Lil'Fytness Fanatik's FitFix

Lil'Fytness Fanatik's FitFix of the Month
SUPERABS!

This exercise is one of my cardio kick box class's favorites - it is torturous, but it sure works those abs! It is pretty much a "super-slow-mo" bicycle.

Here are the steps:
1. Laying in supine position (face-up) with your knees bent at 90 degrees, begin with your hands placed behind your neck or place your fingertips on your temples.

2. Simultaneously contract your abs, lift your shoulders, twisting towards your right knee; while extending your left leg and pointing the toes.

3. Maintaining the contraction, return to the centre with knees together, shoulders still raised, and repeat step 2, this time towards the left. Return to the centre with knees together.

You are probably thinking that perhaps this is not such a great ab exercise - but here's the trick - the key is the count! This exercise is performed SLOWLY - with abs contracted throughout.

Here is the count:
Twist right - PAUSE,COUNT 1; return to centre - PAUSE,COUNT 2; twist left - PAUSE,COUNT 3; return to centre; PAUSE,COUNT 4.

REMEMBER TO KEEP THE ABS CONTRACTED AND THE LOWER BACK FLAT ON THE FLOOR THOUGHOUT!

I perform one set of 8 full repetitions (Steps 1-3) with my class, reminding them to breathe throughout each repetition. If you are doing this properly, your abs will be fatigued at this point.In my class, just for the fun of it, I follow the first set of "super-slow-mo’s" with 8 reps of the traditional bicycle exercise, each rep consisting of alternating twists left and right. This is done slower than usual, with participants instructed to focus on keeping their abs tight and their lower back on the floor.

Feel free to repeat this exercise three times - but be prepared for tomorrow when your abs will be so sore, it will hurt to laugh.