FITNESS

When you need abdominal muscles that show and go, try these monsters ofthemidsection BY ADAM CAMPBELL, C.S.C.S.

PHOTOGRAPHS BYSYE WILLIAMS

Speed Shift

The man: Johnnie Morton, wide receiver, Detroit Lions The move: standing abdominal twist

ometimes catching a football involves moving your upper body one way while your lower body goes the other. To pull it off, Morton

needs balance and superhuman control of his midsection muscles— qualities that will help in any sport that requires quick changes in di-

rection, like baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, or hockey. How you do it: Hold a medicine ball or weight plate with both hands out in front of your chest,

your arms slightly bent. Without moving your legs, rotate your torso 90 degrees to the right.

(Don't go any farther-that would be too tough on your lower back.) Pause, then rotate back

180 degrees so you're facing left. Pause and rotate right to the starting position. That's one

repetition. Work up to three sets of 20 or more repetitions, beginning and ending each set

with the weight in the middle. 'This gives me a good burn and helps me develop stamina as

well as strength," Morton says.

Abs are money.

We speak from personal experience, having

used the cover of this magazine to sell more

six-packs than Anheuser-Busch.

But there's evidence everywhere. A molded

midsection is pure cash flow for anyone who

has to remove his shirt in his line of work. Would

the name "Pitt" be anything more than a signal

to roll on some deodorant, save for an ab-flexing

scene in Thelma and Louise?

The bankability reaches beyond aesthetics.

If you're an athlete, abs are your body's big-play

muscles. Your legs and arms may do the grunt

work, but it's your abdominals that put you on

SportsCenter.

So we asked professional athletes and actors

to show us the abdominal exercises that help

them earn a living.

You already know this stuff works. You've

seen the results on ESPN and in the local

cineplex. Now it's time to see how a set of pro

abs will look on you. »

Illustrations by John Hull www.menshealth.com i MAY 2001 1O3 MEN'S HEALTH

S

ALL-STAR ABS

Extend

The man: Dain Blanton, Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball The move: cross-legged crunch

beach volleyball player never knows where the next serve or

spike is going to take him. But he knows his abs have to get him there. He uses them to bend, twist, and extend his body into position for a return. So Blanton tries to shift his legs and torso into different posi-tions each workout, in an effort to give the midsection muscles new and different challenges.

How you do it: Lie on your back on the floor,

your lower legs crossed on the floor. Hold your

hands behind your ears and pull your elbows

back as far as possible. Now crunch your head

and shoulders up off the floor and hold the

contraction; then slowly lower yourself. Do three

sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Make 'em Last

The man: Tiki Barber, running back, New York Giants The move: cycling crunch A running back, like an obstetrician, has to spend a lot of time in a crouch. But unlike the OB, a running back has to spend every second on the field prepared to hit as well as be hit. This requires not only midsection strength but also stamina, which is why Bar-ber does cycling crunches. These force him to contract his abdominals—as he would if he knew Ray Lewis had him in his sights—while keeping his legs moving. Any athlete who needs a low center of gravity—for guarding in basketball, working the baseline in tennis, scooping up throws at first base—will benefit from cycling crunches.

How you do it: Lie on your back and bend your knees and

hips 90 degrees so your feet are in the air. Place your finger-

tips behind your ears and perform an abdominal crunch by

lifting your head and shoulders off the floor. At the same time,

lift your right leg to your chest. Lower your torso to the floor as

you straighten your right leg, keeping it a few inches off the

floor. Crunch again, this time lifting your left leg to your chest.

Do three sets of 20 repetitions.

BEACH BLANTON BINGO: Constant variety makes a greater Dain.

FITNESS

A

Yourself

The man: Scottie Pippen, guard, Por Kou can't have good abs if your lower back is out of whack. Pippen, who has a history of back problems, picked up this exercise from Tim Grover, owner of Attack Athletics in Chicago. The beauty of this bridge is that it strengthens your abs, lower back, and gluteals simultaneously. "That's where all your balance, stability, and power come from," Grover says.

tland Trail Blazers The move: shoulder bridge How you do it Lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Push

up with your hips so your weight rests on your shoulders. Your body should form a

straight linefrom your knees to your shoulders. Hold this position for 20 seconds, and

gradually work your way up to I minute. (Pippen does it for 5 minutes.) Advanced

version: Straighten one leg and hold it up in the air while you do the exercise. Start with

your weaker leg in the air, and give equal time to both sides. »

angles, or do it so poorly that you can't tell if they're exercising or fighting the effects of a tropical disease.

Which makes this as good a time as any to remind you of the basics of abdominal exercise. After you master the simplest exercises, the advanced ones become far more beneficial.

The following three exercises form the crux of the 6-week core program in my new book, Essential Abs. Do one set of each move for the first 2 weeks, working up to 18 slow, perfect repeti-tions of each.

Then add more exercises to your ab routine, but continue to do one set of each of these after finishing the new ones. You'll become really good at the basic moves because you'll have to do them with ever greater levels of exhaustion.

Try your new routine three times a

Reprinted from Men's Health Essential Abs by Kurt

Brungardt. ©2001Kurt Brungardt. To order, visit

www.rodalestore.com, or call (800) 848-4735.

week for 6 weeks. By then you will have mastered the three beginner exercises— and be good and ready to move on, too.

CRUNCH Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor, and your hands behind your ears.

Use your upper abs to raise your rib cage toward your pelvis and lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Then slowly lower your shoulders back to the starting position. Performance Tips > Make sure your shoulder blades come off the floor each time. Don't just move your head and neck. > Pause at the top of the movement after you've exhaled.

REVERSE CRUNCH Lie on your back with your head and neck relaxed and your hands on the floor near your butt. Use your lower-abdominal muscles to raise your hips off the floor and

toward your rib cage. Then slowly lower your hips back to the starting position. As they lightly touch the floor, repeat. Performance Tips > Don't quickly rock up and down. You'd be using momentum to aid you in the exercise, taking work away from your lower abs. > Keep constant tension on your abs— don't rest between repetitions. > Use your hands for balance. Don't use them to push your hips off the floor. > Keep your head and neck relaxed.

CROSSOVER CRUNCH Lie on your back with your knees up and your feet on the floor. Cross your left leg over your right knee. Put your right hand behind your head, with your elbow extended to the side. Place your left hand on your right side.

Raise your right shoulder and cross it toward your left knee. Then slowly lower your shoulder back to the starting position. When you finish all of your repetitions on your right side, repeat on your left side. Performance Tips > Make sure your entire torso twists up and toward your knee. Don't move just your elbow or shoulder. > Feel the squeeze in your obliques— the muscles on the sides of your abdomi-nals—on the side you're working.

For customized workouts delivered right to your e-mailbox. sign up for the new Men's Health Personal Trainer service. Register at www.menshealth.com.

www.menshealth.com ! MAY 2001 1O7 MEN'S HEALTH

Balance Your Back, Abs, and Glures

THE ABORIGINALS

Three classic moves to get you centered BY KURT BRUNGARDT

A well-done crunch is a thing of beauty. Feet flat on the floor, hands behind the ears,

slow and steady movements up and down. Nothing rushed, no movement wasted.

Of course, you don't see this poetic motion very often. Few people do the basic

crunch anymore. Most either trick it up with twists and funny