Work your way to great abs

This exercise, called "the plank," works the quadratus lumborum muscles in the back that help provide core strength. Try it with knees bent or, to make it more challenging, legs straight. Hold for 10 seconds. Ultimate goal: five minutes. Photos by Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Liana Green of Kane'ohe shows how to work the transversus abdominus muscles: Slide down on an exercise ball until you reach a 45-degree angle, making sure your lower back is supported on the ball. To make it harder, put one arm up at a 135- to 180-degree angle. (The closer your arm is to your head, the harder it will be.) Start by holding for 10 seconds. Ultimate goal: five minutes.

How to trim that pesky waist? We asked Donna Lee of 'Ewa Beach, who teaches anatomy and physiology, and exercise and sports science, at Kapi'olani Community College, for some targeted exercises.

Lee began with this caveat: "Core stabilization is the key. There's really no such thing as 'spot reduction.' You have to cut down on your total body fat content."

That said, it is possible to target the abdominal muscles with functional, isometric exercises that will strengthen the core, flatten the tummy and help support the spine.

Lee said the benefits of crunches are a myth. "They are not functional exercises," she explained. She prefers targeted isometric exercises to assist with postural control and to reach all four abdominal groups (see Page E5).

We asked Liana Green of Kane'ohe, Miss Island O'ahu, who is in training for the Miss Hawai'i pageant in June, to demonstrate four exercises that target the abdominals.

Green likes to work out with a stability ball, as she feels it gives her the most bang for the buck.

"To target core strength you have to be on an unstable surface," Lee explained.

"These functional exercises force the muscles to do their job. They use your own body weight as resistance."

They are not done in multiple repetitions. Rather, hold the pose for as long as possible. It's ideal to repeat these exercises every few hours during the day.

When you start to shake, Lee said, that signals fatigue. Stop before you drop.

Lee said that you can make any of these exercises more challenging by adding an "instability disk" under your feet. The constant effort to stay balanced will further work those core muscles.

Don't forget to breathe. "Breathing out engages the abs," Lee explained.

Bottom line on trimming the waist: You'll need cardio exercise (walking, running, swimming, biking i anything that gets your heart rate up) as well as isometrics.

And then there's the "push up": You push yourself away from the dining table before you've done too much damage.

This move works all four layers of the abdominal muscles — rectus abdominus, external oblique, internal oblique and transversus abdominus. Called "the bridge," you can make this more challenging by lifting one leg. Caution: Keep your hips straight and do not hyperextend, or arch, your back, or you can injure it. Also, if you drop your hips, you no longer will be engaging the full length of the abdominal muscles. Do not let your knees go past your toes or your knees will be under too much strain.

Gotta crunch? Crunches work some abdominal muscles, but not the deepest layer. If you must do crunches, do them right: Put your feet up in the air, with hips and knees at 90-degree angles. Lift your chest to the ceiling, with your head laying heavily in your hands like a bowling ball. Do not pull on your neck. Lift from the abs slowly and hold for at least a second each. If you move too fast, the momentum — not your muscles — will carry you. To engage the obliques, take your right elbow to your left knee; repeat with left elbow and right knee.

Reach Paula Rath at 525-5464 or prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.