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Crunch Time
Get serious about sculpting your six-pack. this five-move workout may not be easy, but the reward — dialed-in abs — will be well worth the efforts.
Exercises
Double Crunch
Targets: Upper and lower abdominals
Start: Lie on the floor with your hands cupped gently behind your head and your legs and feet up off the floor, knees bent. Contract your abs and flatten your lower back to the floor.
Action: Simultaneously bring your knees toward your elbows while crunching your upper body toward your legs. Squeeze in the middle, then return to the start and repeat. Don’t let your feet or legs touch the floor between reps.
Weighted Crunch
Targets: Upper abs
Start: Lie faceup on the floor with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold a 10- or 25-pound weight plate on your chest (weight depending on your training experience and strength) and flare your elbows out to your sides. Contract your abs and flatten your lower back on the floor.
Action: Slowly curl your upper body upward, raising your shoulder blades off the floor just a few inches, squeezing your abs before returning to the start.
Plank
Targets: Upper and lower abs
Start: Get into a modified push-up position, balancing your body on your forearms and toes with your body in a straight line from head to feet.
Action: There is no move required for this exercise. You hold the “plank” position, flexing your core to keep your hips from dropping toward the floor, until your muscles give out. (Beginners should instead hold for a prescribed amount of time, such as 30 seconds.)
Side Crunch
Targets: Obliques
Start: Lie on your side on the floor, legs one atop the other, knees slightly bent. Place the hand of your top arm loosely behind your head, elbow flared out. Place the other on the floor for balance, or alternately you can place that hand on the working muscle.
Action: Crunch so your upper body rises off the loor, your topside elbow moving toward your lower body. Squeeze your obliques for a one count and return to the start. Complete all prescribed reps on one side, then switch.
Reverse Crunch
Targets: Lower abs
Start: Lie on a flat bench, holding the sides of the bench alongside your head, with your butt near the end. Keep your legs together, holding a slight bend in your knees.
Action: Contract your abs to bring your knees toward your chest, allowing your glutes to gently lift off the bench. Squeeze your abs, then return your legs to the start, only letting your glutes touch down briefly between reps.
