POWERREPORt6

Make Your abs PoP

Lost your gut but still no sign of a washboard? Bring your six-pack to the surface by using an ab workout with moderate weight and high volume (sets and repetitions). Three or four times a week, attack this routine from abs master Juan Carlos Santana, C.S.C.S. Perform the workout circuit-styledoing one movement after another without rest. Once youve completed 1 full circuit, rest for 60 seconds before repeating. Build up to 4 sets of 20 reps of each exercise. Start with a light medicine ball, and work up to a 10-pounder.

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.

Medicine-Ball leg raise

Lie flat on your back, holding a medicine ball between your feet. Start with the ball suspended about 8 inches off the floor, and raise and lower it with short movements.

explosive Ball exchange

Grab a medicine ball, and lie flat on the floor with your legs straight and your arms straight beyond your head. Keeping your arms and legs straight, lift your legs, and crunch up until you can place the ball between your feet. Once youve made the exchange, lower yourself until your feet are about 8 inches off the floor and your arms are straight beyond your head. Reverse the move, placing the ball back into your hands, and lower yourself to the starting position. Thats 1 rep.

MOveS TO unLeaSh yOuR inneR Six-paCK

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AW E S O M E A B S

a Harder Core CHallenge

Dont underestimate the tame-looking side bridge. Men think a good abdominal exercise has to make your abs burn, says Michael Boyle, M.A., ATC. Heres the truth: Side bridges improve the stability of all the muscles surrounding your spine and stomach, in addition to building a six-pack. In fact, Canadian researchers have found that men who can perform the side bridge effectively are less likely to encounter back trouble. Hold each move for the times noted in the chart below, then switch sides.

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.

kneeling side Bridge

Lie on your side with your forearm on the floor, your elbow under your shoulder, and your knees bent 90 degrees. Contract your glutes, and keep your abs stiff throughout. Raise your hips until your torso is straight from shoulders to knees.

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.

1. Lie so the ball supports the

natural curve of your lower back.

2. Keep your neck in line with your

spine as you crunch forward.

3. Squeeze your abs forcefully

elevated side Bridge
Follow the same setup as you use for the side bridge, but stack your feet on a bench. Dont allow your hips to sag.

throughout the movement.

4. Keep your feet flat on the floor.

pushup
Unleash your abs with the first exercise you ever learned: the pushup. Not

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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