Great Abs Guaranteed

How to Do It: Pick any five exercises from this list and perform in a circuit with no more than 30 seconds of rest (1 minute in some cases)one exercise followed by the next. Rest. After Week 1, repeat the circuit. Some ab exercises use such equipment as medicine balls, dumbbells, or cable machinesand with some of the more advanced moves, you'll need a partner. If you're just starting out, pick beginner ab exercises. As you progress, experiment with different exercises (using a smaller number of repetitions or eliminating equipment) to get the feel of more advanced moves.

Steam Engine

Stand with your hands behind your head. Touch your left elbow to your right knee by bending and raising the knee while crunching your left armpit toward your right hip. Return to the starting position and repeat to the opposite side, crunching your right armpit toward your left hip.


16-20 repetitions [ Beginner ]

Toe Tap

Lie on your back and place your hands behind your ears. Lift your legs until your knees are above your hips and your lower legs are parallel to the floor. Press your lower back against the floor and crunch forward until your shoulders are off the floor. With your toes pointed down, lower your right foot as far as you can without lifting your back off the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg.


10 repetitions [ Beginner to intermediate ]


Seated Twist

Sit on the floor, your back straight but leaning slightly toward the floor, as if in the "up" position of a situp. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees, your feet about 15 inches apart and resting on the floor. (Your feet can either stay flat or you can raise your toes so that just your heels are touching the floor.) Hold a medicine ball close to your chest, rotate your torso to the left, and place the ball on the floor behind you. Rotate around to the right, pick up the ball, rotate left, and place it behind you.


16-20 repetitions [ Intermediate ]

Single-Leg Wood Chop

Hold a light dumbbell in your left hand with a straight arm, above your shoulder. Bend your right knee 90 degrees to lift your right foot behind you. Balancing on your left leg, forcefully swing the dumbbell down toward your right hip. (Don't move it behind you.) Then bring it back to the starting position. Do half the repetitions, then switch sides.


16-20 repetitions [ Intermediate ]
Ball Bicycle

Lie on your back on a stability ball with your knees bent at 90 degrees, your feet flat, and your hands behind your ears. Keeping your right foot planted, lift your left foot off the floor and bring your left knee to meet your right elbow. Do half the repetitions, then switch legs.


16-20 repetitions [ Intermediate ]
Reverse Crunch with Knee Drop

Lie on your back, hands resting on the floor at your sides, hips and knees bent 90 degrees, and feet off the floor. Position a medicine ball between your knees. Keep your lower back on the floor throughout the exercise. Contract your abdominals and pull your knees to your chest, then return them to the starting position. Lower your knees to the left and return to the starting position. Drop your knees to your right on the next repetition; alternate sides for each rep.


10 repetitions [ Intermediate to advanced ]
Medicine Ball Throw

Holding a light medicine ball in both hands, lie faceup on the floor with your back flat and your knees bent. Extend your arms beyond your head so the ball is just above the floor. Your partner sits 5 to 10 feet in front of you with his feet flat on the floor, knees bent, and arms straight overhead so he's ready to catch your pass. Keeping your arms straight, curl your body up and throw the ball to your partner's hands. Remain in the sitting position. After he catches the ball, he should throw the ball back to you. Lower yourself as you catch it.


12-15 repetitions [ Intermediate to advanced ]

Swiss Ball Stability Pose

Lie facedown across two Swiss balls. Your body should be straight, with your chest lying on the first ball and your knees and shins resting on the other. With your feet spaced 12 to 18 inches apart, place your hands on the floor for balance and hold the position for 60 seconds. As you gain strength, place your hands on the side of the ball, or hold your arms out in front of you.


2 sets of 60 seconds [ Intermediate to advanced ]

Turkish Getup

Lie on your back with your legs straight. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand with your arm straight above your chest. Keeping your elbow locked, move the weight above your head as you stand up. (Move your legs and right arm underneath you to push yourself up.) Still keeping your arm straight and the weight above you, reverse the steps to return to the starting position.


4 repetitions each side [ Advanced ]

Bench Raise

Lie facedown on a back extension station with your torso hanging off the end. Your hips should rest along the edge of the bench so you can bend at the waist. Raise your torso until your body is perfectly straight and level, and extend your arms out to the sides. Slowly twist your torso to the left. Pause, then slowly lower yourself back down.


12-16 repetitions [ Advanced ]
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