Top 3 Belly Blasting Moves

Judging from the emails we get, the No. 1 problem area for moms is the darn mid-section. It seems that we moms go from being super proud of our baby bumps to wanting to tone them up as soon as possible once that little one arrives! Today, Sara Haley (who previously shared tips on staying strong and sexy during pregnancy) shares her top three belly-blasting moves sure to tone and firm. Sara is a Global Reebok Master Trainer and is the creator of the upcoming Daily Sweat Pregnancy Program: “Expecting More” prenatal fitness DVD.

Top 3 Belly Blaster Exercises

1. Boxing.So here’s the truth: In order to really see a six-pack, you have to get rid of the fat on top. The best way to do this is with cardio. Sure, you can run on the treadmill or take a cycling class, but why not make those abs really work while you get your sweat on? Boxing is a really efficient way to do this. So get on a bag, get sweaty and start punching! To execute a good punch, hook or upper cut, you’ll have to activate your abs and blast that belly away.

Try this circuit:
30 seconds punches, 30 seconds jumping jacks
30 seconds upper cuts, 30 seconds toe taps
30 seconds hooks, 30 seconds burpees
Rest for 2 minutes and repeat 3 to 5 times (depending on how much time you have)

How do I know this works? This is one of the main ways I melted by post-baby belly away! I promise it’s fun, and you’ll be sweating in no time.

2. Chops. I think chops are one of the best-kept abdominal secrets. They target the core, specifically the obliques (your love handles), and depending on how you do them, they can be a great total-body workout as well. You can do them with a free weight, a medicine ball, a body bar, cables—your options are really endless. You can do full-body rotation or just half way, but the key is going to be to engage the core the entire time. If you do these correctly, you will see your waist start to whittle away in no time!

3. Planks. I don’t think there is a class I’ve taught at the gym or a client I’ve trained, where I haven’t inserted a plank. I joke that “A plank a day keeps the doctor away,” but it’s true. In my opinion, a plank that is performed properly is the No. 1 core exercise. Plus, even though it is core-centric, it involves so many more muscle groups, including your shoulders and your butt. The reason it’s my top belly blaster is because it can go super deep—all the way into the transverse. So many abdominal exercises are superficial and only hit the rectus.

Planks are great because there are ways to modify, so almost anyone can do one (you can do it on your knees or on your forearms), and there are also an infinite number of ways to progress a plank to make it more challenging. The easiest and simplest way to make a plank harder? Work on holding the plank longer and longer each day. Start off with 15 seconds and keep adding on five seconds each day.

A fun site to visit is World Plank. On this site you can see people doing planks in cool places all over the world, as well as people who have held plank for a ridiculous amount of time. So next time you try out this belly blaster, snap a pic and send it in! —Sara

Want to see these moves in action? Click here to see these belly busters. Good luck busting a gut, ladies! —Erin