Halle Berry is the queen of fitspo. At 52 years old, the actress looks like she could be in her early 20s, and according to her trainer, she has the athleticism of a 25-year-old. So it’s no surprise her fans want to know all her workout secrets.
That’s why for the past few months, the actress has been doing a weekly #FitnessFriday video series on Instagram alongside her trainer Peter Lee Thomas, sharing the diet and workout tips that help her stay in incredible shape.
Her most recent post was all about building a strong core-and not just for aesthetically pleasing, sculpted abs. “What I’ve learned throughout my training this past year is that a strong core supports EVERY other part of your body, and if you’re performing exercises correctly, you’re always engaging your core,” she wrote. “Now that’s a win/win.” (For more nuggets like this, check out all the best diet and fitness advice Halle Berry has dropped on Instagram this year.)
Take a cue from the screenshots below and follow Berry's lead the next time you're in the mood for a serious core boost. (Full disclosure: These moves are not easy. Rather than going all in, it might be better to use them as a source of inspiration and incorporate a couple into your routine to start.)
Bear Crawls with a Bench
Start on all fours facing a bench. Make sure your knees are hovering off the floor before lifting one hand up and placing it on the bench. Repeat the same movement with the other hand and then return to starting position, one hand at a time, to complete a rep.
Side-to-Side Bench Jumps
Place both hands on a bench with both feet on the ground to one side. Then jump over the bench and back to your starting position to complete a rep.
Reverse Bear Crawls with Elevated Knees
Start on all fours facing away from a bench. Make sure your knees are hovering off the floor before lifting one foot onto the bench. Repeat the same motion with the other foot and bring both feet back down one after the other to complete a rep.
Hanging Oblique Twist
Put your arms in the slings attached to a pull-up bar and pull your knees up toward your chest while twisting as if you were trying to reach your elbow with your knee. Bring your legs back to your starting position and then repeat the same motion on the other side to complete a rep.
Hanging Leg Lifts
While hanging from a pull-up bar, bring both legs up so they are horizontal to the ground. Make sure they're perfectly straight. Hold the position for a few seconds for that extra burn, and then bring your legs down to complete the rep.
Hanging Knees to Chest
While on a pull-up bar, pull your knees up toward your chest. Hold for a few seconds and release.
Hanging Bicycle Crunches
Think of these as regular bicycle crunches except that you'll be hanging from a pull-up bar. Simply bring one knee up toward your chest then back down, followed by the next. Repeat as fast as you can to really fire up your core.
Hanging Windshield Wipers
*Advanced* move alert! Grab a pull-up bar and lift your legs straight up toward the ceiling until your body is in a U-shaped position. From there, swing your legs to one side of your body and then to the other to complete a rep. (Talk about a burnout.)
