The way to washboard: build that six-pack in no time with our unique Roman chair ab routine - Quick Fit

Men's Fitness, Nov, 2002 by H. Bodenhamer

Abs! Damn, but you're sick of 'em! Seems like every time you turn around, there's a gleaming six-pack staring you in the face. Open up any magazine, not just this one, and there's some half-clad model sporting a sixer. But what the hell? you think to yourself. Those are men with lots of spare time to spend in the gym. A normal guy doesn't have an hour to devote to developing his abs, moving to and fro between several pieces of equipment, right? Well, half right. An hour is too long for anyone to dedicate strictly to ab work. You can slice that middle in much less time. Here's how.

TAKE A SEAT

Building a great set of abs doesn't require a lot of equipment. As a matter of fact, the following routine makes use of only the Roman chair--the upright apparatus in which you support your body weight on your forearms while your legs hang freely. It's that neglected contraption usually tucked away in a corner. Which is too bad, because according to a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise on the effectiveness of 13 ab exercises, the Roman chair ranked in the top two in both working the rectus abdominus (the muscle that runs up and down the front of the abdomen) and the obliques (the muscles that crisscross along the lateral walls of the midsection, running from the front all the way around to the sides of your lower back). To make the most of your time on the chair, follow these three simple steps:

* Commit Train your abs at least three to five days a week.

* Breathe Exhale with exertion (during the lifting phase) to facilitate abdominal contraction.

* Compress Compressing your abs will initiate movement of your pelvis toward your rib cage, isolating and maximizing the effectiveness of the contraction.

THE WORKOUT

You can add this routine to the beginning or end of your workout. Before moving on to the more advanced moves, master the basic Roman chair bent-knee raise. Choose three to five exercises that will target your rectus abdominus and internal and external obliques. Perform two to four sets, with 10 to 20 repetitions per set. Beginners should wait longer, but more-advanced gymgoers should go for the burn, waiting only 30 seconds between sets. Keep all movements slow and deliberate. Think six-count: Count two on the way up, hold for one at peak contraction, then count three on the way down.

THE EXERCISES

1. BENT-KNEE RAISE (rectus abdominus) Position yourself in the Roman chair with your forearms resting on the forearm pads and your back flush against the back pad. This is the basic position. Lift your feet off the foot platforms, letting them hang straight down and in line with your body (1a). Keeping your lower back against the pad, lift your legs (bent or straight) and pelvis as one unit toward your chest, until your legs--or quads if your knees are bent--are parallel to the floor (1b). Do not use momentum as an aid. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. Once you are comfortable with this movement, use the more complicated exercises below for a complete ab workout.

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2. FIGURE 4 LEG LIFT (rectus abdominus) Assume the basic position. With your left leg straight, cross your right foot over your left knee, forming the number 4 with your legs. Slightly bend your left leg to reduce the stress on your lower back (2a). Using your abs, raise your legs until the left leg is parallel to the floor (2b). Hold for a one-count and return to the starting position. Focus on lifting with the supporting straight leg; this will preserve the intended resistance. Complete one set with your left leg before switching to the right. Beginners should keep the supporting leg bent throughout the movement.

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3. PELVIC TILT (rectus abdominus) The range of motion with this exercise is minimal, comparable to a crunch. With your knees bent, assume the basic position, contracting your abdominals to initiate movement (3a). Raise your knees and hips as one joint toward your rib cage (3b). Imagine tilting your pelvis toward your ribs. Hold at peak contraction for a one-count. Return to the starting position and repeat. The entire arc of this exercise moves between one-third to two-thirds of a full lift.

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4. OBLIQUE SCISSOR (internal and external obliques, transverse abdominus, adductors, abductors) Position yourself in the chair so your left hip/glute presses against the back pad, with the opposite hip/glute angled outward at 45 degrees (4a). With both legs slightly bent, lift only your right leg in an arc until it is almost parallel to the floor (4b). Keep the leg in this position while raising your left leg to meet it (4c). Hold for a one-count, then lower the left leg to the starting position, keeping your right leg stationary. Now lower your right leg to meet the left. Repeat without swinging, contracting your obliques to initiate the movement. Finish one complete set on the left side before moving on to the right.

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5. HORIZONTAL TWISTING EXTENSION (rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominus, erector spinae) Position yourself in the chair so your left hip/glute is pressed against the back pad and your right hip/glute is turned out 45 degrees (5a). Slowly raise your knees to your chest (5b). While twisting your hips to the right, extend your legs so that your upper legs are parallel to the floor by the time you hit center-front (5c). From center-front, continue twisting to the right, pulling your knees back toward your chest to finish with your right hip/glute pressed against the back pad (5d). Do not lower your knees; instead, repeat the movement in the opposite direction. This constitutes two repetitions. The higher you can keep your knees and outstretched-leg position, the harder the movement is, Beginners should attempt this exercise with knees raised 30 to 45 degrees.