There’s a reason Pamela Reif has over 8 million subscribers on her YouTube channel – her workouts will make you work hard in no time. Ten minutes between meetings?grab one of them best adjustable dumbbells (or a full water bottle) and your exercise mat, and try using weights for abs.
Building a strong core isn’t just an aesthetic goal—strong abdominal muscles are important for most movements and can help relieve lower back pain and improve your posture.Remember, abs Yes Made in the kitchen, so if you don’t eat a healthy, balanced diet, no amount of crunches or a 10-minute ab workout will make your abs healthier.Check out our A Guide to Calculating Body Fat Percentageand why it matters, here.
It goes without saying that what worked for Pamela might not work for you, so if you’re a complete beginner, or you’re returning to exercise after a while from injury, it’s best to consult with a personal trainer to make sure you’re working out before adding weights. The form is correct.
Looking for more workout inspiration?This is Best Abs Exercises Try, according to Chris Hemsworth’s PT, How long will it take you to see resultsand when I made 100 dead bugs a day for a week.
What is Pamela Reif Weighted Abdominal Workout?
The workout is 10 minutes long, and Reif recommends using 4kg (about 9lb) dumbbells, but you can use lighter weights if you prefer. If you don’t have dumbbells, Reif recommends using a water bottle, bag, or rice, oatmeal, or other grain, or a carton of milk (make sure it’s not opened). Alternatively, you can do the workout without any weights – most of the workout is done with body weight, so don’t be too nervous if you can’t find a spare milk carton or water bottle.
The workouts follow a simple structure – you do each workout with Reif for 30 seconds without any rest.
Reif adds some important form interpreters to some of the exercises included in the workout bio, writing “If we’re lying on your back, make sure your lower back is flat on the mat. Try to keep your legs as low as possible so your lower back is flat on the mat.” Won’t lift off the mat!” She also reminded the audience that it’s important to Consider engaging your core throughout the workout – Here’s what it means and why it matters.
I Tried This Pamela Reif Weighted Workout – Here’s What Happened
I haven’t done Pamela Reif training in a while (read What Happened When I Tried Her Famous Six Minute Abs Workout here), but a quick glance at the comments on the YouTube video lets me know that I’m getting an intense belly burner. “Damn, this is a killer workout,” wrote one user.
They weren’t wrong – Pamela didn’t give you any warm-ups. You go straight into crunches with dumbbells between your hands. I own a set of 3kg and 5kg dumbbells (6.6lbs and 11lbs, respectively), so I challenged myself to work out with heavier weights.
As I mentioned in my previous workout story, I suffer from sciatica, so I have to pay attention to my lower back when doing certain exercises, especially when adding weight. For the jackknife and leg lifts, I reduced the range of motion to make sure my lower spine was always pressed against the mat.
After five minutes, my core was definitely working hard. Like many of Reif’s workouts, the lack of rest does force you to work hard. While you don’t need it for most workouts, adding dumbbells to some workouts does force me to use my core, squeezing my belly button toward my spine as I twist and curl.
As I started training for another marathon, this workout reminded me that, in fact, a good workout doesn’t require me to go to the gym and sweat for an hour – I can easily grab a dumbbell for ten minutes between sessions Moving. I often use the excuse that I’m too busy to have time for strength training, but once again Pamela proved otherwise.