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Steal the Moves From Shakira's Ab Workouts

Shakira's Longtime Trainer Shared the Ab Exercises That Keep Her Shredded

Jan 24 2023

Between her new single "Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53" and the "jam gate" alleged cheating scandal with Gerard Piqué, Shakira is probably all over your news feed. With the star top of mind, you may be wondering what kind of training she does to keep those "Hips Don't Lie" dance moves so on point.

In general, Shakira isn't shy about sharing her workouts, and neither is her longtime trainer, Anna Kaiser, NASM-certified personal trainer and CEO of Anna Kaiser Studios. The duo has been training together for more than a decade, including in preparation for Shakira's halftime performance with Jennifer Lopez at the 2020 Super Bowl. Back in 2018, POPSUGAR just spoke with Kaiser, who shared how she was training the Colombian singer and mum of two to prep for an international tour. At the time, they were "working on increasing her endurance and stamina because she's going to be on stage for two hours at a time, singing and dancing," Kaiser said. Around the same time, Kaiser also shared a bum workout on Instagram she was doing with the singer.

Now, Kaiser is opening up about Shakira's current fitness lineup. "She loves core work but knows she needs the cardio," Kaiser said in an interview with Shape.

Kaiser shared six Pilates-style core moves that she does with Shakira using a towel, a Pilates ball, and light weights, saying the sequence trains "every muscle in your core." It also works your body "as a unit, not a combination of parts," she says, which is important for building functional core strength. ICYMI, Pilates has been having a serious moment lately, so it's no surprise that Shakira and Kaiser are on board with the practice (along with plenty of other celebs).

Want to try all of Kaiser's go-to ab moves for yourself? Here are some of the exercises Kaiser recently shared with Shape, as well as some of the core exercises Shakira and Kaiser shared around the 2020 Super Bowl. Cherry-pick a few for your next ab workout, or try them all in a row (for example, doing each move for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between) for a circuit that's sure to burn.

—Additional reporting by Lauren Mazzo

Image Source: Getty / Jeff Kravitz / Contributor

Side Bend With Dumbbells

Shakira did this classic weighted oblique move while her kids pegged her with exercise balls, which means the rest of us have no excuses either.

  • Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding five- to 10-pound dumbbells at your sides.
  • Bend sideways to the right, squeezing your waist on the right side. Keep your neck as neutral as possible, looking forward not down.
  • Pull the left ribs down to return to standing upright. This focuses the work on the left obliques.
  • This completes one rep. Make sure to do equal reps on each side.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Body Saw

This ab move is extremely challenging, so it's no wonder Anna incorporated a variation of it into her arm and core workout.

  • Start face down on the floor, resting on your forearms and knees.
  • Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
  • Contract your abdominals to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
  • Keep your back flat — don't let it droop or you'll be defeating the purpose. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.
  • With a flat back, use your elbows to pull your body forward, then come back to your starting position. Be sure to keep your neck and spine in a neutral position. This completes one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett

High Plank

Anna did a variation of the classic high plank in an Instagram dumbbell strengthening circuit.

  • Start resting on all fours.
  • With your palms flat, raise up off your knees onto your toes. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders.
  • Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your bottom from sticking up. Remember to keep your belly button pulled in.
  • With your head and spine in line, keep your back flat — don't let it curve. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
  • Hold for 30 seconds.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Maria del Rio

Side Plank

Side planks challenge your obliques enough as it is, but if you want an extra challenge, drop down to one knee and crunch it up to tap your top leg, as Anna demos in this Super Bowl circuit.

  • Balance on your right hand and the outside edge of your right foot, with your body in one straight line. To modify, stagger your feet and bring your top leg forward.
  • Hold strong for 60 seconds.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kyle Hartman

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Squat

Your glutes are a key part of your core, and Shakira strengthened hers with classic squats in one of her Super Bowl prep workouts.

  • Stand with your head facing forward and your chest held up and out.
  • Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Extend your hands straight out in front of you to help keep your balance. You can also bend the elbows or clasp the fingers.
  • Sit back and down like you're sitting into an imaginary chair. Keep your head facing forward as your upper body bends forward a bit. Rather than allowing your back to round, let your lower back arch slightly as you descend.
  • Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with your knees over your ankles. Press your weight back into your heels.
  • Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Bicycle Crunches

Anna demoed a version of this exercise using a ball to support the lower back, but you can do this effective, simplified version with just your mat!

  • Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your abs down to also target your deep abs). Interlace your fingers, and put your hands behind your head.
  • Bring your knees in toward your chest, and lift your shoulder blades off the ground.
  • Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow toward the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows.
  • Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep (and to create the pedaling motion). Do this exercise with slow and controlled motion.
  • This completes one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Lying Overhead Reach

This compound move challenges your shoulders and core, so it's no wonder it was one of Anna and Shakira's go-to's.

  • Lie on your back with your hips and knees both at 90-degree angles, using your low abs to press your lower back into the mat. Raise your arms toward the ceiling, keeping the elbow joint slightly bent.
  • Reach your arms overhead, bringing the dumbbells to tap the dumbbells on the floor above your head. Do not let your back arch away from the floor as your lower the weights.
  • Raise your arms back to the starting position to complete one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

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