Playground Workout Video for Developing Abs and Core Strength

I often talk about the knees-to-elbows and toes-to-bar exercises that I do during CrossFit metcons. They are a great way to develop not only your abs, but your entire core. But, they are often hard to perform; either because someone isn’t strong enough to hang off a pull-up bar for that long or because their core strength just isn’t ready yet. So, I created this video to show a progression of exercises that you can do to work up to a full toes-to-bar movement.

In this video, I demonstrate a progression of exercises for your abs and core muscles using playground equipment (a bench and a swingset). It includes leg raises, as one the easiest movements that you can do as a beginner, and the Dragon Flag using a bench. Warning: The Dragon Flag is an advanced core exercise and you can hurt your back or neck if you are not ready or you don’t know how to perform it safely. You must protect your neck and only roll up onto your shoulders. I am not liable for any injuries or damages that individuals might incur by attempting to perform any of the exercises or feats of strength depicted or discussed on this website. Any individual attempting to does so at their own risk. Consult with your physician before beginning an exercise regimen.

In the second half of the video, I demonstrate knee raises, knees-to-elbows, and toes-to-bar while hanging from a swingset crossbar. I recommend using a sturdy pull-up bar for the hanging exercises; one that you can easily grip securely (unlike the fat swingset bar that I had to use).