Tighten Your Core With 2x Figure Olympia Erin Stern’s Sliding Abs Workout

The sun is shining and Erin Stern is soaking it in with an outside workout designed to tighten the core. Below, she details how to carve out a six-pack for summer with her sliding abs workout routine, which can be performed with various implements, such as a towel, paper plates, or discs. 

Erin Stern is a two-time Figure Olympia champion, accolades she earned with blood, sweat, and tears back in 2010 and 2012. Her symmetry, aesthetics, and shape haven’t left her side since departing from the category. She has also tested her skills in the Bikini division and found success. 

“With summer upon us, I thought it would be fun to take the workout outdoors today. So we’ll be in my backyard and I’m doing a sliding abs workout using a skateboard. If you don’t have a skateboard, don’t worry, I have a couple of different options for you.” 

In her sliding abs workout, Stern lays out why these movements are so effective for building a stronger core. In addition, she highlights how training this musculature can result in an even tighter waist. 

“The reason I love sliding abs so much is that it’s not only going to train the six-pack or that rectus abdominis, but we’re also hitting the musculature under the six-pack which is the transverse abdominis or that TVA,” says Stern. “The musculature runs horizontally, and when strengthened, it can whittle your middle, it can create a smaller waist.” 

Erin Stern’s Sliding Abs Exercise Routine Breakdown 

Here is a rundown of Stern’s sliding abs workout: 

• Pike ups 
• Tuck ups 
• Side crunches 
• Single-leg crunch/tuck 
• High plank iso hold 

Pike ups 

Aside from bringing the abs to the surface, Stern credits pike ups for aiding shoulder health. This movement also helps strengthen the core, hip flexors, and hamstrings. 

“This is the pike up, and it is excellent for shoulder health, especially rotator cuff, our back, obviously core strength, your hip flexors and hamstrings. You’re going to start by getting into a high plank position. This just means your arms are fully extended and your palms are on the floor.” 

She uses a skateboard as a sliding implement but says this exercise can be replicated with discs, paper plates, or towels depending on the surface of the ground. 

“Both toes are touching and they are on the skateboard, or if you’re using discs, paper plates, or towels, it’s the same idea. You just want your feet together and your toes touching the floor. This is going to be one solid movement and I want you to think about keeping everything tight and straight. Use your abs to pull your hips up, keeping your legs straight.” 

Tuck ups 

During tuck ups, she recommends keeping the arms perpendicular to the floor. With a slight round in your back, pull your knees up to your chest to complete a repetition. 

“Arms perpendicular to the floor, hands should be about shoulder-width apart. For this, you want to keep your core tight and you want to think about putting a slight round in your lower back and pulling your knees to your chest using just your abs,” says Stern. “Stopping just short of your chest, and extend your legs back out to the starting position.”  

Side crunches 

Once again, assume a high plank position for side crunches. But as you pull your knees to your chest, Stern says to think about twisting slightly to properly engage the abdomen muscles. 

“This one we’re going to alternate sides. When you alternate sides, always make sure you’re performing the exercise evenly. And we’re going to be in that high plank position again, hands about shoulder-width apart, arms nice and locked out and you want to just make sure that your shoulders are in line with your hips and in line with your feet and you are simply going to use your abs, you’ll feel this in your obliques as well. 

You’re going to pull your knees to your chest, but as you pull your knees to your chest, think about twisting slightly. So, your knee is going to match the opposite side of your chest and you’re going to extend your legs back and twist the other way back to your high plank position and you’re going to engage your abs pulling your knees to your chest and bringing them to the opposite side of your chest.” 

Single-leg crunch/tuck 

To perform single-leg crunch/tucks, the bodybuilding veteran advised lifters to extend their non-working leg out and up slightly and use the abs to pull the knee to chest level. 

“We’re only going to place one foot on that skateboard or one foot on your towel or paper plate, whatever implement you might be using and you’re going to extend your non-working leg out and up slightly, keeping it nice and straight. You can engage that glute if you like, and all we’re doing here is we are using the abs to pull the knee to the chest,” said Erin Stern. 

High plank iso hold 

As a finisher, Stern practices high plank isometric holds, squeezing the abs with a rounded back. 

“Just going to go ahead and get into a high plank and hold it,” said Stern. “Just like we did for the crunches, I want you to think about rounding your lower back slightly and really squeezing those abs.” 

There you have it; that’s Erin Stern’s sliding abs workout, which can be executed with a variety of different implements. If you’re looking for a challenge, give this one a try and feel the burn! 

RELATED: Erin Stern Shares 3 Exercises to Strengthen the Glute Medius That Enhance Core Stability and Prevents Injuries

Watch the full video from Erin Stern’s YouTube channel below: 

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