Posted on: Thursday, May 12, 2005
Expert advice — the moves that give you the abs
| • | Get your own fab abs |
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
 Karen Merrill |
| GENERAL TIPS FOR AB WORK
• Perform all exercises emphasizing good form over repetitions. • Initiate each movement from the abdominal area; if you feel the shoulders, hips, neck etc. kicking in, stop and focus on your abs. • Lift your tongue to the roof of your mouth; it helps to stabilize your neck and may eliminate some tension. • Breathe rhythmically and relax; don't hold your breath! • Avoid swinging your legs or using momentum of any kind. |
While on the Mainland, Merrill amassed an impressive set of credentials, including a master of science degree in exercise science and sports medicine. She is an American Council on Exercise master personal trainer, athletic trainer certified and national certified massage therapist.
Merrill was named the American Council on Exercise 2004 Personal Trainer of the Year.
The illustrated exercises, below, work upper, middle and lower abs, as well as internal and external obliques, which run along the sides of the torso. Do all six exercises in the same session and aim for three times a week.
The number of repetitions should be dictated by your ability to maintain good form. It's all about quality, not quantity. If you aren't feeling your abs working and fatiguing, you need to increase the level of difficulty and make certain you are initiating the movement from your abs.
| SIDE BENDER |
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Muscles worked: Internal and external obliques and rectus abdominus. How: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a towel or medicine ball between your knees. Engage your abs to lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Slowly reach your hand toward the foot on the same side while maintaining elevated head and shoulders. Reverse. |
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| Cues and clues: Draw your abdominals toward the floor. Keep your head and shoulders aligned throughout the exercise. | |
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TURNING THE DOORKNOB Muscles worked: Internal and external obliques How: Lie on your back with arms on the floor and legs toward the ceiling. Grasp the ball between your ankles and bring your legs up to about a 90-degree angle, keeping your ankles, knees and hips in line. Rotate the ball to the right, then reverse. Cues and clues: Draw your navel down into the floor. Strive for a sensation of bringing your hip up to your ribs. |
| SIDE LYING ON THE BALL |
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Muscles worked: Internal and external obliques How: Lie on the ball from armpit to waist. If working the right side, place left hip on the ball with the left leg in front and stabilize with right leg. Put fingers at temples. Slowly lift your torso off the ball, pushing your left hip into the ball to engage the opposite obliques. Reverse. |
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| Cues and clues: You might only come off the ball a few inches at first, but that's OK. You're still working those abs. An added benefit: This gives you a nice lower lumbar stretch, especially if you accentuate the stretch at both the starting and finishing positions. As you progress, you can increase level of difficulty by extending your arms overhead. | |
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CRUNCH ON THE BALL Muscles worked: Rectus abdominus; when a pelvic tilt is added, you'll also work the transversus abdominus. How: Use a medicine ball or towel between your knees. Sit on the ball low enough so your low back is supported. Put your hands gently at your temples or toward the back of your head. Initiate and control all torso movement with your abs. As you get stronger you can sit higher on the ball and may want to place your arms over your head. Aim for a tremble in your abs — that shake is a good thing. Cues and clues: Use a pelvic tilt to recruit the lower abs. |
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BALL LIFTS Muscles worked: Lower abdominals. How: Lie on your back with knees wrapped around a stability ball, keeping the knees right over your hips. Using your abdominal muscles, bring the ball toward your nose. Move the ball only as far as you can go while keeping your back flat on the floor. If you feel your back wanting to arch, stop the movement toward the floor and pull your belly button in to flatten your back. When stable, move the ball toward your nose again. Repeat. This may be a tiny movement at first, and that's OK. Cues and clues: Maintaining a flat back is critical, as you may injure your lower back if you let it take over during this exercise. |
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| THE BICYCLE |
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Muscles worked: Internal and external obliques How: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet elevated a few inches off the floor and hands at your ears. Slowly lift your shoulder blades, making sure the movement is initiated from your abs. Bring elbow to opposite knee and reverse. |
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| Cues and clues: Keep your feet just a few inches off the floor. Don't dig your chin into your chest. Maintain an open torso at all times. | |
