So tell me, what do the Baby Shark song and your 6-pack have in common?
Both are about to enter your life and stay for good after you watch this video!
I always considered myself a know-it-all, done-it-all when it comes to fitness training.
But viral kids’ songs?
Not exactly my favorite music to get down to.
So imagine my surprise when I came across this Ab Challenge on the internet that combines
fitness and a catchy children’s tune about a baby shark and its family.
Everyone from young gymnasts to professional hockey players started training their abs
in sync with the earworm.
No, seriously, once you hear it, the song doesn’t leave your head!
Well, if it ever gets stuck in your brain, then you might as well make something out
of it!
But does it really work, or are all these people just having a good time?
The moves look pretty easy, and the people doing it don't look like they’re putting
much effort into the workout.
For me, a person who's tried just about everything to sculp my midsection, all of this seemed
like a joke.
I mean, I’m a pretty fit guy, and I work out a couple times a week.
But I never could get that 6-pack definition I’ve always dreamed of.
I saw grown men struggle with this one, so I just HAD to try it myself!
Here’s what I did for the next 30 days:
You start off by lying on your back.
Don't forget to turn on the right music, you know what it is.
You might also want to grab an exercise mat – your tailbone is gonna need it!
You lift your torso and legs so that your body makes a boat shape.
Stretch your arms out in front of you, and start doing the workout to the first words
of the verse.
It starts out with the good ol’ scissors exercise.
Your hands will be hovering over your knees.
Remember, your abs will be engaged the whole time as they keep your body in that boat-shape.
Spread your legs apart, then bring them back close together.
Don't go too fast, control each move to keep your legs stable in the air.
That’s the 1st verse about Baby Shark.
The next move is alternating leg raises.
Keep your abs pulled tight, arms and legs lifted up, and your lower back planted firmly
on the ground.
Then, one leg goes up toward the ceiling, and the other lowers to the floor.
Don’t let it touch the ground if you really wanna work those abs!
Try to reach with your arms as high as you can – the goal is the toes of the raised
leg.
Keep alternating sides as you get through the 2nd verse about Mommy Shark.
Stay in that half-seated position.
This time, you’re going to lift both legs up toward the ceiling and do V-ups.
Reach both arms towards your toes.
Double leg raises are an effective exercise to work your lower abs and make your hips
and lower back more flexible.
Do that through the 3rd verse about Daddy Shark.
The next exercise is alternating knee tucks.
You bend one leg and bring your knee toward your chest.
Then change legs and do the same with the other one.
One important thing remains true: keep your legs and upper back off the ground!
That’s the 4th verse about Grandma Shark.
Once the 5th verse kicks in about Grandpa Shark, you’ll start lifting both knees toward
your chest.
Control your breathing.
When your knees go toward you, breathe out and squeeze your abs.
Keep your back straight and upper body stable at all times.
This exercise also helps improve posture.
Now the whole family is going to go hunting in the 6th verse.
At this point, you’ll just return to the very first position (boat shape, arms straight
out in front of you).
From there, kick your legs up and down, kinda like you’re splashing in water.
The 7th verse will start before you know it, and it’s time for mountain climbers as you
run away from the shark family.
Get into a straight-arm plank and start “running” against the ground.
You bring one knee to your chest, then the other.
Mountain climbers work out practically the entire body by hitting different muscle groups.
Then you have to switch back over to the V position.
Your abs will be on fire at this point – trust me, I’d know – I did this routine for
30 days straight!
The 8th “safe at last” verse is kind of a wrap-up.
All you do is this movement like you’re wiping sweat off your forehead – you might
really need to!
Remember, your legs are still off the ground.
In the 9th verse, the song will tell you “it’s the end” and that means you have one exercise
left!
It’ll be as if you’re doing a backstroke in the pool.
Only, you have to do it with jazz hands.
Hey, I didn’t make up the rules!
Keep your abs engaged the whole time, and that’ll conclude the Baby Shark workout!
From Day 1, I was really feeling sorry to all the people in those videos that I was
making fun of!
It was hard to keep my breath, and I was ready to give up by the 3rd verse.
But I somehow managed to get through it.
Although, I’ll be honest, my legs did touch the floor several times!
The next day was ROUGH.
My whole body felt sore, and my abs?
I can’t even put it into words.
I tried to get a good stretch going before I turned on that familiar tune.
It helped a little, but it was still hard to get through all 9 verses the next few days
simply because my muscles were on fire.
By the way, if your muscles get sore (and they will!), don’t give up!
It’s actually a good sign, as long as it’s not too painful.
If you feel soreness 24 to 48 hours after working out, it means the muscles are changing
and becoming stronger.
Stretching after the workout helps increase blood flow and start the healing process.
Epsom salts will help too, so you can reward yourself with a nice warm bath with 2 cups
of it after the workout.
However, if the pain won't go away for too long and doesn't get any easier, you might
wanna get that checked out.
And if you feel any sharp pain in your joints during or after the workout, that's a red
flag too.
A 6-pack is great and all, but it's not worth risking your health, right?
Anyway, back to my workout experience.
What can I say, I struggled through the whole first week, but I didn’t give up!
As I did it every day, it became easier and easier.
By the end of Week 2, I started adding repetitions for progression.
And it worked!
To all the skeptics out there, I can say one thing: the whole secret behind this workout
is that you're doing it without a single break.
Your arms and legs are always in the air, so you’re under constant tension.
Time is the second success secret to this routine.
You’re using it to your full advantage.
Yes, the entire workout is under 2 minutes, but you make every second count.
Versus when you do 10 or 15 reps of some exercises, you could be doing it with different intensity.
What's enough for someone might not be enough for you.
So, no matter how funny it sounds and looks, this is a serious core workout that can transform
your body.
If you’re consistent about it and do even one set every day, you'll get visible results
by the end of the month.
As for me, I do see a lot more muscle definition in my abs.
But more importantly, I feel like I sit up straighter, and I’ve got more endurance
in my regular workouts now!
A 6-pack and feeling good, I’d say it was worth listening to this song over and over
and over again every single day!
One more final tip before I go do today’s Baby Shark sesh – always remember that “abs
are made in the kitchen.”
A diet or workout alone might not give you the belly of your dreams, but if you combine
the two, the results will be undeniable!
So stick to cleaner foods and watch your portion sizes.
To help keep your muscle mass, include lots of protein in your diet.
Chicken, beef, turkey, legumes, nuts, and some dairy products like Greek yogurt will
help you out with that!
Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a
friend!
And here are some other cool videos I think you'll enjoy.
Just click to the left or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!