Day 10 is the first pure abs day and the first 5-count hold. Ten flutter kicks, a 5-count raised legs hold, five rounds, 2 minutes rest, sets by Level. Halving the hold is deliberate: this position is harder to keep than a plank, so five honest counts is the right dose.
Flutter kicks are drawn lying on the back with the head and shoulders lifted off the floor, arms along the sides, legs straight and low, scissoring up and down - each kick is one rep, so 10 is 5 per leg. The raised legs hold lifts both legs together to roughly 45 degrees and keeps them there, shoulders still off the floor, for the count. Both exercises load the lower abs the same way: the legs are a long lever, and the abs have to stop the lower back arching to hold them up. Fifty kicks and 25 counts of the hold per set makes this a short day that will be felt tomorrow.
Press the lower back into the floor and keep it there - if it lifts, raise the legs higher until it goes back down; that is your working height today. Keep the kicks small and fast, the toes pointed, the neck relaxed with the gaze at the ceiling. In the hold, breathe out slowly and let the abs, not the hip flexors, do the holding.
Five counts is plenty when the abs are holding the legs up.
Make it Harder: Keep the legs lower - a few inches off the floor - through both the kicks and the hold.
Make it Easier: Keep the head on the floor for both the kicks and the hold.
