No more jelly belly! Tone and define your entire midsection fast with this supereffective move

Shape, Sept, 2005 by Linda Shelton

THE MOVE Stability ball lift and lower

THE PAYOFF Create definition and tone in your torso, down to your deepest abdominal-muscle layer, with this challenging move. You'll rely on your abs to control the lifting and lowering of your legs. You'll focus on the lower fibers of your main ab muscle, and on the oblique muscles on the sides of your torso, which stabilize the pelvis and hips.

THE RIGHT WAY

* Hold a 45- or 55-centimeter stability ball between ankles, squeezing it to hold it in place. Lie on back, arms at sides, palms on floor; bend knees and extend legs up toward ceiling so legs are in line with hips.

* Tighten abs, as if to bring lower ribs and hips toward each other to stabilize the pelvis.

* Keeping legs straight, head and shoulders on floor, squeeze ball and inhale as you slowly lower legs to a 45-degree angle to floor or lower, as long as you can keep back firmly against floor.

* Exhale, lifting legs back to start position. Repeat.

WHERE YOU FEEL IT

* In your middle and lower abdomen, sides of torso.

* In your hip flexors (the muscles under the crease at your hips).

WORKOUT GUIDELINES

Do this move as part of your regular abdominal program 3-4 times per week. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps. Rest for 45-60 seconds between sets. After 4-6 weeks, or when you feel ready, progress to Advanced Tip.

ADVANCED TIP

Do exercise with a 2- to 6-pound weighted ball between ankles or lift shoulder blades off floor and reach for feet with hands as you lift and lower legs.

EXPERT ADVICE

"Lengthen and extend your legs away from hips as you lower," says Andrea Bowman, a Virginia Beach, Va.-based certified personal trainer and owner of Fitness Formula. "This adds more resistance and gives you a complete ab workout in a single move."

RELATED ARTICLE: MUSCLES WORKED

abdominals:

1. rectus abdominis

2. external obliques

3. internal obliques

4. transverse abdominis hip flexors:

5. iliacus

6. psoas

RELATED ARTICLE: MISTAKES TO AVOID

* Don't drop legs too low if you can't keep your back on the floor; this can stress your back muscles and spine.

* Don't push your belly out; this stresses your back and makes ab work ineffective.

* Don't use momentum to lift and lower legs; this takes the emphasis off the abs and stresses hip flexors and back muscles.