Celeb trainer Don Saladino is a man with a plan. Since the beginning of the year, Don has helped us train like his star-studded clientele – everyone from Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively to Ryan Gosling and Hugh Jackman to some of today’s hottest athletes – by using his go-to workout style of choice: split training. Instead of hitting every body part in one session, split training dedicates one full workout to each set, giving your muscles ample time to recover and getting you out of the gym faster than ever.
So far, our TCM workouts with Don have looks something like this: chest + biceps on Day One, legs on Day Two, shoulders + triceps on Day Three, and the back muscles on Day Four. To finish off the set, Don’s sharing with us the killer abs workout he throws in twice a week. Best part? Not a single crunch or sit-up in sight. No wonder the celebs love him…
Ready to put it all together? Add two days of this crunch-less workout into the mix to try the entire workout next week – and be sure to take a day to rest!
A Quick Abs Workout With Celeb Trainer Don Saladino
Warmup:
Warmup for 10-15 minutes to prime and prep your body.
Foam rolling: Foam rolling involves lying on a cylinder-like foam roller and rolling any area of the body that is tender. Think of it as using a rolling pin to roll dough. Do not roll bone – the roller is to be used on the fleshy areas of the body such as hips, hamstrings, quads, glutes and calves (like this).
Skips: 25 yards down and back. As your knee drives to the ceiling, push off with your opposite foot. Swing your arms in opposition (like this).
Lateral shuffle: 25 yards down and back. Bend at the hips just a bit and keep them square. Shuffle to the left and then to the right (like this).
High knees: 25 yards down and back. Move fast, swing your arms in opposition and get those knees up (like this)!
Back pedal: 25 yards down and back. Stick your glutes out and run backwards while looking over your shoulder. Get those legs reaching out as far behind you as possible, allowing them to lead (like this).
Carioka: 25 yards down and back. Begin by taking a lateral step to the right and crossing your left foot in front of you. Take another step to the right with your right foot and then cross your left foot behind. This will take some coordination, but you’ll get there (like this).
80-percent springs: 25 yards down and back. Begin at the top of a push-up position and then get yourself upright and sprint (like this).
Abs:
Hanging knee raise: 3 sets of 15 reps. Hanging from a bar, raise your knees as close to your chest as possible (like this).
Planks: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds each. Get into pushup position on the floor and bend your arms so that your elbows are directly underneath your shoulders. Make sure to squeeze your glutes while also maintaining your breathing. Remember to maintain stiffness throughout your entire body (like this).
Side planks: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds each. Lie on your side on a mat. Place your forearm on the mat and under your shoulder so that it is perpendicular to the body. Place your upper leg directly on top of the lower leg and straighten your knees and hips. Raise your body upward by straightening your waist so that the body is rigid. Hold this position and then repeat with opposite side (like this).
Ab wheel: 3 sets of 10-20 reps. Begin with your knees on a mat and your hands on the handles of your ab wheel. Roll out into a plank position, keeping your core engaged. Roll back to your starting position (like this).
Prone knee drives: 3 sets of 10 reps. Balance your hands on a large ball and begin with your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Bring your knee into your chest while engaging your core. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side (like this).
