1. health and fitness
2. exercise

M
®
TheGreatest
AbsWorkout Ever
Unleash your abs with this
exclusive plan from Get Fit, Stay Fit,
the sequel to the best-selling Abs Diet
By David Zinczenko
LIVE LONGER!
A Canadian study of more than
8,000 people over 13 years found
that those with the weakest
abdominal muscles had a death
rate more than twice that of
the people with the strongest
midsections.
LIFT MORE!
A stronger core supports
your spine, so you can lift more
weight in every exercise. Case
in point: Canadian researchers
found that men bench-pressed
40 percent more on a stable
surface—which best supported
their spines—than on an
unstable surface.
MEN WITH
FLAT STOMACHS
ARE . . .
50%
less likely
to develop
heart disease.
16%
less likely to
die of a first
heart attack.
PREVENT
INJURIES!
Research shows that men with
the best-conditioned abdominal
muscles—guys who can perform
at least 73 situps in 2 minutes—
are five times less likely to suffer
a lower-body injury than
those who can knock
out only 50.
50%
less likely to
have erectile
dysfunction.
70%
less likely to
develop high
blood pressure.
35%
less likely
to develop
kidney cancer.
90%
IMPROVE
YOUR
POSTURE!
Tight lower-back muscles from
excessive running pull your spine
out of natural alignment. Strengthening your abs can correct this
muscular imbalance, improving
your body’s posture to allow
it to function properly.
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less likely to
suffer from
gallstones.
14%
less likely
to develop
osteoarthritis.
19%
less likely to die
in a car crash.
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The Ultimate Abs
Exercise Plan
H
aving worked at Men’s Health magazine for more than 10 years, I’ve seen all the
trends. (Uh, electrodes on my abs? No, thanks.) I’ve talked to trainers. I’ve tried
just about every exercise ever concocted. In a lot of ways, my workout is my work.
1
STEP 1 Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes at an easy pace, about 30 to 40 percent of
your best effort.
you want an exercise plan that fits into your life—not one that is your life. This routine is short
STEP 2 Run, cycle, or row at 95 percent of your highest effort for 30 seconds.
and simple. In addition to performing this workout three times a week, train your largest
STEP 3 Perform active rest, slowing back down to your warmup speed for 90 seconds.
muscle groups with classic moves like squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and rows. And add
STEP 4 Repeat five to seven times.
the 12 Abs Diet powerfoods to your diet. (See MensHealth.com for a meal plan to go.) The
STEP 5 Once you can complete eight intervals, reduce the length of your active
rest periods by 5 to 10 seconds each workout, until they’re only 30 seconds long.
STANDING
CABLE CRUNCH
WEIGHTED 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.
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.
Crunch your torso down. Pause,
then return to the starting position.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
PULSE-UP
SECTION
2
BURN OFF YOUR BELLY This interval routine is designed to strip away the excess flab that’s
hiding your six-pack. Do it 3 days a week, after your weight session or on the days in between.
Use your mode of choice—a treadmill, stationary bike, or rowing machine.
But I’m also busy with calls, meetings, and all the stresses that go with any job. So I know
end result: You’ll lose fat, build muscle, flatten your stomach—and change your body forever.
SECTION
THE WORKOUT This routine attacks your midsection from every angle, so your abs are constantly
challenged. Choose one exercise from each section, for a total of five. Perform one move
immediately after the other for the specified number of repetitions, then repeat the circuit. After
4 weeks, choose the exercise in each group that you didn’t perform in your previous workouts.
This ensures that your muscles are always adapting to new stress.
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 to 15 repetitions.
mc
Go to
MensHealth.
com/abs
for a free abs
newsletter.
Do 10 to 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 to 15 repetitions.
MEDICINE-BALL
TORSO ROTATION
SECTION
3
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 to 15 repetitions.
TWO-POINT BRIDGE
SECTION
4
Assume the standard pushup
position. Lift your right arm and
left leg off the floor at the same
time. Hold for 3 to 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 to 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 to 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 to 15 repetitions.
BACK EXTENSION
SECTION
5
TWISTING 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.
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 to 15 repetitions.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
F I R S T PA G E : P H OTO G R A P H B Y P I OT R S I KO R A , STYLING: LAURI EISENBERG/R.J. BENNETT, GROOMING: KEVIN DONLIN/SUSAN PRICE, 2 (X)IST SHIRT, REEBOK SHORTS
T H I S PA G E : P H OTO G R A P H S B Y B E T H B I S C H O F F, GROOMING: KEVIN DONLIN/SUSAN PRICE
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