TURN ANY OLD

BELLY INTO

»
A PERFECT
SIX-PACK
We could not make losing your gut
any simpler. Short of wiring your
jaws together and sending you to a
health farm we could not ask you to
employ less willpower. Just do
exactly as we tell you. Pick the gut
which looks like yours, follow the
fat-blasting aerobic plan and engage
in one stomach exercise per day. In
just one month you’ll be bidding a
final farewell to your fat out front
1 Put your feet on a chair,

FOR aiming to form a 90-degree

bend at both the knee and
hip joints. This position
ensures that you are only

BIG using your stomach muscles

to haul yourself up.

FELLAS
» You are more than
Slide your hands forward
as you lift your head and
shoulders off the ground.

a stone overweight
» Don’t do any
regular exercise
» Find climbing more
than one flight of stairs
a tough mission HOW MANY? THE gentle stretch in your
You should be aiming B A C K - S AV E R lower back. Breathe
to perform two sets, According to exercise out and hold for five
working up to three physiologist John to ten seconds.
sets, of eight to ten McCarthy, it is very Lower and then
sit-ups with a short important to keep repeat five times.
rest in-between each, your body balanced
every second day. Lift (and free from injury)
and hold for a count by also exercising
of three and lower for your lower back. Lie
a count of three – on your front with
doing them slowly your hands straight
will do you more out in front of you.
good. Walk your hands
back towards your
body until your back
is arched upwards
and you are feeling a
 You should be lifting
the front of your chest
towards the ceiling, as if
you are being lifted by a
piece of string.

Keep your head and neck as

straight as possible, so that
you feel you are bending at
the hips, not at the neck.
Return to the floor.

L O S I N G T H E FAT
28-DAY OBJECTIVE: By the end of 28 days you will be able to jog for 20 mins, cycle for 1 hour, or swim for 30 mins. That means you’ll be
able to burn off around a pound of pure fat every week.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

» WEEK 1
Walk for 20 mins Swim for 30 mins, slowly, Cycle 20 mins at low Swim for 30 mins, slowly, Walk for 20 mins, include Rest or just the abdominal Long cycle ride 40 mins
non-stop resting 1 minute at the end intensity (fairly gently) resting 30 secs at the end slow jogging, for 30 secs workout (see left) at low intensity
of each length without stopping of each length every 2 minutes
» WEEK 2
Walk for 30 mins Swim for 30 mins, slowly, Cycle at a moderate effort Swim for 40 mins, slowly, Rest or just Walk for 20 mins, but jog Long cycle ride 50 mins
non-stop resting 30 secs every for 5 minutes, tick over for resting 30 secs every the abdominal workout slowly between every at low intensity
other length 2 mins, repeat 3 times other length second and third lamppost

» WEEK 3
Fast walk for 40 mins Swim for 30 mins, non- Cycle at a moderate effort Swim non-stop for 8 mins, Rest or just the abdominal 20 mins alternate walk Cycle 1 hour at low
non-stop stop at a slightly quicker for 8 mins, tick over for 2 rest 2 minutes then repeat workout and jog every minute intensity
pace than last week mins, repeat twice twice

» WEEK 4
Alternate jogging Swim for 30 mins, resting Cycle for 1 hour with 4 fast Swim non-stop for 15 Fast walk 45 min non-stop Jog 5 mins, walk 2 mins, Cycle 1 hour at low
2 mins and walk 10 secs every other length 5 mins bursts mins, rest 2 mins then repeat 3 times intensity
1 min for 20 mins repeat
2
FOR Cross your feet at
the ankles to provide some

AVERAGE stability.

MEN
» You’ve started to feel
the urge to wear your
shirts untucked
» Exercise occasionally
– the odd game of
squash, walking the dog
» Generally you don’t HOW MANY?
Do three sets of eight
THE
B A C K - S AV E R
to a different side so
that you are not
to ten repetitions at This exercise is to straining one side of
least every second strengthen your back your neck. Aim to do
day. Remember that and balance the abs two to three sets of
the important thing is work you are doing. ten.
quality. There is no Lie on your stomach
point pushing with your hands by
yourself to do more if your sides. Lift your
you’re doing them chest away from the
badly. floor until you feel a
contraction in your
lower back, and then
lower. Every time you
lower, turn your head
 Lie on your back and lift Don’t pull yourself up so far
your legs so that you have that you feel you are having
created a 90-degree angle to use your neck.
at your hips and knees
(the same position as for
‘big fellas’ but it’s harder
without the chair).

Rest your fingers at your

temples, elbows out. Again
keep your head and neck as
straight as possible and pull
yourself up until you feel a
good squeeze in your abs.

L O S I N G T H E FAT
28-DAY OBJECTIVE: To burn off fat at the same time as building your abs.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

» WEEK 1
Jog 20 mins Swim for 20 mins, slowly, Cycle 30 mins at low Swim for 30 mins, slowly, Rest or just the abdominal Jog 25 mins Long cycle ride
non-stop without stopping intensity (fairly gently) resting 30 secs at the end workout (see left) non-stop 45 mins at low intensity
without stopping of every other length
» WEEK 2
Run for 20 mins at a Swim for 30 mins, non- Cycle 30 mins, include Swim for 40 mins, slowly, Rest or just the abdominal Jog 35 mins at Cycle 75 mins at low
moderate pace stop at a comfortable pace 8 x 1 min fast, with 1 min resting 1 min every workout low intensity intensity
easy in between 8 lengths

» WEEK 3
Run 25 mins at low Swim for 30 mins, non- Cycle at a moderate effort Swim non-stop Rest or just the abdominal Jog 40 mins at Long cycle ride,
intensity stop at a slightly quicker for 8 mins, tick over for for 40 mins at a slow, even workout low intensity 60 mins at low intensity
pace than last week 2 mins, repeat twice pace

» WEEK 4
Run 5 mins easy, then Swim at a faster pace for 8 Cycle for 1 hour with 4 fast Swim non-stop for 45 mins Rest or just the abdominal Jog 45 mins at an Cycle slowly for 90 mins
10 mins at a moderate lengths, rest 2 mins and 5-mins bursts at a slow even pace workout easy pace or mountain bike cross-
pace, repeat twice repeat twice country for 1 hour
3 According to John McCarthy,
having your legs in this
position disables the hip
flexors. If you’re not doing
your ab exercises properly,

FOR these powerful muscles

which bend your hip joint
can end up doing more work

SLIM than your stomach muscles.

BLOKES
» You are fit
»
»
Enviably slim
Desperate to finally
get your abdominal
muscles to show

HOW MANY? THE attempt to lift your

Do three sets of ten to B A C K - S AV E R chest and feet at the
12 daily. According to This will build up same time. Aim to do
John McCarthy, you your back muscles to three sets of ten.
should start to do counter-balance the
these sit-ups with extra work you’re
resistance when you doing on your abs. Lie
have got to the point on your front and put
where you are finding the tips of your
it easy to do three fingers behind your
sets of 20 reps ears. Lift your chest
without added away from the floor
resistance. until you feel a
contraction in your
lower back. As you
lower, turn your head
to a different side
each time so that you
don’t strain one side
of your neck. Do not
 Hold a 3 to 5kg single weight
on your chest throughout the
set. The weight should be
enough that you can only do
about ten to 12 repetitions
in each set. As this becomes
easy, progressively increase
the weight.

L O S I N G T H E FAT
28-DAY OBJECTIVE: Shedding the last few pounds of excess fat covering your abs.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

» WEEK 1
Run 25 mins at a Cycle for 40 easy mins, Swim 30 mins non-stop Run at an easy pace for Swim 25 mins, alternating Run 40 mins at an easy Run at an easy pace for
moderate pace include 4 x 5 mins bursts 45 mins fast lengths and easy pace, then 20 mins at a 45 mins
at a moderate pace lengths moderate pace
» WEEK 2
Run 3 x 8 mins at a Cycle at an easy speed for Swim 40 mins, working Cycle 10-mile Rest or just the Run 40 mins at an easy Swim 45 to 50 mins at
moderate pace with a 1 hour hard for 8 lengths with time trial to monitor abdominal workout pace, then cycle for 40 an easy pace
3 min jog in between 2 lengths easy progress (see left) mins at an easy pace

» WEEK 3
Run 5 x 5 mins at a Cycle at an easy pace for Swim 40 mins, working Run for 40 mins+ at an Swim at a fast, even pace Cycle 60 mins at an easy Run for 1 hour at an
moderate pace with a 2 60 to 75 mins hard for 6 lengths with easy pace for 25 mins pace, then run for 25 easy pace
min jog in between 1 length easy mins at an easy pace

» WEEK 4
Run 30 mins at a Cycle at an easy pace for Swim at an easy pace Cycle for 1 hour including Rest or just the abdominal Run 45 mins at an easy Swim easily for 1 hour,
moderate pace 75 mins with occasional for 45 mins 3 x 6 mins burst at workout pace, then cycle for 45 with the occasional
3 min surges moderate to fast pace mins at a steady pace quicker length