Gold Medal Abs

Eight serious ab moves from top Olympic trainers that will score you a rock-solid
middle
PUBLISHED: JUNE 9, 2008 | BY TED SPIKER
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BETH BISCHO
DO IT Train your core with these eight moves three nonconsecutive days a week to flatten your
belly and get super sexy abs Either do them all together as a stand-alone workout or add three or
four of them to the end of your usual strength-training routine! "or each move# start with one set!
Once you can complete all the reps with perfect form# add another! Then check out WH$s "Get
In Olympic Shape," where the best women in sports# Olympic medal-winning athletes# teach
you how to get a killer body!
MO%E &'anging (traight-)eg *aise
(ET(
*E+(
*E(T
&
,--
.
Targets lower abs
Han! "r#$ a %&''&% (ar )i*h +#&r han,- -h#&',er.)i,*h a%ar* an, +#&r hi%- /en*ere, &n,er +#&r (#,+ -# *here0- a
-*rai!h* 'ine "r#$ +#&r han,- *# *he (#**#$ #" +#&r hi%- (A). Kee%in! +#&r 'e!- an, (a/1 -*rai!h* an, &-in! a -'#),
/#n*r#''e, $#*i#n, rai-e +#&r 'e!- &n*i' *he+0re %ara''e' *# *he "'##r(B). S'#)'+ '#)er +#&r 'e!-2 Tha*0- #ne re%2 D# "#&r
*# -i32 ee'in! e3*ra Barn&$e-4&e5 Tr+ *# rai-e +#&r "ee* a(#6e 90 ,e!ree- (C).
Perfect Form 7- +#& rai-e +#&r 'e!-, ,#n0* -)in! *he$ #r 'e* $#$en*&$ ,# *he )#r12 C#n/en*ra*e #n 1ee%in! +#&r
(&** ,#)n, a- i" +#&0re -i**in! #n a /hair2
MO%E /Toe Touch
(ET(
*E+(
*E(T
&
&0-/1
.
Targets upper abs
Lie #n +#&r (a/1 h#',in! an 8. *# 80.%#&n, ,&$((e'' in (#*h han,-2 Li"* +#&r 'e!- &n*i' *he+0re %er%en,i/&'ar *# *he
"'##r an, e3*en, +#&r ar$-, 1ee%in! *he ,&$((e'' ,ire/*'+ #6er +#&r /he-* (A). 9i*h#&* $#6in! +#&r 'e!-, 'i"* +#&r
/he-* an, -h#&',er- #"" *he "'##r an, *r+ *# *#&/h +#&r "ee* )i*h *he ,&$((e'' (B). D# 8: *# 20 re%-2
Perfect Form 76#i, (en,in! +#&r 1nee- an, *r+ *# 'i"* +#&r /he-* an, -h#&',er- hi!her )i*h e6er+ re%2
MO%E 2The (printer
(ET(
*E+(
*E(T
&
up to /1
.
Targets upper and lower abs and obliques
Lie #n +#&r (a/1 )i*h +#&r han,- a* +#&r -i,e-, 'e!- -*rai!h*, an, hee'- h#6erin! a(#&* -i3 in/he- #"" *he
"'##r (A). S*ar* -i**in! &% )hi'e e'e6a*in! +#&r 'e"* ar$ )i*h *he e'(#) (en* -# i* re-e$('e- a -%rin*er0- %&$%in! $#*i#n2
7* *he %ea1 #" *he -i*&%, (rin! +#&r ri!h* 1nee *# +#&r /he-* (B).Re*&rn *# -*ar*, 1ee%in! +#&r 'e!- rai-e,, an, re%ea*
)i*h *he #%%#-i*e ar$ an, 'e!2 Tha*0- #ne re%2 D# &% *# 202
Perfect Form C#n*r#' +#&r $#6e$en* *hr#&!h *he en*ire e3er/i-e, (ra/in! +#&r /#re *# 1ee% %re--&re #"" +#&r (a/12
MO%E ,3alking )unge +late Twist
(ET(
*E+(
*E(T
&
4-&1
.
Targets entire core
;ra( a 80. *# 2:.%#&n, )ei!h* %'a*e an, -*an, )i*h +#&r "ee* hi%.)i,*h a%ar*2 P#-i*i#n *he %'a*e in "r#n* #" +#&r /he-*
)i*h +#&r e'(#)- (en* (A).9i*h +#&r ri!h* 'e!, '&n!e "#r)ar, a(#&* *hree "ee* &n*i' +#&r ri!h* *hi!h i- %ara''e' *# *he
"'##r an, +#&r 'e"* 1nee i- near'+ *#&/hin! *he "'##r2 7* *he -a$e *i$e, *)i-* +#&r &%%er (#,+ 90 ,e!ree- *# *he
ri!h* (B). T)i-* an, -*e% (a/1 *# -*ar*, *hen re%ea*, -*e%%in! )i*h *he 'e"* 'e! an, *)i-*in! *# *he 'e"*2 Tha*0- #ne re%2 D#
ei!h* *# 802
Perfect Form Sin1 '#) in*# *he '&n!e (&* ,#n0* 'e* +#&r "r#n* 1nee e3*en, %a-* +#&r *#e-2 Kee% +#&r /he-* &% an,
+#&r (a/1 -*rai!h* a- +#& *)i-*2
MO%E 0Twisting 3indmill
(ET(
*E+(
*E(T
&
&/
.
Targets obliques
Lie #n +#&r (a/1 )i*h +#&r ar$- e3*en,e, #&* *# *he -i,e- a* -h#&',er hei!h*2 Rai-e +#&r 'e!- &n*i' *he+0re
%er%en,i/&'ar *# *he "'##r (A). L#)er +#&r 'e!- *# *he 'e"* -i,e #" +#&r (#,+ -# +#& $ee* *he "'##r a "e) in/he- a)a+
"r#$ +#&r 'e"* han, (B), *hen (rin! *he$ (a/1 *# /en*er2 Re%ea*, '#)erin! +#&r 'e!- *# *he #%%#-i*e -i,e2 Tha*0- #ne
re%2 D# 822
Perfect Form 76#i, (#&n/in! +#&r "ee* #"" *he "'##r (e"#re +#& $#6e (a/1 &% *# /en*er2
MO%E -(uperman %ariations
(ET(
*E+(
*E(T
&
&0 per side
.
Targets lower back
ie on !our stomac" wit" !our legs "ip#widt" apart and !our arms e$tended in front of !ou, palms down,
s"oulder#widt" apart. ift !our "ead off t"e floor and look straig"t a"ead. ift !our legs and "old for %& to '(
seconds (A). ower, and t"en do t"e following )ariations* ift +ust !our arms and "old for %& to '(
seconds (B), lift !our rig"t arm and left leg (C), t"en slowl! switc" sides, lifting !our left arm and rig"t leg.
Alternate until !ou-)e completed %& on eac" side.
Perfect Form Tr! to lift !our "ips off t"e floor, not +ust !our legs.
MO%E 56ar 7runch
SETS
REPS
REST
1
10-15
~
Targets upper abs
.rab a %(#pound Bod! Bar wit" !our arms s"oulder#widt" apart and lie on a benc" wit" !our knees bent and
!our feet toget"er. /$tend !our arms so t"e bar is directl! abo)e !our c"est (A). 0it"out bending !our
elbows, crunc" up b! lifting !our upper back and s"oulders off t"e benc" and e$tend t"e bar toward t"e
ceiling (B). 1lowl! return to start. T"at-s one rep. 2o %( to %&.
Perfect Form At t"e top of t"e crunc", pus" t"e bar up as if !ou-re tr!ing to reac" t"e ceiling.
MO%E 4'ammer Toss
SETS
REPS
REST
1
10 per side
~
Targets entire core
.rab a &#pound medicine ball and stand wit" !our feet s"oulder#widt" apart, knees slig"tl! bent. 3old t"e
ball wit" bot" "ands in front of !our c"est (A). ower !our "ips and touc" t"e ball outside !our rig"t
foot (B).1tand up quickl!, bringing t"e ball across t"e front of !our bod!, and toss it to a partner, releasing to
t"e left at about s"oulder "eig"t (C). 3a)e t"e partner toss it back. T"at-s one rep. 2o %(, t"en repeat to t"e
ot"er side.
Perfect Form 4se a full range of motion as !ou mo)e t"e ball across !our bod!. /$tend !our arms at t"e low
position and as !ou t"row.
MO%E 8The 3icked 3iper
SETS
REPS
REST
1
1
~
5s it t"e world-s cra6iest abs mo)e7 0e dare !ou to find out
89, so !ou get t"e point* 8l!mpians need to c"allenge t"eir cores in cra6! wa!s to sta! in fig"ting s"ape. To
find out +ust "ow insane t"ese pros are, we soug"t out t"e single most difficult ab mo)e on t"e planet. And
(eureka:) we found it* t"e 3anging 0inds"ield 0iper, courtes! of 1ando)al.
3ow it-s done 3ang from a pullup bar wit" !our arms s"oulder#widt" apart, palms facing awa! from !ou.
9eeping !our arms straig"t, raise !our bod! so !our "ips, back, and s"oulders are as parallel to t"e floor as
possible. ;aise !our legs straig"t up so !ou-re in pike position (A). 5f t"at-s not difficult enoug", rotate !our
legs down to t"e rig"t (B), bring t"em back to center, and t"en lower t"em to t"e left (C). <ow.
=0e "a)e a couple of female wrestlers and women-s )olle!ball pla!ers w"o can do it,= 1ando)al sa!s.
Full disclosure As for the ripped gal in our photo? Not even she could handle it! We used Photoshop magic
to erase the dude holding her up.