7 Best Dumbbell Exercises to Get Abs Like Cher

Cher is an American icon who has assumed many roles over the decades, from singer to actress to television personality and much more. The 76-year-old isn't limited only to her stage skills and is also known for being one of the fittest stars around, with a workout routine that is quite the challenge.

Cher recently revealed her tough workout routine on Twitter. As it turns out, she is into full-body fitness and loves to switch things up in her fitness routine - from ab workouts to yoga, zumba to step class. The actress once revealed on The Ellen Show that she can do a 5-minute plank, while a 2-minute plank won't even break a sweat for her!

Best Dumbbell Exercises to Get Abs Like Cher

While Cher is known to be a full-body fitness freak and still maintains the body she had in her youth, her sculpted abs are to-die-for. Perform these 7 challenging dumbbell exercises to get abs like Cher:

1) Dumbbell Crunches

Dumbbell crunches are the true test of fundamental core strength and provide great stimulation to the abdominals. Keep in mind that you have to work your abs, so you need to lift the weight through your abdominals and hips (not your shoulders), to get toned abs like Cher.

Start off by lying down on a mat on your back with your knees bent, and your feet flat on the ground.
Grab a lightweight dumbbell in both your hands, with your palms facing outwards and your arms extending straight out above your shoulders.
Take a deep breath, and when you exhale, curl your head, shoulders and upper body off the ground, reaching the dumbbell towards the ceiling. You must try to reach higher than your feet.
Now inhale and slowly return to the starting position to complete one rep.

2) Russian Twist

This is a great exercise to get lean abs like Cher, because the elevated position of the feet provides a lot of stimulation to the upper and lower abs, both of which are typically tricky areas to stimulate. The twist also traditionally strengthens the obliques which are required in other heavy, compound lifts.

Start off at the top of the crunch position, but keep your feet elevated off the ground with your knees slightly bent.
Grab a dumbbell with both your hands and hold it close to your chest. Your back should be neither compressed nor extended.
Now rotate your upper body to either side (left and right) keeping your abs braced, and touch the dumbbell lightly to the floor on each side.
A twist to the left and then the right counts as one rep.

3) Single Arm Overhead Press

This is a shoulder exercise that forces the abs to both stabilize the weight at the top of the lift and keep your core from twisting under the uneven load. It is a great exercise to train your abs as well as obliques.

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in your extended right hand in front of your shoulder.
Tightening your abs and glutes, drive the dumbbell straight up until it is directly above your shoulder and head. Your biceps will be next to your ear.
Try and keep your ribcage down to maximize the benefits to your abs.
Repeat for as many reps as indicated by your trainer.

4) Dumbbell Swing

Although the dumbbell swing is a full-body exercise, it will give your core a great workout by engaging your abdominals and obliques to help you stabilise your body. The dumbbell swing is a great exercise to get sleek abs.

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a dumbbell and hold it in the middle with both your hands, one above and one below.
Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back without rounding your lower back.
Swing the weight between your legs and once it is behind your body, contract your glutes and thrust your hips forward to swing the dumbbell to chest level.
You musn’t use your arms and shoulders to raise the weight; you must use the momentum of your hip thrust to swing the dumbbell upward.
When the weight is at chest level, contract your core, glutes, and quads as hard as you can and imagine that your body is in a vertical plank position.
Now, allow the weight to swing back between your legs, and repeat.

5) Dumbbell Side Bend

The side bend is an important ab workout that will strengthen your obliques. Strong obliques are necessary for rotational strength as well as to support your abdominals in heavy weightlifting. Include this exercise to get beautifully muscular obliques like Cher.

Stand upright, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
Keeping your chest up, lower the weight till your knees.
Complete your reps on one side, then switch to the other.

6) Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

The Single Leg Romanian Deadlift greatly challenges your abs and lower back to help keep you stable and upright.

Stand upright on both your feet and grab a dumbbell with both your hands.
Raise your left foot behind you, hinging forward from the waist, lowering the dumbbell as your foot lifts behind you.
Lift until your leg is almost but not completely parallel in line with your torso.
Contract your glutes and hamstring to return to the starting position.
Focus on keeping your back flat instead of slanted when you are at the bottom of each rep.

7) T-Pushup

T-Pushup is another great exercise to target your obliques and get lean and taut abs like Cher.

Start in the normal pushup position, with your arms straight, and your hands on light dumbbells.
Lower yourself and push back up, lifting your right arm and rotating it to the right until your right arm is straight up and your left arm is on the floor.
Your body will look like a “T” on its side. Return to the starting position and repeat with your left arm.

Edited by Sabine Algur