The greatest abs workout ever

By David Zinczenko; Photographs by Beth Bischoff



1

Standing Cable Crunch
Attach a rope to a high-pulley cable. Stand with your back to the weight stack and hold one end of the rope on the left side of your head and the other end on the right. Crunch your torso down. Pause, then return to the starting position. Do 10-15 repetitions

Weighted Crunch
Lie on your back with your knees bent, and hold a weight plate or dumbbell on your chest. (If that’s too hard, just do a traditional crunch.) Slowly crunch up, bringing your shoulder blades off the floor. Pause, then lower yourself to the starting position. Do 10-15 repetitions.

2

Pulse-up
Lie with your hands under your tailbone and your legs extended straight up toward the ceiling, perpendicular to your torso. Lift your hips off the floor in a straight line. Pause, then lower your hips. Do 10-15 repetitions.





Figure-8 Crunch
Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, squeezing a light medicine ball tightly between them, and place your feet flat on the floor. Place your fingers behind your ears, then slowly raise your head, shoulders, and feet off the floor. Keeping your torso up, move your knees in a figure-8 motion. Each figure-8 is one repetition. Do 10-15 repetitions.


3

Medicine-Ball Torso Rotation
Hold a medicine ball or basketball in front of you as you kneel and sit back on your heels. Quickly twist to your left and set the ball down behind your back. Twist to the right and pick up the ball, then bring it around to your left and set it down again. That’s one repetition. Do 10-15 repetitions.

Side Jackknife
Lie on your left side, with your legs nearly straight and slightly raised off the floor. Also, lift your torso off the floor, with your left forearm on the floor for balance. Hold your other hand behind your right ear, with your elbow pointed toward your feet. Lift your legs toward your torso while keeping your torso stationary. Pause to feel the contraction on the right side of your waist. Then slowly lower your legs and repeat. Finish the set, then switch sides. Do 10-15 repetitions.



4

Two-Point Bridge
Assume the standard pushup position. Lift your right arm and left leg off the floor at the same time. Hold for 3-5 seconds, then lower them. That’s one repetition. Return to the starting position, then repeat, lifting your left arm and right leg this time. Do 10 -15 repetitions.

Negative Crunch
Sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. (Tuck your feet under weights to maintain balance.) Extend your arms in front of you with your fingers interlaced. Begin with your upper body at slightly less than a 90-degree angle to the floor. Lower your upper body toward the floor, curling your torso forward, rounding your lower back, and keeping your abs contracted. When your upper body reaches a 45-degree angle to the floor, return to the starting position. Do 10-15 repetitions.
5

Back Extension
Position yourself in a back-extension station, and hook your feet under the leg anchor. Hold your arms straight out beyond your head. Lower your torso, allowing your lower back to round slightly, until it’s just short of perpendicular to the floor. Pause, then raise your upper body until it’s slightly above parallel to the floor. At this point, you should have a slight arch in your back, and your shoulder blades should be pulled together. Do 10-15 repetitions.

Twisting Back Extension
Position yourself in a back-extension station, and hook your feet under the leg anchor. Lace your hands behind your head. Lower your torso, allowing your lower back to round slightly, until it’s just short of perpendicular to the floor. Raise and twist your upper body until it’s in line with your hips and facing right. That’s one repetition. Repeat the move, this time twisting to your left. Do 10-15 repetitions.