My Abs Have Never Screamed Louder Than After Jordan Chiles’s and Simone Biles’s Core Workout

Getty / Joe Robbins / Stringer

Jordan Chiles is off to the Olympics along with friend, fellow World Champions Centre gymnast, and most decorated athlete in World Artistic Gymnastics Championship history Simone Biles. They are now both members of the four-person Tokyo team, and Chiles told POPSUGAR earlier this month that their typical training schedule, as we’d expect, consists of long hours – and we mean long. Monday through Thursday, they have double sessions, followed by one workout apiece on Friday and Saturday, Chiles said. On those days with single practices, they sometimes do a team ab workout that coaches Laurent Landi and Cecile Canqueteau-Landi created during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place period.

Chiles’s goal for the Olympic Trials was to “hit four for four” or “eight for eight” events, she said, given that there were two nights of competition – and her third-place all-around finish and solid showings on June 25 and 27 proved that she’s on top of her game. She also was aiming to simply enjoy herself, “because the sport needs fun in it.” One thing that wasn’t all fun and games? This core workout.

I gave the session a go, and it transported me in time to my gymnastics practices growing up. However, I had to modify the routine when testing it out and skipped over the moves lying on my stomach due to current back pain I’m experiencing. Of course, if you want to modify the workout in other ways, be my guest, because it’s advanced. You can also approach it like I did and forgo rounds 2, 4, 7, and 9 altogether, seen ahead. My abs had quite enough without these sections anyway (I heard their screams loud and clear). My shortened version took about 15 minutes with breaks, and it was a core-quake, for sure!

The Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles Gymnastics Ab Routine

Equipment: None. That’s the beauty of gymnastics workouts! They’re almost always entirely bodyweight.

Directions: Follow the 11 rounds seen ahead all the way through, though you can take as many breaks as you feel are necessary in between rounds. You’ll need to know basic hollow hold and Superman hold positions, so review those if you aren’t familiar. As always, make sure you’re warmed up beforehand and that you cool down afterwards on your own.

Round 1

  1. Hollow pulse: 20 reps
  2. Hollow hold: five seconds
  3. V-up: 20 reps
  4. Hollow hold: five seconds

Round 2

  1. Superman pulse: 20 reps
  2. Superman hold: five seconds

Repeat once more through.

Round 3

  1. Alternating single-leg V-up: 20 reps
  2. Hollow hold: five seconds
  3. Scissor: 20 reps

Round 4

  1. Alternating Superman lift: 20 reps
  2. Superman hold: five seconds
  3. Superman lift: 20 reps

Round 5

  1. Straddle V-up: 15 reps
  2. Hollow hold: five seconds
  3. Super V-up: 15 reps

Round 6

  1. Side hollow pulse: 20 reps
  2. Side hollow hold: five seconds
  3. Side hollow rock: 10 reps

One set of these on each side.

Round 7

  1. Arch-up with elbows wide + hold: 10 reps, hold five seconds
  2. Heel lift + hold: 10 reps, hold five seconds
  3. Arch-up + hold: 10 reps, hold five seconds
  4. Heel lift + hold: 10 reps, hold five seconds

Round 8

  1. Half sit-up: 10 reps
  2. Full sit-up: 10 reps
  3. Pike sit-up: 10 reps
  4. Toe touch: 10 reps

Round 9, Superman Circuit

  1. Superman hold + rocks: hold 10 seconds, 10 reps
  2. Superman hold + rocks with elbows wide: hold 10 seconds, 10 reps
  3. Superman hold + rocks with arms at sides: hold 10 seconds, 10 reps

Round 10, Hollow Hold Circuit

  1. Hollow hold + rocks: hold 10 seconds, 10 reps
  2. Hollow hold + rocks with elbows wide: hold 10 seconds, 10 reps
  3. Hollow hold + rocks with arms above thighs: hold 10 seconds, 10 reps

Round 11

  • Seated leg lift + hold: 10 reps, hold five seconds

Repeat two more times.

  • Seated straddle lift + hold: 10 reps, hold five seconds

Repeat two more times.

Ahead, check out further step-by-step instructions for each move in this core-strengthening workout created by the Landis.

Related: Gymnast Jordan Chiles Is on Her Way to the Tokyo Olympics – Get to Know Her

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