Gymnasts maintain their summer bodies year round and you can too with this simple gymnastic strength workout. Rev up for those warm beaches and long summer days by getting in shape with the most effective exercises.

We all revere gymnasts ripped physiques, fluid movement, and confident posture. To look and move like a gymnast, you need to train like one! Get started with this gymnastic workout that will get your core fired up for summer!

Hanging Leg Lifts For Chiseled Abs

Hanging leg lifts are a staple in Gymnastic Strength Training^TM and for good reason!

They target your hip flexors and lower abs like no other exercise.

To begin, start by hanging from a pull-up bar or stall bar. Hang low with a long body, straighten your legs, and keep your shoulders next to your ears. Squeeze your abs and use them to raise your legs up as high as you can with control. Be sure to keep your arms and legs straight!

If you find it difficult to keep your legs straight, it’s okay to tuck them at first. In the meantime, increasing your hamstring flexibility with our Stretch Courses will help you to gain more strength from this exercise.

Hint: If you are on a pull-up bar, fight to keep your shoulders directly under the bar without moving them behind you. This will better isolate your core.

Hang on and shoot for 3 rounds of 5 repetitions.

Side Plank Twists To Shape Your Obliques

This next exercise, side planks twists, are your ticket to strengthening one of the most under-trained areas of the body: the obliques.

Trim and tone your waistline with incredible core exercises from the GB Online Courses!

Start in a side plank (video above) with your forearm supporting you just underneath your shoulders. Place your other hand behind your head and stagger your feet slightly for stability. Make sure to engage your abs, butt, and thighs (keep them squeezed so that your whole body stays straight). Now, twist big until your elbow touches the ground!

Feel the burn with a strong 10 repetitions on each side and repeat for 3 rounds.

Carve Your Core With The Hollow Body Hold

You're almost there so keep on cranking! This last exercise, the hollow body hold, is a fundamental position in gymnastics and one of the key exercises behind the development of strong, shredded abs.

To begin this core exercise (photo below), lay down on your back, place your hands by your side, and straighten your legs. Now, engage your core by pressing your lower back into the ground while lifting your feet and shoulders up off the floor. Be sure to keep your lower back pressed down firmly for the entire hold! 

Can you commit to holding for 30 seconds? We thought so! Shoot for 3 rounds.

Want more? Be sure you check out GymnasticBodies Foundation One Course to spice up your core workouts and unveil those sculpted summer GymnasticBodies Abs!