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

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 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
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.
But I’m also busy with calls, meetings, and all the stresses that go with any job. So I know
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.
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.
mc
muscle groups with classic moves like squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and rows. And add Go to
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

Attach a rope to a high-pulley cable. Lie on your back with your knees bent,
SECTION Stand with your back to the weight and hold a weight plate or dumbbell

1 stack and hold one end of the rope on your chest. (If that’s too hard,
on the left side of your head and the just do a traditional crunch.) Slowly
other end on the right. crunch up, bringing your shoulder
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

Lie with your hands under your at a 90-degree angle, squeezing a
tailbone and your legs extended light medicine ball tightly between them,
SECTION straight up toward the ceiling, and place your feet flat on the floor.
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
your hips . Keeping your torso up, move your knees
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
SECTION sit back on your heels. Quickly 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
Twist to the right and pick up your torso while keeping your torso
the ball, then bring it around to stationary. Pause to feel the contraction
your left and set it down again. on the right side of your waist. Then
That’s one repetition. slowly lower your legs and repeat.
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
SECTION left leg off the floor at the same
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.
Return to the starting position, Lower your upper body toward the floor,
then repeat, lifting your left arm curling your torso forward, rounding
and right leg this time. your lower back, and keeping your abs
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

perpendicular to the floor. Pause,
then raise your upper body until
it’s slightly above parallel to the
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
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.

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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