WeightWatchers.com

workouts
men: abdominals
By Martha Lourey Bird | MSpSC, BSpSC (ExSc), DipRT

Aim to complete up to three sets of between 10 and 20 repetitions of each exercise, and be sure to rest a couple of minutes between sets. Remember to keep your movements slow and controlled so your muscles are doing the work, not your momentum. To help avoid pain, keep your movements small at first — this helps to ensure that your abdominals are working rather than your neck or back. Finally, remember to breathe deeply in on the way down and out when raising your upper back up off the floor.

Instructions

1.	crunches Lay on your back with your knees bent up at a 90-degree angle and your arms across your chest as shown. Lift your shoulder blades up off the floor and breathe out. As you lower your shoulder blades back down again, breathe in. Always keep your back flat and neck still and avoid letting your head touch the ground — the action occurs by lifting and lowering your shoulder blades off the floor, not by moving your head.

2.	sit-ups Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms outstretched and aim to touch your knees with your wrists (it doesn’t matter if you don’t get that far, it’s just something to aim for). Lift your shoulder blades up off the floor towards a 45-degree angle and breathe out. As you lower your shoulder blades back down again, breathe in. To keep the action slow and controlled, count to four on the way up and then to four again on the way down. Remember, the action occurs by lifting and lowering your shoulder blades off the floor, not by moving your head.

3.	side-ups Lay on your side with your knees bent and arms across your chest. Rise up to one side and lift your upper back off the floor, doing a side crunch. Turn over after performing between 10 and 20 on one side and do the same number again. Keep your head off the floor and remember to breathe out as you lift up and in as you lower down.