Shortcut to Amazing Abs

Works: Upper and Lower Abs

• Lie back with your left arm extended behind you holding a cable handle. Keep your right leg extended and elevated a few inches off of the floor and your left knee bent 90 degrees.
• Lift your right leg and simultaneously crunch the cable up until your left hand touches your right shin.
• Return your left arm and right leg back to approximately six inches off of the floor. Repeat for two sets of 20 reps on each side.

Works: Upper and Lower Abs

• Sit on the side of a bench with your hands grabbing its back edge. Grab a five-pound dumbbell between the arches of both your feet and lean back.
• Keeping your knees bent 90 degrees, crunch your legs upward and simultaneously perform a crunch with your upper torso.
• Lower your legs until the dumbbell is at or just below bench height, leaning your torso back slightly. Perform two sets of 20 reps.

 Tip: Engage your abdominals, not your hip flexors, to lift your legs with each rep.

Works: Obliques, Core

• Start with a wide stance and your knees slightly bent. Hold an 8- or 10-pound dumbbell at chin level with your arms extended straight ahead of you.
• Keeping your arms parallel to the floor, and straight, twist to the right, rotating on the ball of your left foot.
• Stop rotation when the dumbbell is in line with your right leg. Then repeat the move to your left, rotating on your right foot and bringing dumbbell to your left leg.
• Perform two sets of 20 nonstop reps without pausing at the center.

Tip: Change it up with cable twists or kettlebell twists. Cable twists are done slowly, but a kettlebell twist should be explosive, then slowed down at the end of the movement.

Works: Obliques, Serratus

• Attach a cable to a high pulley and stand in profile with your right side to the machine.
• Reach up with your right hand and grab the cable, still facing sideways. Keeping your elbow slightly bent, crunch down until your elbow is in line with your rib cage.
• Return cable to start, keeping elbow slightly bent and arm engaged. Perform two sets of 25 reps on each side.

TIp: Make sure to bring your elbow toward your hip to execute the full range of motion.

Works: Entire Abdominal Region

• Lie on a bench with your legs suspended and your knees bent 90 degrees. Hold a 10- or 15-pound kettlebell over your sternum, with your arms extended and the handle of the kettlebell facing the wall behind you. Lift your head and shoulder blades off the bench.
• Extend the kettlebell overhead and simultaneously straighten your legs.
• Crunch back inward, drawing your legs back and bringing the kettlebell over your kneecaps. Perform two sets of 15 reps.

Tip: Stop kettlebell when it is just above your face to maintain tension throughout the move.