1. 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
MEN WITH
weight in every exercise. Case
FLAT STOMACHS
in point: Canadian researchers
ARE . . .
found that men bench-pressed
40 percent more on a stable
50%
surface—which best supported
less likely
their spines—than on an
to develop
unstable surface.
heart disease.
16%
less likely to
die of a first
heart attack.
50%
PREVENT less likely to
INJURIES! have erectile
dysfunction.
Research shows that men with
the best-conditioned abdominal
70%
muscles—guys who can perform
less likely to
at least 73 situps in 2 minutes—
develop high
are five times less likely to suffer
blood pressure.
a lower-body injury than
those who can knock
35%
out only 50.
less likely
to develop
kidney cancer.
90%
less likely to
suffer from
gallstones.
IMPROVE
YOUR
14%
POSTURE! less likely
Tight lower-back muscles from
to develop
excessive running pull your spine
osteoarthritis.
out of natural alignment. Strength-
ening your abs can correct this
19%
muscular imbalance, improving
less likely to die
your body’s posture to allow
in a car crash.
it to function properly.

2. The Ultimate Abs 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
Exercise Plan
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.
BURN OFF YOUR BELLY This interval routine is designed to strip away the excess flab that’s
H
aving worked at Men’s Health magazine for more than 10 years, I’ve seen all the 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.
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. STEP 1 Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes at an easy pace, about 30 to 40 percent of
your best effort.
But I’m also busy with calls, meetings, and all the stresses that go with any job. So I know
STEP 2 Run, cycle, or row at 95 percent of your highest effort for 30 seconds.
you want an exercise plan that fits into your life—not one that is your life. This routine is short
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.
mc
Go to
muscle groups with classic moves like squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and rows. And add STEP 4 Repeat five to seven times. MensHealth.
com/abs
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 for a free abs
newsletter.
end result: You’ll lose fat, build muscle, flatten your stomach—and change your body forever. rest periods by 5 to 10 seconds each workout, until they’re only 30 seconds long.
STANDING WEIGHTED CRUNCH
CABLE CRUNCH
Lie on your back with your knees bent,
Attach a rope to a high-pulley cable.
and hold a weight plate or dumbbell
SECTION Stand with your back to the weight
1
on your chest. (If that’s too hard,
stack and hold one end of the rope
just do a traditional crunch.) Slowly
on the left side of your head and the
crunch up, bringing your shoulder
other end on the right.
blades off the floor. Pause, then lower
Crunch your torso down. Pause, yourself to the starting position.
then return to the starting position.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
PULSE-UP FIGURE-8 CRUNCH
Lie on your back with your knees bent
at a 90-degree angle, squeezing a
Lie with your hands under your
light medicine ball tightly between them,
tailbone and your legs extended
and place your feet flat on the floor.
straight up toward the ceiling,
SECTION
Place your fingers behind your ears,
2
perpendicular to your torso.
then slowly raise your head, shoulders,
Lift your hips off the floor in a
and feet off the floor.
straight line. Pause, then lower
Keeping your torso up, move your knees
your hips .
in a figure-8 motion. Each figure-8 is
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
one repetition.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
MEDICINE-BALL SIDE JACKKNIFE
TORSO ROTATION
Lie on your left side, with your legs
nearly straight and slightly raised off
Hold a medicine ball or basketball the floor. Also, lift your torso off the floor,
in front of you as you kneel and with your left forearm on the floor for
sit back on your heels. Quickly
SECTION
balance. Hold your other hand behind
3
twist to your left and set the ball your right ear, with your elbow pointed
down behind your back. toward your feet. Lift your legs toward
your torso while keeping your torso
Twist to the right and pick up
stationary. Pause to feel the contraction
the ball, then bring it around to
on the right side of your waist. Then
your left and set it down again.
slowly lower your legs and repeat.
That’s one repetition.
Finish the set, then switch sides.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
TWO-POINT BRIDGE NEGATIVE CRUNCH
Sit with your knees bent and your feet
flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
Assume the standard pushup
(Tuck your feet under weights to
position. Lift your right arm and
maintain balance.) Extend your arms in
left leg off the floor at the same
SECTION
front of you with your fingers interlaced.
4
time. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then
Begin with your upper body at slightly
lower them. That’s one repetition.
less than a 90-degree angle to the floor.
Lower your upper body toward the floor,
Return to the starting position,
curling your torso forward, rounding
then repeat, lifting your left arm
your lower back, and keeping your abs
and right leg this time.
contracted. When your upper body
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
reaches a 45-degree angle to the floor,
return to the starting position.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
BACK EXTENSION TWISTING BACK
EXTENSION
Position yourself in a back-extension
station, and hook your feet under the Position yourself in a back-exten-
leg anchor. Hold your arms straight sion station, and hook your feet
out beyond your head. Lower your under the leg anchor. Lace your
SECTION torso, allowing your lower back to hands behind your head. Lower
5 round slightly, until it’s just short of your torso, allowing your lower
perpendicular to the floor. Pause, back to round slightly, until it’s just
then raise your upper body until short of perpendicular to the floor.
it’s slightly above parallel to the Raise and twist your upper body
floor. At this point, you should until it’s in line with your hips and
have a slight arch in your back, facing right. That’s one repetition.
and your shoulder blades should Repeat the move, this time
be pulled together. twisting to your left.
Do 10 to 15 repetitions. Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
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