Content provided in partnership with

Abs in depth: grab a six-pack with us

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2004 by Cameron McGarr

Ever have a girl tell you, "It's not the size of the wave that matters--it's the motion of the ocean"? Yeah, neither have we. But, as it turns out, when it comes to ab training, that's actually true. Exercises that work only one plane of motion (such as your beloved situps) don't use enough muscle fibers to make your six-pack pop. This workout, on the other hand, forces your abs to stabilize your body at different angles and awkward positions, which recruits more muscle and gets better results. In four weeks, you'll have abs that truly rock the boat--even if the rest of your body doesn't.

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

PERFORM THIS WORKOUT three times per week after your weight training or on a non-training day, resting at least one day between each session. Do the first exercise as straight sets, completing two sets with 90 seconds' rest between each. For the second exercise, do sets of six reps with a weight you can handle eight times. Do as many sets as you can until your form begins to break down. When you stall, or can no longer control the movement, the exercise is over. This is called "autoregulation," a new concept that lets you customize your sets to ensure you get the most out of your muscles.

Scorpions

Get into pushup position and rest your shins on a Swiss balL. Keep your arms straight and back flat so your body forms a straight line. Bend your right knee and rotate your hips to the right until your lower leg is parallel with the floor [1]. Rotate your hips to the left as far as you can--try to touch your right knee to your left shoulder [2]. Then return to the first position. That's one rep. Do 8-10 reps, then repeat for the left leg. If it's too hard to balance, do Scorpions with your feet on a bench instead.

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Swiss-Ball Crunch to Press

Hold two light dumbbells against your chest (as you would in the bottom position of a bench press) and lie on your back on a Swiss ball, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor [1]. Raise your head and shoulders and take one second to crunch your rib cage toward your pelvis. Press the dumbbells off your chest as if you were doing an incline bench press [2].

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Abs in depth: grab a six-pack with us

Men's Fitness, Oct, 2004 by Cameron McGarr

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Reference

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health