390 Reps: Abs of Steel Medicine Ball Workout

Incorporate this 390 rep medicine ball ab routine into your cardio and strength training to sculpt a tighter torso and flatter abs.

You know that electric feeling you get after a killer workout? Yeah, times that by 10 and that pretty much sums up this past weekend for me!

If you haven’t heard, Saturday I teamed up with Lee {from Fit Foodie Finds}, The Her Initiative, and a bunch of local Minneapolis ladies {and a handful of ladies who traveled all the way from Chicago} for the #partyforhermpls! The day went a little like this — DJ Omaur Bliss was pumping jams as I led a leg-burning barre + HIIT workout and Lisa {from the I am Initiative} cooled us down. Then Kayla {from The Her Initiative} told us all about Her and the #25for25 program.

Did you know that 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related diseases? And girls under the age of 15 are twice as likely as boys to be the family member responsible for fetching water? And if you give 82 cents a day to The Her Initiative, in one year you’ll give clean water, health and hygiene education to 25 women and children. If you weren’t able to make the event but still want to support The Her Initiative, empowering women with clean water, health and hygiene education you can donate here. 

After the workout and fun facts, we enjoyed lots of delicious Peace Coffee, Seven Sunday’s Muesli parfaits and Fit Foodie Finds Amazing Peanut Butter Balls while we shopped local MN makers and small, women-owned businesses.

But the best part of the whole day…well it’s a toss up between:

• being surrounded by 70+ amazing, supportive women jumping at the opportunity to be part of a movement bigger than any single one of us in the room.
• raising over $3k for the her initiative!!!
• the connections that were made between like-minded women and business owners.

Clearly it was an overwhelming success! I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who showed up and played a roll in making this happen {The Real Food RDs, Lissadee Photography, Bee + Co. to name a few}!

So speaking of killer workouts and endorphins. Let’s jump into to this abs of steel medicine ball workout! What are you waiting for? You’re just 390 reps away from sculpting a tighter torso and flatter abs!

{music: Rihanna Work featuring Drake, get more songs currently rocking my workout playlist here}

BONUS: I’ve teamed up with the amazing Fit Foodie Finds to make this a 2-for-1 workout. Head on over to her blog for 8 Ways to Get Amazing Abs with a Medicine Ball! 

the workout: 390 reps, abs of steel medicine ball workout

1 medicine ball, 8 exercise x 2 sets for a total of 390 reps! Complete the number of reps listed next to each exercise below. Then repeat the entire workout x 2 sets for a total of 390 reps. Incorporate this 15 minute routine into your cardio and strength training to carve out your midsection.

A weighted, medicine ball is a great piece of equipment to use when training your abs because it challenges your core stability. I recommend using a medium-to-heavy medicine ball for this workout {5-to-15 lbs}.

• 50 Twists
• 40 Mountain Climbers
• 30 Plank Cross Body Rolls
• 25 Windshield Wiper Twists
• 20 Table Top Sit Up
• 15 Reverse Plank Leg Lifts {15 per leg}
• 10 Double Leg Bicycles
• 5 Plank Roll Outs

See video above for complete workout and proper exercise form.

medicine ball twists – 50 reps

How to do it: 

1. Hold the ball with both hands and sit on the floor with knees bent at 90 degrees. Option to keep you feet flat on the floor or raise them up off the floor to make it more challenging.
2.  Slowly and controlled, twist your body to your right, then twist to the left. Each twist counts as one rep.

modify: keep both feet flat on the ground as you twist side to side.   

make it harder: lift both feet up, off the ground, as you twist side to side to make it more challenging. 

medicine ball mountain climbers – 40 reps

How to do it: 

1. Start in pushup position with your hands on top of a medicine ball. Keep your arms completely straight with a micro-bend in the elbows, shoulders stacked directly over wrists.
2. Engage the core, pulling the belly button back towards the spine, and lift one foot off the floor, pulling your knee up toward your elbow while keeping your body in a straight line from your shoulders to ankles.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement with your opposite leg. Each knee drive counts as one rep.

modify: remove the medicine ball and perform the mountain climbers with both hands on the ground. 

make it harder: perform this exercise at a more rapid pace to get the heart rate up. Making sure to keep your body in a straight line from your shoulders to ankles. To make this move even more challenging, bring your feet closer together in your starting push up position.

medicine ball plank cross body rolls – 30 reps

How to do it: 

1. Get into a pushup position with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Start with the ball outside your left armpit. With your left hand planted firmly on the ground, reach for the ball with your right hand, twisting through your obliques.
3. Once your right hand is on the ball roll it across your body towards the right armpit.
4. Then repeat by reaching for the ball with your left hand and rolling the ball back towards the left armpit. Each roll is one rep.

modify: if this is too difficult, modify by dropping down to one or both knees.

make it harder: to make this move even more challenging, bring your feet closer together in your starting push up position.

medicine ball windshield wiper twists – 25 reps

How to do it: 

1. Hold the ball with both hands and lay down with your back on the floor. Lift your neck and shoulders up of the ground to engage your core. Start with your legs as straight as possible in front of you. Option to keep you bend your knees if needed.
2.  While driving your low back into the mat drop your legs to the left side of the body as you reach your arms in the opposite direction {towards the right side of the body}.
3. Slowly and controlled, repeat this movement on the other side of the body. Each twist is one rep.

modify: option to keep a bend in the legs.   

make it harder: lower your legs as close to the ground as possible while keeping your low back driving into the mat; keep your legs as straight as possible throughout all 30 reps. 

medicine table top sit up – 20 reps

How to do it: 

1. Hold the ball with both hands and sit on the floor with knees bent at 90 degrees and lifted directly in front of you to create a table top platform.
2. With arms straight out in front of you set the medicine ball on the legs {table top platform}. Then release the ball and sit back, performing a sit up as you come back to the upright position.
3. Option to just tap the ball with your hands or pick it up and perform alternating sit ups with the balls in hands. Each sit up is one rep.

modify: keep the medicine ball in your hands at your chest if you are unable to set the ball on your legs {table top platform}.   

make it harder: keep the medicine ball on your legs {table top platform for all 20 reps}. 

medicine ball reverse plank leg lifts – 15 reps per leg

How to do it: 

1. Begin sitting on your butt with your legs straight out in front of you. Bring your palms a few inches behind your butt, fingertips facing inward {toward your butt}.
2. Balancing your left leg on the medicine ball, press into your left leg and lift your butt off the ground. This can be very challenging so you can always do this without the medicine ball, keeping your left leg on the ground. You can also do this exercise on your fists or elbows if it bothers your wrists.
3. Try to keep your body in one straight line as you lift your right leg up and down, slow and controlled; keeping the hips lifted. Each leg lift counts as one rep.
4. Once you complete 15 leg lifts on the right leg, repeat on the left leg while balancing the medicine ball on the right leg.

modify: remove the medicine ball and perform the leg lifts with the opposite leg planted firmly on the ground. if this is too challenging you can always perform leg lifts while seated on your butt. You can also do this exercise on your fists or elbows if it bothers your wrists. 

make it harder: performing this exercise with one leg balancing on the medicine ball is about as challenging as it gets!

medicine ball double leg bicycles – 10 reps

How to do it: 

1. Place the ball between your calves. Start with knees bent at 90 degrees and lifted directly in front of you.
2. Lift your neck and shoulders up off the mat, twisting your right elbow towards your left knee.
3. Then bringing your neck and shoulders back to a neutral position extend your legs long directly in front of you, keeping your low back driving into the mat.
4. Repeat this on the other side, pulling your knees back to a 90 degree bend and twisting your left elbow towards your right knee. Each knee to elbow twist is one rep.

modify: perform this exercise without the medicine ball between your calves. or keep your knees bent at 90 degrees throughout the entire exercise. 

make it harder: as you extend your legs out in front of you, lower them as close to the ground as possible while keeping your low back driving into the mat.

medicine ball plank roll outs – 5 reps per arm

How to do it: 

1. Get into a pushup position with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Start with your right hand on top of the ball. Slowly push your right hand forward, rolling the ball up your arm. Reach as far out away from your body as possible while keeping your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Each roll is one rep.
3. Perform 5 reps on the right hand and then repeat 5 reps on the left hand.

modify: if this is too difficult, modify by dropping down to one or both knees.

make it harder: to make this move even more challenging, bring your feet closer together in your starting push up position.

the outfit

lululemon capris {they are like 3 years old, but I wish I could find them again, love them}!

lululemon tank {thanks for letting me borrow your adorable tank Lee}

alala style zip it up bra

Garmin vivosmart

get the bonus workout from fit foodie finds: 8 ways to get amazing abs with a medicine ball

Seriously run, as fast as you can over to Lee’s blog!

390 reps, abs of steel medicine ball workout

Complete the number of reps listed next to each exercise below. Then repeat the entire workout x 2 sets for a total of 390 reps. 

• 50 Twists
• 40 Mountain Climbers
• 30 Plank Cross Body Rolls
• 25 Windshield Wiper Twists
• 20 Table Top Sit Up
• 15 Reverse Plank Leg Lifts {15 per leg}
• 10 Double Leg Bicycles
• 5 Plank Roll Outs

This workout is part of my ab training series: 30 minute butt + abs tabata workout, tighten and tone arms + abs workout, flat lower abs workout, tighten up ab + butt workout, and my best performing workout post yet — barre 100 ab series!

are you up for the 390 rep challenge? tell me in the comments below if you make it through all 390 reps! 

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