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Crunch Time
Summer is the season to show off those abs
About the trainer
Jessica Dunn,
22, is a fitness
specialist/personal
trainer at
FitnessWorks,
part of the
William Clay Ford Center for
Athletic Medicine, in
Detroit’s New Center area.
She has been dancing for
12 years and will soon begin
pursuing her graduate
degree in physical therapy.
Sure, a six-pack looks great, but a well-toned abdomen also supports the back and keeps the body properly aligned. These exercises target the abdominal muscles, along with the obliques (waist muscles). All you need to get started is an exercise mat and stability ball.
Make sure to breathe throughout the movements. For the twist and crunches, exhale on the exertion phase, and inhale as you lower your body. Use slow, controlled movements. During crunches, make sure your lower back is not arched, but touching the mat at all times. Look at the ceiling, keep your chin up and out, and be careful to not pull on the neck. Finish with 5 minutes of stretching.
This routine can be performed two to three times per week, on nonconsecutive days. Remember to begin each session with a short cardio warm-up, such as walking in place or jumping rope, and end with at least five minutes of stretching.
Reverse Crunch
Lie on your back on the floor, bending your knees at a 90-degree angle, with your hands flat on the floor next to your body (1). Begin the movement by contracting the lower abdominals and raising your hips off of the floor (2). Return to the starting position by slowly lowering your hips back to the floor for one repetition. Do two sets of 12 repetitions.
Seated Oblique Twist
Sit on the floor with a stability ball (or any large ball) in front of your body. Be sure to lean back slightly, being careful not to arch the back or round the shoulders forward. Bend your knees, keeping your feet on the floor, toes flexed (1). Twist your torso and bring the ball to one side of your body (2). Bring the ball to the other side in a quick, yet controlled manner. Do a total of 20 repetitions (10 on each side).
Four Common Myths About Abs
The six-pack is six muscles. We’ve all envied them, whether we’ve seen them in a magazine or out on the beach – that perfect set of six welldefined abs. Yet, the sixpack is something of a myth. The rectus abdominis, which when toned gives that six-pack look, is really a single muscle that attaches at the rib cage and runs down to the pelvic bone.
I can spot-train my abdominals. Despite common belief to the contrary, it’s impossible to train the “lower” and “upper” abs separately. No matter what type of abdominal exercises you do, you’re working out the entire rectus abdominis muscle, top to bottom.
A lot of sit-ups will give me washboard abs. You can do sit-ups and crunches until the cows come home, but if you don’t eat right and do cardiovascular exercise, your abs will be hidden under belly fat. The only way to get rid of that is through healthy diet and aerobic exercise. It’s tougher for women, who are genetically predisposed to store more fat.
I’m not an athlete, so I don’t need to worry about my ab muscles. Wrong again. The abdominals, along with the oblique (side) and erector (lower back) muscles, form the body’s core – the center of all your body’s movements. The core provides stabilization, strength and balance. Strengthening the core reduces lower back pain and helps prevent injury.
Bicycle Crunch
Lie on your back, placing your hands behind your head. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, tighten the abdominals and raise your shoulders off the floor (1). Twist your upper body to the left while bending and bringing in the right knee, so that the left elbow and right knee touch (2). (The left leg should extend as the right knee bends.) Turn to the right and repeat on the opposite side. Do a total of 20 repetitions (10 on each side).
Plank
Lie facedown on the floor. Support your body by placing your forearms on the floor so that your elbows are under your shoulders. Flex your feet so that your toes are touching the floor. Lift your body and maintain a flat back so that there is one long line from the top of your head down to your feet (1). Hold this position for as long as you can, up to 30 seconds. (Advanced option: Lift one leg off the floor.) (2)