Absolute Abs
How to strengthen your body’s Command Central

Giancarlo La Giorgia

For many people, a rock-hard washboard belly is the ultimate fitness status symbol. It’s an ideal that many aspire to, but few ever achieve. Unless you have good genes (or a good plastic surgeon) predisposing you to a taut midriff, you’re probably wondering why bother trying?

Several reasons, actually.

Besides being unsightly, an excess of belly fat can put you at greater risk for a host of health problems: diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and even sleep apnea. Moreover, muscles of the abdomen act as your body’s Command Central. A strong, flexible torso can reduce back and joint pain and possibly improve your sex life.

Photo by Pierre Arsenault/Masterfile

Fat from fiction

So, how many sit-ups do you have to do to lose your love handles? According to one expert, none. That’s because you are going to have to do more than ab crunches if you want your muscled midriff to show. “There are only two non-surgical ways to get rid of unwanted midsection fat — dieting and exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise,” says Arthur Long, head of the Exercise Sciences Clinic at the University of Montreal.

Contrary to popular opinion, working out your abdominal muscles alone will not shrink your waistline. Although countless sit-ups will strengthen your abs, no one will see them if they’re buried under layers of fat. “You need to lose weight over your whole body. Except for liposuction, there’s no such thing as ‘targeted weight loss’ to give you a visible six-pack,” says Long.

He and his colleagues actually conducted a study on the myth — perpetuated by the makers of various abdominal exercise contraptions — that a few minutes of sit-ups a day will produce the kind of abs that would be the envy of a billboard underwear model. They concluded that by using an ab-roller device for 20 minutes a day, it could take you four and half years to burn a couple of pounds (one kilogram) of belly fat! “In fact, the mechanics of these devices, which reduce resistance, render them less effective at burning calories than a traditional sit-up,” Long says.

Moreover, adds Jean-François Poirier, a University of Montreal fitness consultant, “Exercise promotes fat loss all over the body, so ab-roller workouts will not necessarily burn belly fat.”

Sit-up and take notice

Of course, this is not to say there’s no benefit to strengthening your stomach muscles. According to Poirier, having strong abs helps reduce the risk of back pain and injury, which is a growing problem with our desk-bound, sedentary lifestyles.

“Whether we’re sitting or standing, we constantly use our back muscles to stay upright, while our abdominals remain at rest and become weak with disuse. As a result, there is an imbalance in strength that makes back injuries more likely,” he says.

Poirier designed some simple but effective ab routines for Canadian Health (see “Toward a Rippling Midriff”) for any fitness level, from beginner (no special equipment needed) to advanced (a home gym or a fitness-club membership required). If you want to reduce your risk of back injury or give your already-trim tummy that chiselled look, these straightforward exercises will help move you toward the desired results.

Belly bulge be gone

Meanwhile, to slough off that ab-hiding spare tire, Poirier recommends eating a well-balanced diet, reduced in daily calories by a modest 5% to 10%. At the same time, begin a light anaerobic regimen (i.e., resistance training) for your major muscle groups — two to four sets of 10 to 15 reps working your thighs and buttocks, chest and arms and abdomen and back — two or three times a week.

Poirier advises starting with your own body weight as resistance (e.g., do squats, push-ups, sit-ups) and then progressing to free weights and/or machine-resistance training when your strength level permits.

Gradually increase the resistance intensity — with heavier weights as opposed to more reps — of your workout to build lean muscle. Your muscles will not only make you look good, they’ll also increase your body’s ability to burn calories while at rest, helping you to keep off any weight you lose.

After each anaerobic workout do five to 25 minutes of aerobic (cardiovascular) activity, depending on your fitness level. Since the resistance training uses up calories stored from carbohydrates, the cardio portion will have no choice but to burn your body’s fat, including belly fat, for energy. Your total workout should take no longer than 75 minutes to complete. “More than that and it becomes a chore you’d rather avoid,” says Poirier.

With patience and persistence you can achieve amazing results. “But just as it took years to put on your current weight, it will take awhile to lose it,” he says. Expect to burn no more than a pound (half a kilogram) of fat per week. Over time, this will add up to a healthy, not to mention shapely, physique.

Toward a rippling midriff

Do these three exercises, at the appropriate fitness level, no more than two to three times a week. For each repetition, exhale through your mouth as you contract or work your abdominal muscles, hold for one second, then release slowly, inhaling through your nose.

Upper Abs

Beginner
Sit-ups

With your back and feet flat on a mat, knees bent and hands touching your thighs (i.e., a sit-up position), raise your upper body and stretch out your arms until your hands can touch your knees. Do two or three sets of 10 reps.

Intermediate
Decline sit-ups

On a declined board (head downward), assume a sit-up position, feet firmly under restraint pads and fingers at your temples. Raise your upper body until your elbows touch your knees. Do three or four sets of 10 reps.

Advanced
Trunk flexions

Use an ab-crunch weight machine set at a resistance that you’ll find comfortable for the recommended number of reps. With your feet firmly under the restraint pads and your hands under the chest bar, use your abs to push the bar down to its full extent. Do three or four sets of 10 to 15 reps. Add more resistance as your strength level increases.

Lower Abs

Beginner
Lying leg raise

With your back and feet flat on a mat, bend your knees and place your arms at your sides. Raise your knees toward your chest. Do two or three sets of 10 reps.

Intermediate
Incline leg raise

With your whole body flat on an inclined board (head upward), arms holding a restraint behind you, hold your legs straight and raise them toward your chest. Your buttocks should leave the bench. Do three or four sets of 10 reps.

Advanced
Hanging leg raise

Using parallel leg-raise bars, place your forearms flat on the cushioned rests and raise both legs over your hip level. Keep your knees very slightly bent. Do three or four sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Obliques

Beginner
Lying trunk twists

In a crunch position on a mat, cross your ankles in the air and place your fingers at your temples. Raise your left elbow and touch it to your right knee. Repeat, touching your right elbow to your left knee. Do two or three sets of 10 reps (five per side).

Intermediate
Decline trunk twists

On a declined board (head downward), assume a sit-up position, feet firmly under restraint pads. With your fingers at your temples, raise your left elbow and touch it to your right knee. Repeat, touching your right elbow to your left knee. Do three or four sets of 10 to 16 reps (five to eight per side).

Advanced
Kneeling trunk twists

Kneel facing a triceps push-down cable machine on a low-resistance setting and fitted with an inverted Y-shaped rope grip. Holding both grips in your hands just above your head, pull the weight down toward your right knee. Repeat, pulling the weight toward your left knee. Do three or four sets of 16 to 20 reps (eight to 10 per side).