When I first created the equipment for Reuse, Recycle, Reduce Your Waist, I was ga-ga over my medicine ball. I mean, re-using an old basketball and making it into a mean, lean, exercising fun machine? Yes, please.
But later I created my ab-mat, and guys? I think it’s my favorite. I use it almost every day, especially with my burpees. It’s called an ab-mat, but it’s so much more than just a sit-up assistant.
Ab-mats are terrific for those with knee issues as added cushion for exercises on your knees. Have to kneel for your skull-crushers? Use an ab-mat. Do lunges hurt your knees when you touch the ground? Use an ab-mat. I use ab-mats for planks, push-ups, and bird-dogs. It’s terrific.
So, how do you make an ab-mat? Well, the full method is in my book Reuse, Recycle, Reduce Your Waist, but you don’t have to even make it that fancy if you want to try it out before investing the time to make one. Just grab a pillow- any pillow- a throw pillow, bed pillow, a cushion from your chairs. Whatever you have available to you.
If you want to make the ab-mat so it doesn’t slide as much, or so you can bring it outside with you, get a roll of drawer liner, about $5 for a roll. You will need some duct tape to attach it together. The drawer liner keeps the pillow from sliding all over the place, and it makes it look better than just some old pillow you are doing burpees on.
Then you are ready to workout with your own ab-mat.
More Than Core- 3 Rounds For Time
- 10 Burpees- place ab-mat a little in front of you so you come down with your knees on the ab-mat
- 20 Push-ups- place ab-mat under your knees for knee push-ups
- 30 second Plank
- 40 Flyaways– lay on your front, with your chest just over the ab-mat. Hands out from your side (like wings on a bird). Lift your chest up into the air and slowly lower back to the ground. Keep your neck in a neutral position.
- 30 Sit-ups- Place ab-mat right at the base of your spine, so you aren’t actually sitting on the mat, but at the very edge of it. Lay down over ab-mat and then using your core, sit back up.
- 20 Lunges (10 each side)- Place the ab-mat behind your legs. Step back with one leg and place knee on the ab-mat. Reverse lunges prevent your knees from moving over your toes, and the ab-mat protects the knee from the hard ground.
- 10 Bird-Dog– Place the ab-mat under your knees. Lift your right leg and point it toward the back of the room while lifting your left arm and stretching it toward the front. Bring back to neutral and repeat for the other side.