhale as you pull the dumbbell back overhead, while simultaneously pulling your right leg up towards the dumbbell (returning to the starting position).
  4. Then use your upper abs to lift you up, pressing the dumbbell up towards your toes.
  5. Lower your shoulder back to the mat with control.

Modification: Bend your knees at 90 degrees throughout the entire movement (the shorter the lever the easier the exercise becomes). Option to omit the dumbbell and perform this as a bodyweight exercise.

Half Kneeling Hinge Swing And Stand Up Press

Targets: Lower body (hips, glutes, quads), core, abs and shoulders.

This HIIT cardio ab exercise specifically uses the core to stabilize the body as you accelerate (stand up) and to control the body as you decelerate (drop back down to one knee). This is a great unilateral exercise (single-sided exercise) which requires the core to work extra hard to stabilize the body with an uneven load (weight on one side of the body).

one woman performing a kneeling hinge swing to stand up press and one woman performing a standing hinge swing to overhead press in a cardio abs workout at home

How To Do A Kneeling Hinge Swing And Stand Up Press

  1. Start in a half kneeling position — left knee bent at a 90-degree angle, foot on the mat in front of you and right knee bent at 90 degrees, on the ground underneath your hips.
  2. Hold one dumbbell in the right hand with a neutral grip (palm facing your left thigh).
  3. Perform a half kneeling hinge swing by hinging at the hips with the dumbbell between your legs. Then drive your hips forward, powering the dumbbell up to your right shoulder; right elbow in line with your shoulder (maintaining a neutral grip).
  4. Then drive through your left glute to stand up, bringing feet hip-width apart and parallel as you push the dumbbell overhead with your right hand. Press the dumbbell straight overhead, locking out the elbow, right bicep should be near right ear.
  5. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down towards the right shoulder as you step the right leg back to a lunge, lowering the right knee back to the ground with control; simultaneously lowering the dumbbell in your right hand back between the legs. That’s one rep.

Modification: Stay standing throughout the entire movement. Perform a staggered stance dumbbell swing instead of kneeling swing.

Reverse Crunch And Single Arm Floor Press

Targets: The rectus abdominis (your “six-pack” ab muscles), deep transverse abdominals, upper abs, lower abs, obliques, chest and shoulders.

Another great single-sided (unilateral) exercise. Focus on keeping your right hip connected to the mat as you perform a single arm press on the left arm. Full body strength training with core stabilization!

two women performing a reverse crunch and single arm floor press as part of a cardio abs workout

How To Do A Reverse Crunch And Single Arm Floor Press

  1. Start lying on your back, core engaged, legs extended out from your body and floating off the mat (the closer your legs are to the mat, the harder this exercise will be). Hold a dumbbell in your left hand at your chest (palm facing in towards your body, neutral grip).
  2. Exhale to press the dumbbell overhead, performing a single arm floor press while keeping your right hip connected to the mat (counter-balance). With control, lower the dumbbell back to your chest.
  3. Then engage your upper abs to perform a sit up as you engage your lower abs to pull your knees towards your chest.
  4. With control, lower back to the starting position with your back on the mat. That’s one rep.

Modification: Omit the reverse crunch and stay seated on your sit bones throughout the entire movement. Keep your left foot planted on the mat as you slide or float your right foot out away from your body while simultaneously performing a single arm press.

Bear Crawl Fast Feet

Targets: Core stability, shoulders, quads and cardio endurance. The most challenging ab exercise of this workout (in my opinion)!

These bursts of HIIT cardio spike the heart rate, burning more calories in a shorter amount of time compared to steady state cardio.

one woman performing a bear crawl fast feet HIIT cardio ab exercise and one woman performing fast feet from standing

How To Do Bear Crawl Fast Feet

  1. Start in a table top position or quadruped on all fours — shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees.
  2. Tuck your toes under to lift your knees off the mat, finding a bear crawl position. Abs engaged, knees close to the mat, creating a straight line from head to tailbone.
  3. Keeping your hips square to the ground and your knees as close to the mat as possible, run your feet in and out (wide, wide, narrow, narrow) as fast as you can.
  4. Find a pace you can maintain throughout the entire circuit.

Modification: Perform wide and narrow fast feet from a standing position instead of bear crawl. Alternatively, you could jump rope.

Push Up And Pop Up Squat Hold And Dumbbell Press Out

Targets: The entire core from head to pelvis, as well as the arms, shoulders, chest, legs, glutes and core. A true full body exercise!

two women performing a push up pop squat hold and dumbbell press out as part of a cardio and core workout at home

How To Do A Push Up And Pop Up Squat Hold And Dumbbell Press Out

  1. Start in a high plank position, with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, weight evenly distributed amongst all 10 fingers; core engaged. Place a dumbbell between your hands, horizontally.
  2. Hold this push up position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
  3. Perform a push up by lowering your chest down towards the ground (or dumbbell). Maintain a straight line with your body. Option to perform the push up with your knees on the mat.
  4. Then step or jump your feet outside the dumbbell into a loaded squat position. Hold at the bottom of the squat as you pick up the dumbbell between your feet. Bring the dumbbell up towards your chest, and then push it out away from your body (the farther you press the dumbbell away from your body the more your core will have to work to stabilize you).
  5. Pull the dumbbell back towards your body and place it on the ground between your feet. Plant your hands to the mat as you step or hop back into a high plank position.

Modification: Step in instead of jumping into a low squat and step back to plank instead of jumping back to plank. Option to perform this exercise with just your bodyweight.

Side Plank Hip Dip And Crunch

Targets: The obliques, hips, core and shoulders.

two women performing a side plank hip dip and crunch

How To Do A Side Plank Hip Dip And Crunch

  1. Lie on your right side. Place your right forearm flat on the ground, shoulder stacked over elbow. Stack your feet, left foot resting on top of right foot if possible.
  2. Then drop your right hip towards the mat and lift it back up to side plank.
  3. Hold this side plank position. Then, pull your top, left leg up towards your left elbow, bending at the knee (striving for the left knee to meet the left elbow). Flex the muscles along the sides of your body (obliques) to pull the left leg in and keep your hips from sagging.
  4. Return your left leg to starting position, stacked on top of your right foot. That’s one rep.

Modification: Bend your right knee at 90 degrees and place it on the mat underneath you to help support you; keeping your right knee planted for the entire movement.

Plank Jack And Pike Tuck

Targets: The entire core with an extra emphasis on the low abs (during the pike tuck). Another HIIT cardio ab exercise that will increase your heart rate.

two women performing a plank jack and pike tuck on a cardio and ab workout

How To Do A Plank Jack And Pike Tuck

  1. Start in a high plank position, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged. Straight line through the torso from head to toe.
  2. Keeping your hips square to the ground, jack your legs apart, and then back together. Performing a plank jack.
  3. Then, use your lower abs to pull your hips up into a “pike” position as you hop your toes up towards your chest.
  4. Hop back to high plank and repeat.

Modification: Tap the toes out and in instead of jacking them. Then walk your toes towards your chest (on your tip toes) up into a pike position.

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10 comments

  2. When I saw this workout, I thought “Oh no.” I usually HATE core workouts, and will mainly do workouts with core built in, or short 5-10 minute core workouts, but this was a blast!! Excited to build it into my weekly routine!! Thank you so much!!

  3. Hello Lindsey. Thanks for sharing this beautiful ab workout. Pls is this DR friendly?

    • Hi Winnie! So glad you like this Cardio Abs Workout! This is an advanced core workout and it all depends at where you are with your DR and the tension you can generation across your gap. That said, Rachel is in this video offering modifications for each ab exercise so you can always modify as needed! -Lindsey

  4. This workout was my jam!! Loved the workout and I laughed out loud three times, you girls are awesome! As a mom of 4 little ones, I look forward to these workouts every morning!
    Most importantly, my best friend from childhood is now a missionary in Botswana and we stay connected by doing you 14 and 30 day challenges. We keep each other accountable and it has brought us closer, even though we are worlds apart.
    Thank you!!!!!

    • Yeah Jennifer! So glad you like this workout and got a couple good laughs too! And wow, that’s such a great story I LOVE that you and your friend are able to stay connected through these workouts!!! Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work! -Lindsey

  5. Im participating in the 7 day workout plan and so far so GOOD! I found your youtube channel last year march 2020 during the lockdown and your strength, cardio and barre videos are amazing. thank you!

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