I’ll never be able to sing like Dua Lipa, but getting her abs has become a lifetime goal. The global star frequently posts about her workouts, and luckily for me, they are pretty easy to find, as Dua has co-founded a Pilates-based training platform named Frame Fitness, designed to make reformer Pilates more accessible.
“The one thing that keeps me grounded and keeps me fit is getting on the mat every single day,’ she told Vogue. “That’s doing Pilates, that’s doing yoga – the good thing about the Frame Reformer is that, even when I’m traveling, I can do the mat stuff.”
Taking a leaf out of Dua’s workout book, I unrolled my mat and gave this 20-minute mat Pilates class a go. Warning: it blasted my core in just six exercises. Read on to find out more.
As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, you’re pregnant or postpartum, or you’re recovering from an injury, this might not be the workout for you. It’s always worth checking in with a qualified professional before trying something new.
What is the workout?
The workout is designed by Frame Fitness instructor Melissa Lynn. It’s a full-body workout that only takes 20 minutes to complete. You will need some extra equipment: a Pilates ball, a pair of ankle weights and a pair of wrist weights to add instability and intensity.
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There are six different exercises in total. Do each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by a 20-second break. Doing a full set (including switching sides) should take you 10 minutes. Repeat the circuit for a bodyweight workout in 20 minutes.
Here are the exercises:
- Side plank and pulse on ball: Start in a side plank position, resting on your elbows with your knees stacked, and press your top hand into your Pilates ball. Lift your hips to form a straight line from your head to your knees. As you reach your hips toward the ceiling, press down into the ball, then lower with control. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.
- Side plank and pulse on the ball with leg extension: This exercise follows the same sequence as above, but as you press into the ball and raise your hips, extend your top leg out diagonally towards the ceiling, then bend your knee and bring your legs back together. Lower down into your side plank and repeat.
- Ball ab crunch: Place the Pilates ball under your bra strap (or mid-back) and brace your core, curling your head, neck and shoulders up off the ball. Keep your arms in line with your shoulders extended out in front of you. Keep your abs braced throughout, sucking your belly button in towards your spine.
- Oblique crunch hold with leg lift: This exercise works the obliques. To do it, place the Pilates ball against one knee, and raise your head, neck and shoulders to use the opposite elbow to hold the ball in place. Extend the opposite leg away and repeatedly lift and lower your leg. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.
- Oblique teaser: Start by resting on one side, and in one movement, lift your torso and legs into a side V-sit. Holding the Pilates ball in your top hand, extend it overhead and as you crunch, bring your top arm up so the ball meets your feet. Lower with control and repeat. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.
- Reverse lunges: Place the Pilates ball under your front foot, and step the other back into a split stance. Lower into a lunge, making sure your front knee stays over your ankle. Drive through your front heel to return to your starting position. Complete 40 seconds on one side before switching to the other.
What are the benefits?
This workout is no joke. With the additional instability of the Pilates ball, the deep stabilizer muscles in your core are working hard to stabilize your body as you crunch, lunge, lift and lower your legs.
As with all Pilates exercises, it’s important to move slowly and with complete control — I had to really think about keeping my core engaged throughout, squeezing my belly button into my spine and keeping my abs zipped up and in.
All of these exercises target the muscles in your core, including the deep lower abs, lower back stabilizers, glutes and pelvic floor. These deep muscles act as your body’s internal corset, protecting your spine and drastically improving your overall balance and stability.
Exercises like the reverse lunges and side planks can also help address and correct muscle imbalances, as you’ll be working one side of the body at a time. As a marathon runner who spends most of her day sitting behind a desk, my left side is much weaker than my right, and I could feel this straight away. Pilates places an immense focus on alignment, and workouts like this can help correct imbalances and improve your posture.
Of course, my abs looked the same after this 20-minute workout, but I really felt it in my core. To get Dua Lipa’s abs, you’d have to pair workouts like this with a balanced diet, enough water and a low-impact form of daily cardio like walking, as visible abs are down to your overall body fat percentage, not how many oblique teasers you can do.
Either way, this is a great workout, and one I’ll be repeating (while listening to Levitating, of course).
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