ABS BEGINNER

ABS ARE AN INCREDIBLY POPULAR

bodypart among those who train, and
theres little doubt why: everyone wants
that six-pack. Heres how you can get
started on the way to yours.
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This routine is built to work your
lower abs first, followed by your
upper-ab region and finally the sides of
your midsection, known as the obliques.
Lower abs come first because theyre
usually the weakest part of most
peoples midsections.
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More is not necessarily better;
dont overextend yourself in your first
few sessions by adding sets or reps.
#79
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Scissor Kick 2 10-15
Curl-Up 2 10-15
Side Jackknife 2 10-15
SCISSOR KICK
START: Lie on your back with your arms by
your sides, palms facing down, legs extended
with a slight bend in your knees.
MOVE: Lift your heels off the floor about 6
inches, then make small, rapid, alternating
up-and-down scissor-like motions as you lift
each leg about 45 degrees into the air and lower
each until your heel is a few inches off the floor.
While the pace of the scissor motion is fairly
rapid, take about two seconds total to complete
the full upward and downward movements.
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CURL-UP
START: Lie on your back
with your feet flat on the
floor and knees bent about
60 degrees. Position your
arms next to your hips,
palms down.
MOVE: Curl your torso up,
sliding your hands toward
your feet as your shoulder
blades lift off the floor.
Slowly return to the
start position. To decrease
difficulty, keep your hands
close to the floor. If thats
still too tough, rest your
hands on the floor.
SIDE JACKKNIFE
START: Lie on your right side, keeping your left
leg over your right one, bending your knees
slightly. Place your right hand in a comfortable
position; rest your left hand behind your head.
MOVE: As you pull with your obliques, bring
your torso and left leg together. Hold the
contraction briefly and lower slowly. Do reps to
both sides to complete one set. Tip: Try holding
your floor-side hand on your obliques to feel
them contract; this keeps your mind on the
muscle action.
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YOU CAN GET A GOOD AB WORKOUT
in 15 minutes; the key is to squeeze as much
intensity as you can into that time. This
high-impact regime does just that.
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In the knees-down variation of the
Swiss-ball roll out, do the same exercise
shown, but with both knees on the floor.
>>
Six-time Ms. Olympia Cory Everson
(shown in these photos with trainer Jeff
Page) uses these moves in her own workout
she recommends training your core
(abs and lower back) twice per week.
#80
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Swiss-Ball Roll Out* 3 20
Ball Passing 2 20
Cycling with Ball 23 20**
Standing Rotation 2 20**
* Beginners should use the knees-down variation.
** Per side.
ABS 15-MINUTE WORKOUT
SWISS-BALL
ROLL OUT
START: Kneel in front of the ball, resting
your forearms on it, fingers interlaced.
Then lift up your knees to extend your
legs behind you.
MOVE: Without arching or rounding your
lower back, move your arms in front of you
to roll the ball forward, forcing virtually all
the muscles of your torso to work,
including the deep core muscles, abs and
obliques. Pause momentarily and then roll
the ball back in towards your body.
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BALL PASSING
START: Lie on your back with your legs and
arms extended; hold a Swiss ball in your hands.
MOVE: Raise the ball overhead with your arms
while simultaneously bringing your legs toward
it. When your hands and feet meet, pass the ball
from the former to the latter. Without pausing,
lower your arms and legs back down. Continue
in alternating fashion.
CYCLING WITH BALL
START: Begin in the jackknife position used for the
V-up and hold a medicine ball against your chest.
MOVE: As you extend one knee, flex the other to
bring your kneecap toward your body while you
bring the ball over to that side. Reverse knee
positions, shifting the ball over to that side to meet
the opposing knee. Continue in alternating fashion.
STANDING ROTATION
START: Stand straight, knees slightly bent, holding a medicine ball with both hands
in front of your forehead. Your training partner assumes the same position behind
you, without a ball.
MOVE: Keeping your lower body in place, rotate your torso to one side and pass
the ball high to your
partner, who has
simultaneously rotated
in that same direction.
Then rotate in the other
direction and receive
the ball back from your
partner, this time in a
lower position (hands at
your waist rather than
shoulder level). Continue
passing and receiving the
ball in this fashion for the
desired number of reps.
Then do the same number
of reps beginning with the
ball high on the other side.
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WHETHER YOUR HOME IS ALONG
a stretch of beautiful beaches, or in a
slightly less spectacular locale, the same
truth applies you can do these moves
almost anywhere, meaning you have no
excuse to miss any more ab workouts.
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This is a circuit, which means you
go from exercise to exercise with no rest
in-between. So youll do 20 hip thrusts
followed immediately by 20 straight-leg
crunches, and then the reverse crunch and
crossover in short order. Rest 30 seconds
and repeat the sequence again twice.
#81
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Hip Thrust 3 20
Straight-Leg Crunch 3 20
Reverse Crunch 3 20
Crossover Crunch 3 20 per side
Do all four exercises as a circuit with no rest between
movements. After you finish the circuit, rest 30 seconds
and repeat two more times.
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ABS AT HOME
REVERSE
CRUNCH
START: Lie face-up on the ground
with your hands extended at
your sides, feet up and thighs
perpendicular to the ground.
MOVE: Slowly bring your knees
toward your chest, lifting your
hips and glutes off the ground,
and try to maintain the bend in
your knees throughout the
movement. Return under control.
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STRAIGHT-LEG CRUNCH
START: Lie face up on the ground with your legs straight up in the air, which requires your lower abs to work
isometrically. Cup your hands behind your head.
MOVE: Curl up as high as you can to bring your shoulder blades up, simultaneously pressing your lower back
into the ground. Dont pull on your head in an effort to go higher.
CROSSOVER
CRUNCH
START: Lie face-up on the ground, knees
bent about 60 degrees and feet flat. Cross
your left ankle over your right knee. Cup
your hands behind your head.
MOVE: Curl up as high as you can, bringing
your shoulder blades off the ground,
simultaneously trying to bring your right
elbow across your body toward your left
knee. Do all your reps for one side before
switching to the other.
HIP THRUST
START: Lie face-up on the
ground with your arms
spread slightly, palms down
to provide balance. Lift your
legs to nearly perpendicular
to the ground.
MOVE: Raise your hips and
glutes straight up off the
ground by using your
abdominals imagine trying
to touch the ceiling with the
soles of your shoes then
lower your hips back to the
start position.
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2002 NPC USA MIDDLEWEIGHT
champ Stan McQuay has the abs
every man envies: ripped and deeply
etched, a flawless example of what a
midsection can look like with good
training and a solid diet (and good
genetics, of course). Try his strategy
and see how far you can go.
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Although not shown here, Stan
recommends using wrist straps to
help maintain your grip on the
hanging leg raise.
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Stan works his abdominals five
days a week, at the end of his workouts.
#82
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Hanging Leg Raise 4 20
Crunch 4 2030
V-Up on Bench 3 2030
Standing Oblique 20
Cable Crunch 3 per side
ABS STANS WORKOUT
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HANGING LEG
RAISE
START: Hang vertically from a chin-up bar with
your knees slightly bent.
MOVE: Slowly lift your legs until they come
past parallel to the floor, your body forming
an L. Hold for a count at the top before slowly
lowering your legs back to the start and moving
into the next rep. To keep from swinging, dont
drop your legs all the way back down.
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CRUNCH
START: Lie on the floor with your knees bent, feet and lower back flat.
MOVE: With your hands cupped loosely behind your neck, contract through your abs to lift your shoulders and
upper back off the floor. Hold the top for one count before slowly lowering back to the start, making the negative
portion of the rep as slow and deliberate as the positive portion.
V-UP
ON BENCH
START: Sit in the middle of a bench
with your hands grasping the
edges and your feet off the ground.
MOVE: Bring your knees into
your chest while keeping your
back straight and abs tight,
simultaneously curling your upper
body forward to form a V. Return
your legs and torso to the start
position and repeat for reps.
Hit all three sections of
your abs every time you
train, Stan advises.
STANDING OBLIQUE
CABLE CRUNCH
START: Attach a D-handle to the upper pulley,
standing a few feet away with your right side
and arm facing the weight stack. Grip the handle
with your right hand, palm up, and bring it
toward your temple, firmly holding it in this
relative position throughout.
MOVE: Contract through your obliques, pulling
down through your ribcage and serratus
muscle, pausing a moment at the peak
contraction before slowly returning to the
start. At the top, you can hyperextend slightly
to get a good stretch through your side before
beginning the next repetition.
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#83
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Leg Raise 3 20
Hanging Knee Raise 3 20
Decline Crunch 3 1525
Twisting Crunch 3 30
GOOD LOOKS AND ABS LIKE THESE?
Some dudes have all the flippin luck.
Amateur bodybuilder and aspiring fitness
model Mike Vrabel obviously has been
paying his dues in the gym. Sure, you
can hate him, but it cant hurt to take
his advice in the meantime, right?
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If abs are what you want, work
them first, Mike says. When Im
trying to shape my abs and really
bring them out, thats what I do.
>>
Focus on making each repetition
perfect 20 great reps are better
than 100 poorly executed ones.
ABS MIKES WORKOUT
Get to the point where you feel that
burn and then push to get maybe five
more reps after that, Mike says.
LEG RAISE
START: Mike likes to hit the lower
portion of his abs up front in his
routine, so he performs this
movement first. Lie down, head on
the floor, and place your hands under
your glutes to stabilise your torso.
MOVE: Begin the movement with your
legs extended about 6 inches above the
floor. With my knees soft [not locked
out], I raise my legs up toward the
ceiling, then lower them slowly to the
start position. Mike stresses feeling
the negative on the downward motion,
and keeping tension on the muscle
every inch of the way. Its not a major
ab builder, but its a great warm up for
my next exercise, hanging knee raises,
which also focus on my lower abs.
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HANGING
KNEE RAISE
START: For this move, set your elbows within
the hanging sleeves and begin with your torso
completely straight and knees slightly bent.
MOVE: Lift your legs, bending your knees on the
way up while slightly rounding your lower back
and bringing your glutes forward. When your
quads reach a point just above perpendicular
to your torso, pause, then lower your legs.
DECLINE CRUNCH
START: Mike likes to lie flat and stretch out his abs
before beginning the movement. My hands are
behind my head, my elbows pointed out. Keep a
loose grip behind your head and focus on holding
your elbows out so you dont use your hands to
jerk your neck up, which people tend to do when
their ab muscles are fatigued. I stay focused on
keeping my neck aligned with my spine throughout
the movement.
MOVE: Raise your torso just short of sitting up to
maintain stress on your abs, pause briefly, then
slowly lower your torso about three-quarters of
the way down before starting the next rep.
TWISTING CRUNCH
START: Lie on your back, knees bent, arms extended
a few inches off the floor alongside your hips.
MOVE: Raise your left shoulder blade off the floor
as you reach with your left arm across your torso
to your right knee, return to the start and do the
same for the opposite side. Continue alternating,
right side, then left, until you complete the set.
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MUSCLE&FITNESS
WINNING HIS PRO CARD AT THE
2003 NPC USA Championships in Las
Vegas, Richard Jones is looking to make a
big impact in the IFBB ranks. With great
symmetry and a cut-to-the-bone six-pack,
youd be wise to not bet against him.
>>
This is Richards pre-contest ab
workout he pairs it with cardio in
the morning.
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Off-season, he drops the rope
crunch and bumps up his repetitions.
#84
ABS RICHARDS WORKOUT
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Ab Wheel 4 To failure
Rope Crunch 4 25
Hanging Leg Raise 4 2025
Seated Knee-Up 4 10
AB WHEEL
START: This is a hard exercise, so I get it out of the
way first, Richard says. I dont count reps on this.
Centre the ab wheel about 46 inches in front of your
knees, which are slightly apart. Your arms should be
straight down from your shoulders, elbows slightly bent.
MOVE: Slowly roll the wheel out in front of you. Dont go
too far out the first time until you build some strength in
your abs and auxiliary muscles: your back and triceps,
Richard cautions. I get a nice stretch all the way out;
my torso ends up probably 23 inches off the floor.
ROPE CRUNCH
START: Facing the cable station on your knees,
grasp the ends of the rope and bring your
hands down to the top of your head, where
they remain fixed throughout the movement.
MOVE: Bring your elbows toward your knees,
squeezing your abs as you exhale, and return
under control to the start. I try to keep my
hips stable because I want to focus on
contracting and stretching my abs. I dont
want to incorporate my lower back, lats or
triceps, Richard says.
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MUSCLE&FITNESS
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HANGING
LEG RAISE
START: These are tough, but they
hit the whole abdominal wall, with
emphasis on the lower-ab region,
Richard points out. Place your
hands roughly shoulder-width
apart on the bar and hang in a
vertical position, torso erect.
MOVE: Contract your abs while
lifting your straightened legs up to
horizontal, then slowly lower your
legs until your body returns to
vertical before beginning the next
rep. I perform every rep this way
slowly and with control. The
faster you perform it, the more
momentum builds, which lessens
the tension on the abs, he adds.
SEATED
KNEE-UP
START: At this point my abs are pretty fried,
so I dont need a whole lot of reps, Richard
explains. Sit crosswise, glutes slightly off the
bench, hands gripping it just outside your
hips. Lean back and raise your legs off the
floor, knees slightly bent, to start.
MOVE: After leaning your torso forward
while bringing your knees toward your
chest, crunch your abs at the top, then
slowly return to the start position.
For a
nice set
of abs,
you dont
need to
build
them,
you need
to burn
them,
Richard
says.
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MORE WORKOUTS TO TRY:
#85)
This workout is built to be
paired with #86 and #87 for a three-times
per week ab thrash. Each is quick and can
be tacked onto the beginning or end of
another body part routine.
#86)
This routine can also be used in
conjunction with a full ab routine, if your
lower abs are weak or lagging. For
instance, do your regular ab workout on
Monday, then come back later in the week
with this.
#87)
These moves, or any ab exercise
that involves a twisting motion, will work
your obliques, which are along each side
of your six-pack muscles.
#88)
If you want a flat midsection,
stick to body weight exercises. If you
want a contoured middle, complete with
plateaus and deep ridges like you see on
bodybuilders, try this resistance-based
routine that kicks up your strength
levels in the process.
#89)
Bored with your routine?
A circuit can be a great way to break
out of a training rut.
#90)
If youre in fat-burning
mode, try this high-rep workout.
#91)
If the gyms closing in five
minutes, heres your chance to fit abs
in before the doors are locked.
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#86
LOWER AB EMPHASIS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Reverse Crunch on
Incline Board* 3 12-15
Hanging Leg Raise

3 12-15
Hip Thrust 3 12-15
* Lie on an incline board so your head is above your feet, hold on
to the bench with both hands and perform reverse crunches.
You can also use a vertical bench.
#87
OBLIQUE EMPHASIS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Hanging Knee Raise
To Side 3 12-15
Crossover Crunch 3 12-15
Side Jackknife 3 12*
* Per side.
#85
UPPER AB EMPHASIS
EXERCISE SETS REPS
V-Up 3 12-15
Decline Crunch 3 12-15
Swiss-Ball Crunch 3 12-15
ABS SPECIALISED ROUTINES
MUSCLE&FITNESS
000
#91
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Tri-Set:
Seated Knee-Up 3 20
Arms-Overhead Crunch* 3 20
Cycling with Ball 3 15

Move from exercise to exercise with no rest in-between;

rest 30 seconds between tri-sets. * This is a crunch with your
arms straight up (upper arms alongside your head). Per side.
5-MINUTE
#90
HIGH DEFINITION
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Hanging Leg Raise 3 12-15
(compound set with)
Hanging Knee Raise 3 12-15
Twisting
Straight-Leg Crunch 3 20-30
(compound set with)
Hip Thrust 3 20-30
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POWER & STRENGTH
#88
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Rope Cable Crunch 3 12-15
Weighted Decline
Crunch* 3 10-12
Swiss-Ball Roll Out 3 15-20
Standing Oblique
Cable Crunch 2 12-15
* Hold a weight plate to your chest while repping.
#89
4-MOVE CIRCUIT
EXERCISE SETS REPS
Incline-Bench Leg Raise* 4 15
Crunch 4 15
Decline Twisting Crunch

4 15
Reverse Crunch 4 15
* Lie on an incline board so your head is above your feet, hold the
bench with both hands, and perform leg raises.
Combine the decline and twisting crunch in MIKES workout.