You only need one dumbbell, five moves, and 25 minutes to develop your core and boost your balance

If you're bored of standard abs workouts (sit-ups, sit-ups, and more sit-ups) then why not take this alternative core session for a spin instead?

There are five new moves to learn and you only need one dumbbell (or adjustable dumbbell) to give them a go at home. The routine is the brainchild of fitness trainer James Stirling, better known as the London Fitness Guy on Instagram.

It's designed to work your mid-body muscles to improve your posture, boost your balance, and reduce back pain. To try it yourself, perform the moves one after the other for 40 seconds each, leaving a 20-second rest between each one.

After you've finished all five, you can leave it there or go back to the start for an extra challenge. Stirling suggests tackling five rounds in total for a 25-minute workout, but you can tinker with this figure to suit your experience level.

So, if you want to build serious core strength, all that's left to do is warm up, watch Stirling's demonstrations, and practice your technique. Then you're ready to get the most from your training and avoid injury.

Watch the London Fitness Guy's dumbbell abs workout

Stirling uses a 22lb/10kg dumbbell for each of the moves in this workout. But, if you're new to weighted core strengthening exercises like these, you might want to start lighter (or without any weight at all) to perfect your form. 

Then, when you feel comfortable with the movements, you can start pushing yourself to use heavier dumbbells. If you're not sure where to start and want to know which dumbbell weight you should use, there are a few things to look out for. 

You want to pick a load that'll challenge your muscles, but won't affect your form. So a set should be difficult but achievable. Then, as you get stronger, you can use the progressive overload technique to gradually increase the load. 

Our other top tip is to focus on squeezing your core during these exercises. This won't just help you drown out distractions, it will also encourage mind-muscle connection, which can increase activation of the targeted muscles to make for a more effective workout. 

If you enjoyed the variety on offer in this abs workout, you might be interested in other alternative ways to train these muscles that aren't the age-old bodyweight staples of sit-ups, crunches, and planks. 

If that's the case, take a look at our roundup of the best ab rollers, which will help put a different spin on your next core session. These wheels are lightweight, easy to store, and lower cost than weights, too.