Pocket Guide to Fitness

Three-Month Abdominal Exercise Program VI Day One:  Lie down on flat bench so that your hips are on the edge. You can hold onto the bottom of the bench with your hands around where your hips are. With bent knees, lower your feet to the floor and then bring your legs up, 90 degrees, until your knees are over your hips. For a harder exercise, do this with straight legs. Do five sets of ten repetitions. This is a good lower abdominal muscle exercise, and works slightly different muscle fibers than other lower abdominal exercises.  Day Two:   The “plank exercise” is used in Pilates classes. Face down and steady yourself on your forearms and knees. Now lift your knees off the floor and secure yourself on your toes and the balls of your feet. Keep your head, neck, back and hips aligned. Stay steady for at least 20 seconds. Repeat five times. Increase seconds or repetitions according to ability each week.  For advanced exercisers:   1. Assume the plank position. Lift your right leg out, toes pointed, until it is 90 degrees with your left leg, which is at the starting position. Bring the right leg back with the foot flexed. This works out your abdominal muscles mostly, and also back muscles, right leg muscles and right calf. Repeat with the left leg. Do four sets of ten repetitions for each leg.  2. Begin at the same starting position. Lift your right leg, with the knee bent at 90 degrees, so that the knee and hips are on the same level. Lift the right leg two inches off the ground. Pulse two times. Point your foot for the first pulse and flex your foot for the second pulse. This works out the same muscles, including your gluteus minimus and gluteus maximus. Do four sets of ten repetitions for each leg.   3. These three exercises are for your transverse and oblique muscles. From the plank position, bring your right leg at a 90-degree angle out parallel to your side and back to the plank position. Repeat for four sets of ten repetitions. Do the same for the left leg.  From the plank position, lift your right leg at a 90-degree angle up so your ankle goes over your left gluteus maximus muscle. Repeat for four sets of ten repetitions. Do the same for the left leg. This also works your glueteus maximus muscles.   Now, from this position, work your obliques: "Twist" so that the outer part of your right foot and inner part of your left foot support you. Keep for 20 seconds. Now "twist" so that the outer part of your left foot and inner part of your right foot support you. All the while, keep your head, neck back, hips and butt aligned.   Day Three: Wedge  You may have seen wedges at a gym. See my prior two posts. Lie down on a wedge with your head on the lower level of a "wedge". Use a medicine ball or bar at a weight that works you out, yet you are able to do. With your head, neck and back aligned in a straight fashion, holding the medicine ball or bar with arms straight over your head, come up for a sit up until your chest is about a foot from your knees. A partner or personal trainer may have to hold down your ankles to stabilize you. Repeat for four sets of ten repetitions. If you are a beginner with this exercise, hold the medicine ball or bar with bent arms between your ribcage and your belly button.  Day Four:   1. Lie down with your head at the thinner wedge part. Do four sets of ten repetitions of abdominal crunches. See the first abdominal exercise section.  2. Lie down with your head on the thicker part of the body wedge. Keep your head and back against the body wedge, with a space between the natural curve of your back and the body wedge. Raise your legs slowly, and then bring them back down to one or two inches above the body wedge. Inhale when you bring them up and exhale when you bring them down. You can hold the sides of the body wedge for support. Do four sets of ten repetitions.  3. Lie down with your head on the thicker part of the body wedge. Raise your legs in a bent fashion and lift your hips two inches off the wedge. You can hold the sides of the body wedge for support. This works your lower abdominal muscles. Do four sets of ten repetitions.  4. For your obliques: Lie down on one side, with your head at the thinner wedge. You may want to keep one leg in front of the other for support. Put your hands behind your head. Bend up sideways. Exhale when you go up, and inhale coming back down. Do four sets of ten repetitions on each side.