Julianne Hough, who you’ve probably seen mamboing her way into the audience’s heart on Dancing With the Stars or starring in movies like Safe Haven and Dirty Grandpa, isn’t only known for being a triple-threat. She’s also known for her insane abs. Just look at them.
Obviously dancing her entire life plays a big role in her incredibly toned physique, but she has another secret that’s had a big effect on her six pack, too: yoga, with CorePower Yoga’s Los Angeles studio being her favorite.
Amy Opielowski, CorePower Yoga’s senior manager of quality and innovation, put together five of Hough’s favorite moves that work every angle of her enviable core.
Aim for 12 reps of each exercise and three total sets. Opielowski recommends listening to your body and customizing moves when necessary. Limit the range of motion as you need.
1. Side Plank to Big Toe Variation
Set-up: Come to high plank and roll your heels to one side. Stack your feet on top and lift your arm up.
Action: Inhale, bring your top knee to your chest, and reach to the inside of your knee, wrapping your peace fingers around your big toe. Exhale, extend your leg, and turn your chest up and gaze to your foot. Inhale, lift your hips up. Exhale, lower back to high plank. Repeat on the other side.
2. Low Lunge Switch Jump
Set-up: Place your hands shoulder-width distance apart on the mat and step your right foot back into a low lunge. Maintain your shoulders stacked above your wrists.
Action: Press through your front left heel, and pike your hips up toward the ceiling as you switch jump the right foot forward and your left foot back. Repeat for 30 seconds.
3. Donkey Kick
Set-up: Place your hands shoulder-width distance apart, shorten your downward facing dog until your shoulders are stacked over your wrists, spread your fingers wide, and place your weight evenly in your hands and fingers. Bend your knees toward the mat.
Action: Exhale, extend your legs straight, pike your hips up over your shoulders, and draw your heels to your glutes, drawing your front low ribs in. Inhale, and land softly back into downward facing dog. Repeat for 15 to 20 reps.
4. Boat Pose to Superwoman
Set-up: Sit down onto the middle of your mat, pull your knees into your chest, and elongate through your spine. Extend your legs straight as you maintain a flat back and reach your hands forward.
Action: Inhale, roll off to one side of your mat onto your belly, and extend your arms forward and your legs back. Gaze down to maintain a long neck, relax your shoulders away from your ears, and gently pull your shoulder blades together and down your back. Exhale, roll back into a high boat position. Repeat, roll the opposite direction.
5. Eagle Crunches
Set-up: Lie down on your back and draw your right arm under your left and your right leg up and over your left leg. Anchor your lower back to the mat and soften your shoulders away from your ears.
Action: Inhale, open your elbow away from your knees. Exhale, crunch your elbow to your knee. Repeat.
