Medicine-Ball crunch
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat, holding a medicine ball in front of your forehead. Crunch up, bringing your shoulder blades off the floor. Then lower yourself to the starting position.
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POWER REPORT 6
AW E S O M E A B S
sPeCialized ab exerCises
swiss-Ball crunch
Swiss-ball crunches may sabotage your six-pack dreams. If you perform the exercise with the ball under your shoulders, youll achieve 30% less abdominal activation than you will if you do the crunch on the floor, report scientists at Californias Occidental College. But dont pop your Swiss ball just yet. By positioning the workout aid under your lower back, your crunch will be 30% more powerful than the floor move. Say the authors, A lower ball position entails lifting more of your trunk into the air, which requires greater abdominal stabilization and support. Use the tips below to do it right. two decades. Strive for 30 reps, but dont stop there, says lead study author Peter Katzmarzyk, Ph.D. The higher the number of pushups you can do, the lower your risk of weight gain, he saysand as a result, the better your abs.
swiss-Ball plank
Want a harder core? Then try a harder exercise. Canadian researchers have determined that your abs work nearly twice as hard when you do a plank on a Swiss ball instead of on the floor. To perform a plank, get into pushup position, but place your forearms on the flooror on a Swiss ball for a Swiss-ball plank. Then contract your abs, and hold. One caveat: Unless you can hold a plank for 30 seconds, you shouldnt attempt the Swiss-ball version, says Michael Clark, D.P.T., president of the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Thats because trying the advanced exercise before youre ready could strain your back. Pass the test? Do three to five 10-second ball planks, resting on your knees for 2 beats between sets.
side Bridge
Lie on your side with your forearm on the floor under your shoulder and with your feet stacked together. Contract your glutes and abs. push your hip off the floor, creating a straight line from ankle to shoulder and keeping your head in line with your spine.
The WorkouT
Do this routine two or three times a week. WEEK 1 2 3 4 5 EXERCISE Kneeling side bridge Kneeling side bridge Side bridge Side bridge Elevated side bridge SETS 2 2 23 23 23 TIME 30 seconds 60 seconds 45 seconds 60 seconds 45 seconds
just a chest builder, the pushup also strengthens your core, and its a good indicator of whether or not youre exercising enough now to avoid fat later. Canadian researchers have found that guys who perform poorly in a pushup test are 78% more likely to gain 20 pounds of flab over the next
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