Crunch
Lying on the floor, concentrate on pulling your rib cage and pelvis toward each other as you slowly curl your head and shoulders off the floor. Keep your head and neck in line by imagining that you're holding a softball between your chin and chest. When your hands are by your ears, don't pull on your head.
Same as Week 2, but
with legs on chair
Crunch with a Twist
Same as the crunch. But as you twist your upper body, concentrate on pulling your shoulder, not your elbow, toward the opposite knee.
Same as Week 2, but
with legs on chair
Reverse Crunch
Contract your abdominals, pressing your back into the floor, so that your hips come about 1 to 2 inches off the floor. Hold and then lower.
Legs bent, lifting
upper body and hips
Here's the advanced workout -- only for those who've completed the Smart Abs Program and are able to do at least 16 "perfect" crunches. Whether your goal is a washboard stomach or you'd just like some variety in your abs program, here are some challenging variations to keep you motivated:
Extend your upward reach. The farther your arms are away from your trunk, the harder it makes a crunch. "You're changing your center of gravity to add to the difficulty," says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. For example, try holding a 5-pound bag of flour in one hand while your elbow is bent. Compare that with holding it with your arm extended. You'd think it got heavier. Your abs will feel the same way when your arms are extended over your head.
Get a leg up. Make that two. Extending the legs straight up in the air knocks out any assistance from the thigh muscles, and you have to work harder to stabilize the pelvis.
Fight gravity. Performing abdominal exercises on an incline (head pointing down for crunches) is harder work because you're working against gravity. There's just one catch--don't hook your feet on the holders if you're using a traditional incline board. That allows lower body muscles to help with the work.
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