Want rock-hard abs? Find out how to keep your midsection in supreme shape with these awesome tummy-tightening moves.
Stress-Free Six Pack
Oxygen #48, pg. 64
By Aileen Brabazon
Fitness pro Julie Childs says that when you train any part of your body
correctly, your abs get worked too. “People need to focus on the core
of their training and training right, and their abs will come in,”
she says. But exercise alone can’t produce a hard center. Julie stresses
that the best results can only be achieved with a healthy, clean and lean
diet; otherwise your washboard will be lying beneath a layer of fat.
TOP TIP: Don’t hyperextend your neck. Keep your neck in-line with
your spine at all times. As well, always keep your abs tight – pull
them in toward your spine.
Tuck crunch
Sit on the edge of a bench and begin by drawing your knees in toward your
chest. (Hold onto the bench on either side of your body for support.) Lean
your upper body slightly backwards until you feel your abs tighten and extend
your legs straight out in front of you. Return to the starting position
and repeat. Keep your upper body straight throughout the exercise and begin
with three sets of 15, working up to three sets of 20.
Lower ab crunch
Lie flat on the bench and extend your legs toward the ceiling so
that your body forms an L-shape. Put your hands behind your head and raise
your head off the bench, keeping your elbows bent and pointing outwards.
Lift your legs up toward the ceiling, as though a string is pulling them
straight up, Julie says. Your butt should move no more than two inches off
the bench. Return to the starting position and repeat. Do three sets of
15 and work up to three sets of 2.
DIET
Breakfast: Oatmeal, and egg
whites mixed with one whole egg.
Snack: A potato (sweet potato or regular), and four
ounces of protein (chicken, fish or turkey).
Lunch: One cup of rice with
a spinach-based salad or asparagus, and fish.
Snack: An apple, two rice
cakes, and two tablespoons of nuts.
Dinner: Large salad with grilled
veggies and protein.
Snack: Egg whites with a
bit of turkey breast.
To read the full article, pick
up a copy of Oxygen
#48
today!
