Pamela Reif calls this her 'pretty abs and arms' workout — my muscles would like a word
Back during the time of Covid lockdown, when kitchens doubled as gyms and 'snatched waists' were the internet's fitness obsession, workout videos promising washboard abs and toned arms were everywhere.
Fitness influencers like Pamela Reif and Chloe Ting went viral with quick, equipment-free routines that racked up millions of views.
At Tom's Guide, we've tested plenty of them (more on that below), so when I spotted Reif's recent 'pretty abs and arms' workout doing the rounds, I was curious.
These days, I tend to stick to workouts from certified trainers over fitness influencers. I care far less about what a routine claims it will make me look like and more about how it supports my strength, mobility and energy in daily life.
But maybe it was nostalgia, or the intrigue of a workout with a title bold enough to promise 'pretty' abs and arms. Either way, I wanted to know more. So I pulled on my best gym leggings and gave it a go.
I usually prefer not to know the workout structure beforehand because if I do, I tend to talk myself out of it. So I dove into Reif's "pretty arms and abs" routine blind, only knowing it was just 12 minutes long. The little time commitment required from this workout was one of the factors that drew me in.
Each exercise lasts 30 seconds, with repeats only when switching sides. Personally, I find workouts with no repeats, especially for abs, feel quicker. But the lack of breaks between moves made this one feel intense, especially during the two extra 30-second pulsing sections she added early in the workout.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
That said, pausing during a core workout can sometimes make it feel harder to restart, so I can't blame Reif for the relentless no-rest structure. I made it to the end with my core still intact, though feeling the burn.
Lululemon Align leggings are perfect for workouts like this Pilates-inspired routine, thanks to their stretchy, lightweight fabric that moves with you without restricting any of the slow, controlled movements. Plus, you can save $29!
If you're not into traditional ab workouts packed with sit-ups, Russian twists and planks, you'll probably enjoy this core routine from Reif. It leans on Pilates-inspired moves for a slower, more controlled challenge.
Pilates keeps your core working the whole time, helping to build strength, improve posture and boost stability. I also think that's why Reif calls this her 'pretty arms and abs' workout. It's a very elegant sequence.
Or at least, it looks that way when she does it. I'm not sure my cross-legged pike plank into cobra looked quite as smooth, but I enjoyed getting into the flow. It felt much gentler than a crunch-heavy core session and easier to stay consistent with, thanks to the slow and controlled movement.
Have you ever heard of an "elegant push-up"? I hadn't either until five minutes into the routine, when Reif demonstrated one. She started in a kneeling push-up position, lifted one leg behind her, kept the other bent with the foot pointing upward, then performed 30 seconds of push-ups in that pose.
Elegant might be the word for it, but only if you stay completely focused. A quick glance in the mirror reminded me that this move only looks graceful if your core is switched on and your legs stay steady in the correct position.
Later in the workout, she added "lizard push-ups". I knew the stretch version of this move from a challenge my colleague Sam did, where she held the lizard pose every day for a week.
It's a brilliant hip opener, but adding a push-up takes it to another level. This version challenged my mobility, core strength and upper body all at once.
It was tricky to nail these moves in 30 seconds, but I really enjoyed learning new moves that I could use to switch up my core workouts.
I'll admit I was a little sceptical going in. I don't usually trust workouts that suggest you can change how your body looks after just 12 minutes, especially ones with titles like 'pretty abs and arms.'
But I ended up enjoying it far more than I expected. The Pilates-inspired moves flowed together in a way that felt controlled and satisfying when I got the exercises right. While I'm not sure I emerged with visibly different arms or abs, I did feel stronger and enjoyed the challenge.
If you want to try Ting and Reif's workouts, this lower ab workout with 18 million views is Pamela Reif's creation, and this Chloe Ting ab workout has over 420 million views.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
37 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Under Daigneault's leadership, SpeakEasy spoke to, and for, many
Last year, Daigneault, now 60, Daigneault has both witnessed and helped to bring about the growth of a robust midsize theater scene. But as he leaves, he's worried about the precarious financial situation midsize theater companies find themselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. (Watertown-based New Repertory Theatre closed two years ago.) Advertisement 'Post-COVID has been the hardest,' said Daigneault. 'Audiences got in the habit of staying home, so they're not going out anymore. Or they're older and still afraid of the health risks. It's been much more of a struggle to sustain ourselves since we've gotten back from COVID.' Advertisement 'The funding community in this city needs to step up and value the art,' he said. 'A $100,000 grant to a midsize theater company is transformative.' He added: 'The midsize theaters need to band together to find ways to bring new audiences to the theater. It's a challenge that we are all facing, so we should get together to figure out how to solve this.' He spoke by phone from the home in Connecticut that he and his husband, the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey W. Mello, bought when Mello was named Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut several years ago. Daigneault's modus operandi at SpeakEasy was a blend of vision and pragmatism. Whether it was a drama, a comedy, a musical, or a combination thereof, he displayed a gift for finding directors, actors, and designers who matched the material. Daigneault with "An American Daughter" playwright Wendy Wasserstein, left, who visited SpeakEasy in October 1998 during the show's run, which Melinda Lopez, right, directed. Courtesy SpeakEasy staged contemporary works that varied in style and subject matter, but had in common a certain polish and vitality, and, sometimes, the ability to start conversations. A 2002 production of 'Bat Boy: The Musical,' about a half-bat, half-boy who falls in love with a girl in a small town in West Virginia, generated so much buzz in Boston that SpeakEasy brought it back for a second run in January 2003, and then for a third run in April 2003. From the start, Daigneault envisioned SpeakEasy and other midsize and small companies as an antidote to what he calls 'museum theater,' in which 'you're watching the show as if it's in a kind of display case, and you're not feeling a connection with what's going on onstage.' With that in mind, Daigneault kept an eye peeled for shows first produced on Broadway, such as Advertisement Karen MacDonald and Paul Daigneault at rehearsals for "Pru Payne" in October of 2024. Nile Scott Studios What animated him for more than three decades, Daigneault said, was the chance to 'mak[e] art to create community,' telling the stories of 'people who are othered or disenfranchised' while not being 'so didactic and preachy that they're not entertaining.' He points to SpeakEasy's January co-production with Front Porch, directed by Simmons, of free of charge, to 'solve racism.' 'It was super-entertaining, but it also punched you in the gut,' Daigneault said. 'I've never been a warrior,' he said. 'But I've been a warrior through the art that I produced. I've never had a formula. Just trying to listen to my gut.' He grew up in Marlborough and Sandwich, graduated from Boston College in 1987, and then spent several years in New York City, where he struggled to land directing jobs. 'I got frustrated, and said 'Forget it, I'm going to go back to Boston and start my own theater company,'' he said. That's what he proceeded to do, along with several friends, including actress Kerry Dowling. Brainstorming names during an apple-picking excursion, they came up with a name drawn from the Prohibition era. 'It was the idea that a speakeasy is where you needed to know the password,' said Daigneault. 'It was underground. That it was cool to be there, that whole idea. The name is saying something.' Advertisement The company's first production was a musical about the turbulent teenage years titled 'Is There Life After High School?' SpeakEasy established a niche for itself that was summed up in the tagline: 'Staging Boston Premieres.' But it was a challenge. In those early years, the actors were paid a small stipend, and Daigneault was not paid at all. 'I had no business experience,' Daigneault said. 'I didn't know how to raise money. I didn't know how to budget. I was learning all of these things as I was going along. We started off really grass-roots, really doing shows that I wanted to direct. Over time, it morphed into what we know today.' 'At first, it was really about us young artists getting a chance to do our work,' he added. 'As far as theater goes, Boston was known as an out-of-town [Broadway] tryout place, and mostly commercial touring productions. I just felt there was a hole here of contemporary shows that were a mirror of our society.' Paul Daignault leads an audience talkback with Richard Kramer and the cast of SpeakEasy Stage Company's production of Kramer's "Theater District" in October 2005. Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo A turning point for SpeakEasy, in Daigneault's view, was the 1995 production of Paul Rudnick's 'Jeffrey,' a comedy about a gay man who swears off sex in the middle of the AIDS epidemic, but finds that vow difficult to fulfill. 'Jeffrey' drew more media attention than SpeakEasy had previously enjoyed. Since then Daigneault has consistently made space on SpeakEasy's stages for stories of gay life, such as Advertisement 'The biggest change is that there's a community of theaters and artists,' Daigneault said. 'I can see my favorite actors at SpeakEasy and then I can see them at the Lyric and at Greater Boston Stage Company, all in one season. Sometimes there's real competition in terms of licensing the shows or getting the actors that you want. But we've been able to foster excellence because excellent artists have chosen to live and work here.' He's been one of them. Now he's starting a new journey. Literally. Daigneault has visited 35 of America's 63 national parks. '28 to go!' as he put it in an email. And he plans to continue teaching musical theater at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. But he's also looking forward to the most protracted period of inaction and relaxation he's ever had. 'It's time,' Daigneault said. 'I could do rehearsals for the rest of my life. I love it, love it, love it. But it starts to wear on you, the funding [challenges], the day-to day.' 'I wanted to make sure that the people who are at SpeakEasy are finding joy in it — much like I did in 1992 — and can take the company to a whole new level.' Don Aucoin can be reached at
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
She wanted more spaces in Chicago for queer women to build deep connections with each other — so she made her own social club.
When Aderinsola Akeju saw an ad on social media for an all-female slumber party, the former boarding school student was excited for the opportunity to fulfill a wistful dream. But instead of snacks and late-night conversations, the party felt more like a rave she could find anywhere, she said. Disappointed, the 22-year-old decided to throw her own slumber party with friends complete with drinks, games and karaoke. 'I had never felt so euphoric and happy about hosting something,' Akeju said. That night inspired a broader vision, but it was not until she received $10,000 a grant from the Human Rights Campaign's 'Queer to Stay' program last December that she went all in with her idea. Now, Akeju, a retail store director, regularly organizes intimate gatherings for queer women, especially queer women of color, through her social club Pink Sappho. Pink Sappho is part of a resurgence in Chicago of spaces dedicated for queer women. Tracy Baim, a journalist who has covered the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago for more than 40 years, said that there are more spaces for queer women today than there were at any point in her career. 'Coming out of COVID, it feels like there was just an explosion of both full-time bars and pop-up parties and other types of social events out there, specifically targeting lesbians in nonbinary and gender non-conforming folks,' Baim said. Baim noted multiple factors driving this increase, including a more openly queer population in the U.S., a longing for more in-person socializing after COVID and a new wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment. 'I think coming out of (the pandemic), as people want community, and we have more forces fighting against us again, like we did in the '80s, there's this resurgence of anti-lesbian, anti-queer behavior out there. So sometimes being with like minded folks can be a safe haven,' Baim said. Pop-up parties and social clubs for queer women in particular seem to be growing in popularity in recent years, said Kristen Kaza, co-founder of the pop-up group Slo 'Mo. 'Queer pop-up parties are so many different things, but it is taking over a space and reclaiming it, making it ours from who we are inviting to the space to the programming and who we're featuring,' Kaza said, emphasizing that this pop-up model has been particularly popular with queer women in the absence of brick-and-mortar spaces dedicated to that demographic. Kaza said that such pop-up groups have been around for a long time. One of the most popular pop-up party groups in Chicago, Executive Sweet, ran for decades and started as a way to create welcoming spaces for queer women of color who found themselves discriminated against in white-owned lesbian bars. What is different now, Kaza noted, is that following the pandemic more young people are taking it upon themselves to make the pop-up parties and social clubs — and they're getting creative with the spaces they're making. Pink Sappho is an example of just that. Akeju said that for her, she felt that events for queer women were too centered on nightlife and clubbing. Rather, she wanted a social group that was focused on building genuine relationships and education. 'A lot of stuff happens at night, but even straight people want to connect with people without having to go to a club,' Akeju said. 'We don't need another club, that's cool to have. We can have a banging party, but we need education.' Kelsie Bowers, an ambassador for Pink Sappho, also emphasized that finding social clubs made for Black queer women can be particularly difficult. In her experience, many social spaces are not necessarily created with Black queer women in mind, and she also said they tend to be focused more on nightlife. Once President Donald Trump took office for his second term, Bowers felt an increased urgency to be around more people like her and build the kinds of spaces she'd felt were missing from her life. 'Around the time that Trump got in office, I just realized the immediate threat that that posed, not only to my community as a lesbian woman, but also as a Black woman,' Bowers said. 'I reached out to (Akeju) and I was like, 'Hey, I want to do whatever I can do right now for my community, because I can't just sit and watch all of this go down.'' No two Pink Sappho events are exactly alike, but there are three pillars that are always touched upon in some way at every event: authentic connection, wellness and sex education. Some things you may find at a typical Pink Sappho event include complimentary drinks — usually champagne — upon entry, venues with elegant architecture, an 8-foot long charcuterie board and games designed to spark friendship or ignite a new romance. It may seem simple, but it is that type of community building that Bowers sees as crucial to navigating the next four years. 'We want to build community. We want to make sure that we have community for our people, that they know that this is a space for them, that they can feel safe and that they can feel relaxed and we want a place for us to be able to connect,' Bowers said. 'It's really affirming to see us come together.' It's the kind of space Tyara Whitted was looking for. The 23-year-old attended her first Pink Sappho — a Juneteenth happy hour — event Wednesday. She would go out to queer-friendly neighborhoods such as Boystown, but found herself longing for more spaces with people that share her experiences. 'I just kind of realized that the gay spaces that I want to occupy are the ones that also identify with me, not just like queer-wise, but also racial-wise,' Whitted said, who attended Pink Sappho's Juneteenth Happy Hour Wednesday evening. It was just the kind of event she was looking for. 'We do occupy the nightlife, and it'd be nice to mix it up where we can occupy the brunch life, the afternoon life,' Whitted said. 'I'm getting older. I rely on CTA. Sometimes I don't want to be out that late trying to find that connection and sometimes the connection I want to find isn't at a club — it's at a fun, low-key event.'
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I tried Amazon's best-selling headphone sleep mask — and it's my new favorite travel companion
I've been a diehard eye mask user for over a decade now and I credit masks with transforming my sleep. I can drop off pretty much anywhere thanks to the super-cheap eye mask I take on every single trip. The humble eye mask needs no improvement in my opinion but as a sleep writer I'm always trying things to help my rest, whether that's the joy of testing the best mattress for my sleep style or the misery of taping my mouth shut. And I was intrigued by the concept of headphone sleep masks, which use Bluetooth speakers to combine light blocking with immersive sound. After several nights of testing the sleep mask I've been pleasantly surprised and I might have found a new must-have for my carry-on. Headphone sleep masks are pretty self-explanatory — this is an eye mask with integrated headphones. There are numerous options available on Amazon but MUSICOZY is by far the most popular (the eye mask I opted for has upwards of 18,000 reviews, largely positive.) From the front, the MUSICOZY looks like almost any other blackout eye mask, apart from the control panel in the middle. Tucked inside the mask are two thin speakers, designed to sit over the ear. Using a Bluetooth connection, you can pair your mask to your phone, pumping music into your ear while you sleep without disrupting your comfort. MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones Bluetooth Headband: from $29.99 Amazon US / £25.99 Amazon UKEstablished in 2012, MUSICOZY sells Bluetooth sleep masks to customers in both the US and UK. Available in a range of colors (as well as a few different styles, for different face shapes) the MUSICOZY mask uses breathable materials to prevent overheating while the adjustable strap allows you to tighten the mask to a perfect fit. My first thought after putting the MUSICOZY sleep mask was "wow, this is dark." That's a good thing. The primary goal of any eye mask is, in my opinion, to block out light. If it can't, it's not a good eye mask regardless of whatever else it has to offer. Next came the set-up. Okay, I took the MUSICOZY off my head for this but honestly? I could have done most of it in the dark. Only three buttons are needed to activate the MUSICOZY and they're intuitive to use. I paired the mask quickly to my phone and after minimal fussing, music was pumping through the speakers. Admittedly the sound quality isn't fantastic. We review the best headphones at Tom's Guide and I doubt the MUSICOZY would crack the top 100. But that's less of an issue that you might expect. For white noise, soothing sleep sounds and calming background music, the MUSICOZY's sound quality is good enough. Then it was time to go to sleep. MUSICOZY promises the headphone eye mask is designed for side sleepers. After a bit of wiggling I managed to get ear, mask and speaker into a semi-comfortable position. However, with my left ear pressed against the speaker, the music was significantly louder on one side and after a full night lying on the MUSICOZY, my left ear was sore in the morning. Which is why I probably won't be using the MUSICOZY every night. But I will be using it next time I travel — it's ideal for helping you sleep on the go. I have a multi-hour road trip coming up (as a passenger) and I can't wait to strap the MUSICOZY to my face and completely disengage from everyone else in the car. Here's why... I tried the MUSICOZY eye mask in bright sunshine and dark night and the effect was the same: pitch black. The interior of the headband features padded molding around the eye with a soft nose barrier that can be prodded into place for total blackout. At the back, a Velcro band allows you to secure the eye mask tightly around your face, for no slipping no matter how much you toss and turn. On public transport, the MUSICOZY can effectively block out other passengers (even if they are your own family). High tech sleep aids can often be needlessly complicated but the MUSICOZY is small, sleek and easy to fit in your hand luggage (it even comes with its own pouch). It also looks like any other sleep mask, meaning you won't feel self-conscious about strapping it to your face. And it charges via USB-C (cable included), which means you can power up just about anywhere. With the mask blocking out light and music playing right into your ears, the MUSICOZY is suitably enveloping. In my bedroom, it was like being tucked up in a cozy cocoon. The effect is likely to be diminished in a public place but it should still help you block out the often unwelcome presence of total strangers when traveling. And once you've reached your destination, the MUSICOZY can help a hotel feel like home. If you're someone who struggles to fall asleep in new places, the combination of blackout and surround sound will help you feel like you're tucked up in your usual bed. The biggest point in favor of the MUSICOZY is that it succeeds as an eye mask, blocking out light and staying secure on your face as you sleep. As a headphone set, the MUSICOZY isn't great. But at under $30 that's not a surprise and the sound quality is best described as fine. Admittedly I'm not much of an audio snob, but I could listen to my favorite songs happily. And as someone who used to burn through cheap earbuds, I've experienced worse. Side sleepers and back sleepers should feel comfortable in the MUSICOZY, although it's best suited for back sleepers. This is standard for almost any high-tech eye mask, however, so it's not a point against the MUSICOZY. But in my opinion, the MUSICOZY excels as a travel companion. Light, comfy and immersive, it helps you block out all the other people on your long-haul flight. It's also affordable and while some users have found the battery ages poorly, it should still get you through several holiday weekends with the family...
