I just tried Kendall Jenners 11-minute ab workout and its surprisingly simple
I’ll let you in on a secret — as a fitness editor, I love nothing more than digging into the workout routines of Hollywood’s most rich and famous. From finding the exact routine Chris Hemsworth did on the set of Thor, to the leg workout Carrie Underwood swears by, I love trying the workout routines of some of the world’s most famous faces, often devised by some of the top trainers.
With that in mind, in a bid to find out why so many people were googling ‘Kendall Jenner’s ab workout’, I did some digging. Luckily for me, it wasn’t all that difficult — Jenner has shared an 11-minute ab workout she does when she feels guilty for sitting around watching TV (relatable). On her now-defunct site and app, Jenner shared the workout that she says get’s fast results. The model wrote, “Sometimes when I'm watching TV, I think to myself, 'I should be doing crunches and sit-ups right now. Then I get off the couch and do it." Read on to find out what happened when I did the same.
A reminder that what works for Jenner might not be right for you and your body. If you’re returning to exercise from an injury or a pregnancy, it’s worth checking with a doctor or a personal trainer before taking on a new exercise routine. It’s also worth noting that visible abdominals are a result of a low body fat percentage, which can be achieved by having a balanced exercise, nutrition, and sleep routine, not just doing crunches in the gym. Here’s how to calculate your body fat percentage, and why it matters.
Looking for more workout inspiration? We’ve also tried a couple of workouts by Jenner’s famous sisters — read what happened when we tried Khloe Kardashian’s workout here, as well as Kim Kardashian’s glute workout here.
What is Kendall Jenner’s 11-minute ab workout?
Ready to get into the workout? Here’s Kendall Jenner’s ab routine:
Forearm plank: 30 seconds
For a forearm plank, get into a press-up position, with your arms slightly wider than your shoulders, but instead of pushing up into a push-up, bend your arms at the elbow so your weight is on your forearms. Hold here, clenching your abs and your glutes.
High plank: 30 seconds
For a high plank, start in a press-up position, with your arms slightly wider than your shoulders and your body weight resting on your hands flat against the floor. Think about creating a straight line from your heels to the crown of your head, engaging your core.
Side plank: 15 seconds on each side
Lie straight out on one side, legs stacked. Rest your forearm flat on the floor and ensure your elbow is in line with your shoulder. Engage your abs and raise your hips and knees from the floor, keeping a straight line from head to feet. Only your forearm and foot should be in contact with the ground. Don’t allow your hips to sag and keep looking straight ahead for the duration.
Side plank with crunch: 5 reps on each side
For this exercise, from the side plank position, crunch your top knee and your top elbow together, keeping the movement slow and controlled.
Single arm/leg plank: 15 seconds
Similar to a birddog exercise, start in a high plank position, lift either your right or left leg a few inches from the ground, then extend the opposite arm out in front of you. Pause here, before lowering back to your starting position and switching sides.
Rocking plank: 15 seconds
For a rocking plank, start in a forearm plank position, with your bodyweight on your elbows, then rock your body forward until you are on your tiptoes. Then, slowly rock back to your starting position. Keep repeating this forward and back motion.
Knee to elbow plank: 5 reps on each side
Starting in a high or low plank position, whichever feels more comfortable, bend your left leg in to touch your left elbow, then extend it back to your starting position and repeat. After five reps, switch sides.
Crunch: 20 reps
To do a crunch, start by lying on your back, with your lower back flat against the floor. With your hands on either side of your head, engage your abdominal muscles and crunch your torso up towards your knees. Return to starting position and repeat.
Bicycle crunch: 30 seconds
To do a bicycle crunch, lie on the floor with your back flat against the ground. Place your hands next to your head and raise your shoulders off the ground. Bend your knees and draw your legs up off the ground. Bring the right knee towards your chest as you straighten your left leg, as your right knee comes up, twist your body so your left elbow touches your right knee. Repeat on the other side and make sure your legs and shoulders remain off the ground for the entire exercise.
Vertical crunch: 20 seconds
To do a vertical crunch, lift your legs up toward the ceiling, so they are as straight as they can be. Engaging your core, with your arms outstretched, crunch your torso up towards your legs, as if you’re trying to touch your toes.
Frog crunch: 15 reps
For the frog crunch, lying on your back, place your feet together and drop your knees out to the side, making a diamond shape with your legs. Moving from your abdominal muscles, crunch your torso upwards, extending your arms out between your legs.
Leg lifts: 15 per leg
Start by lying on your back, with your legs extended out on the mat. Raise your head and neck up from the mat, and lift one leg up towards the ceiling, then slowly lower it back down to your starting position. If this is too much on your lower back, put your hands in a diamond shape in the small of your back.
I tried Kendall Jenner’s 11-minute ab workout — here’s what happened
Don’t be deceived by how short and simple this workout looks — it hits all of the different areas of the core and creates a burn in no time. I completed this workout after a week of doing Pamela Reif’s ab workouts every day, so my core was already feeling the burn by the end of my first 30-second plank.
Talking of planks, the first half of this workout focuses a lot on the plank, as you move from a forearm plank, to a high plank, to a side plank, before you add crunches and knee tucks. Although you don’t need to hold a plank for long to see results, the intervals are short, so it’s important to nail your form. I thought about keeping my belly button sucked into my spine, and a straight line from my heels to the crown of my head. Adding movement to the plank for the rocking planks and the knee-to-elbow planks forced my core to really work hard to keep my body stable throughout.
From planks, you move to various forms of crunches. If like me, you suffer from any sort of lower back pain, it’s important to ensure you keep your spine imprinted into your exercise mat when working your abs. If you find yourself arching your back, lower the range of motion to ensure that you’re not putting any extra strain on your spine. The crunches, bicycle crunches, and toe touch crunch all hit the rectus abdominis or 'six-pack muscle’ down the front of my core.
The final two exercises — frog crunches and leg lifts, both felt pretty Pilates-inspired — the model has been spotted attending reformer Pilates classes in Los Angeles with her friend Hailey Beiber. Here’s everything you need to know about Pilates and weight loss, plus 8 of the best Pilates exercises to target your core for the ultimate burn. The leg lifts in particular worked into the lower section of my abs, and left me feeling like I’d worked all the different parts of my mid-section.
Of course, no workout is going to leave you with instant results, but I did feel like I’d worked my abs in a short amount of time while watching TV. There’s no doubt Jenner works hard to stay in shape and makes exercise a priority, but this workout proves you don’t have to spend hours in the gym to work your core.
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