No-Crunch Ab Workout - iVillage Your Total Health

The No-Crunch Ab Workout

If you've been trying to crunch your abs to perfection and not getting anywhere, my No-Crunch Ab Workout may be your ticket to getting results.

Researchers at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University recently tested over a dozen popular ab moves and gadgets to see how they stacked up in terms of muscle usage, safety and efficiency. The result? Crunches finished somewhere near the bottom on the list of useful ab exercises.

I've designed three routines that include exercises the San Diego State University study deemed most effective with a few other good moves for variety.

There's a beginner routine for those just starting out, an intermediate routine for those who are ready for more, and an advanced routine designed to challenge the lucky few whose tummies are already rock hard. The routines are progressive, meaning a more difficult version of a beginner exercise may appear in the intermediate or advanced workout.

As you advance through these three routines, you'll be able to see and feel the progress you're making. And best of all, there's not a crunch in the bunch!

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Basic Guide to Abs

Do you need to be intimately familiar with the form and function of your middle body muscles to execute your exercises correctly? Well, no. But having a grasp of the anatomical fundamentals will help you understand which muscles you're working, when you're working them and why you're working them. To this end, a brief (and painless) anatomy lesson:

You have four abdominal muscles collectively known as "the abs."
Your largest abdominal muscle is the rectus abdominis or the rectus abdominals. This is a wide, flat sheet of muscle that runs down your middle, from your lower chest to below your belly button. The rectus abdominis's job is to curl your spine forward and keep it still when you move other parts of your body, such as when you lift a heavy box off the floor.
There are no such things as the "upper" and "lower" abs. Although an exercise may originate in either the upper or lower portion of the rectus, it will still hit the entire muscle.
Your internal and external obliques run diagonally up and down your sides. In addition to helping your rectus curl your spine forward and stabilize your spine, your obliques enable you to twist and bend to the side. Because the fibers of your oblique muscles are interwoven and wrap all the way around your middle, they provide a lot of lower back support.
The transversus abdominis, which resides directly beneath the rectus abdominis, is the deepest of all your abdominal muscles. This muscle isn't responsible for any type of movement per se, but you use it whenever you exhale forcefully, cough or sneeze. You don't need to target this muscle specifically, but know that you use it whenever you pull your abs inward and exhale strongly during ab exercises.
Your chief set of lower back muscles is called the erector spinae and it runs down the entire length of your spine on either side of your vertebrae. They bend your spine backwards, stabilize and support your spine. They work together with the abdominal muscles so you can comfortably perform the exercises in this program, and everyday movements as well.

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How to Make the Most of Your Ab Training

Here are a few guidelines that will improve your form and help you make these routines even more effective.

Many of the exercises call for you to "pull your bellybutton in toward your spine" or "pull your abs in." To do this, imagine you are wearing a girdle and you are pulling it tight to cinch your middle inward. Now imagine your girdle is two sizes smaller -- that is what "pulling inward" should feel like.
Another instruction you'll see is "tuck your chin toward your chest." You do this to align your neck with the rest of your spine so just tuck, don't touch, your chin to your chest.
Always exhale through your mouth when you are exerting an effort and inhale through your nose when you are releasing the effort. Proper breathing will ensure that you use even more abdominal fibers.
If any exercise hurts your neck, lower back or any other part of your body, stop! Review the instructions to make sure you're doing the move properly. If you think you're doing everything right and you still feel pain, don't do the exercise. You can always revisit it in a couple of weeks, once you have increased your middle body strength.
Feel free to mix and match exercises from different routines. You may need to do a beginner version of one move but be able to handle an advanced version of another. The exercises are laid out progressively. In other words, the first exercise of the intermediate routine builds on the skills you've mastered on the first move in the beginner routine.
Don't overdo it! Two to three workout sessions a week and one to three sets of each exercise are more than enough to see results.
Remember, you're not going to melt fat away from your middle by doing these exercises. But you are going to strengthen, tone and define; you're going to improve your posture; and, if you have back pain, you are going to reduce or even eliminate it. Not bad!

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Beginner Routine

Camp Fire (3 to 5 reps)
This exercise promotes good posture and is an excellent spinal and middle muscle warm-up.

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor a comfortable distance in front of you. Wrap your arms around the uppermost part of your shins with your hands clasped together or clasping your legs.
Inhale deeply and sit up as tall as you possibly can with your belly button pulled in toward your spine. Concentrate on keeping your shoulders down and relaxed. Hold for 10 slow counts and release for a moment before moving into the next rep.

Upright Hinge (3 to 5 reps)
This exercise uses your abdominals and lower back muscles, and promotes balance, strength and good posture.

Sit up tall on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor a comfortable distance in front of you. Cross your arms and place your hands on your chest. Pull you your bellybutton in toward your spine.
Keeping your back straight and your posture lifted up tall, lean back about six inches. Don't allow your feet to come up off the floor or your upper body to round inward. Hold this position for 10 slow counts and sit up again before moving into the next rep.

Limited Hip Lift (8 to 15 reps)
Although this exercise is powered by the lower muscles, it is an excellent total ab exercise.

Lie on your back and lift your legs toward the ceiling so they are perpendicular to your hips. Bend your legs slightly at your knees. Place your hands at your sides, keeping your head, neck and shoulders relaxed and down.
Pull your belly button in toward your spine as you lift your buttocks a half-inch straight up off the floor. Don't allow your hips to roll back or your knees to move toward your chest as you lift. Hold a moment before slowly lowering to the floor.

Pendulum (8 to 15 reps each side)
This is an excellent entry-level oblique exercise that tightens and strengthens your waist while stretching your lower back.

Lie on your back and lift your legs toward the ceiling so they are perpendicular to your hips. Bend your legs slightly at your knees. Extend your arms out to the side, level with your shoulders.
Pull your belly button in toward your spine and, keeping your legs together, drop your knees to the right. Once your thighs touch the floor lift them up again and drop them to the left. Continue until you have completed an equal number of reps to both sides.

Elbow Hover (3 to 5 reps)
Don't be fooled: This simple exercise is a killer total ab and lower back move.

Kneel down on the floor and lean forward, putting your forearms flat on the ground. Extend your legs behind you so you are balancing on your toes and forearms. Clasp your hands together and tuck your chin toward your chest. Pull your abs in tight so that your back is straight; make sure your lower back does not sag downward and don't hold your butt above the rest of your body.
Hold this position for 10 slow counts. Focus on keeping your torso straight the entire time. To rest between reps, sit back on your heels and drape your body forward.

Bird Dog (3 to 5 reps each side)
This is the perfect exercise to strengthen and stretch your lower back and align your spine.

Get down on your hands and knees making sure that your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are directly beneath your hips. Pull your bellybutton in toward your spine and tuck your chin toward your chest.
Extend your right arm forward at shoulder height as you extend your left leg back at hip height. Focus on staying as long and relaxed as you possibly can. Hold for 10 slow counts and then repeat the same move with your left arm and right leg.

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Intermediate Routine

Spinal Lift (3 to 5 reps)
This exercise teaches your abs and lower back to work in sync with each other while stretching and strengthening both muscle groups. This also increases posture awareness, and stretches the backs of your thighs.

Sit up tall with your legs out in front of you and comfortably apart. Gently flex your feet. Extend your arms out in front of you, shoulders relaxed, palms facing in toward each other. Pull your abs in toward your spine. (Note: If you have trouble sitting up straight, bend your knees slightly.)
Pull your abs inward even more, tuck your chin to your chest and round forward so your fingertips move toward your toes. Hold a moment and then roll back up to your tall starting position, trying to feel each vertebra stack directly on top of the one beneath it as you go. Hold a moment before moving into the next rep.

The Folding Chair (8 to 15 reps)
This is an intense, all-around ab toner.

Sit tall with your hands on the floor behind you and your legs bent and held up off the floor; in this position you are balanced on your butt and palms.
Bend your knees in and move your chest forward so that they move toward each other and come together just over your hips. Hold a moment and then return to the start.

Limited Leg Lower (8 to 15 reps)
You will feel this exercise mostly in your lower abs, but it is also a great all-around ab toner. (Note: If you have lower back problems, proceed with caution.)

Lie on the floor with your hands behind your head. Lift your head, neck and shoulders up off the floor. Raise your legs straight up over your hips. (If holding your legs up straight is too difficult, you may bend your knees slightly.) Pull your belly button in toward your spine to anchor your back to the floor.
Lower your legs toward the floor a very small distance, 1 to 2 inches at most. Slowly lift to the start. As you do this exercise, concentrate on keeping your abs tight and your back anchored. Do this exercise slowly to make sure you are powering the movement from your abdominal muscles rather than momentum.

Slow Bike (8 to 15 reps each side)
Although this exercise zeros in on your obliques, it also gives the mid ab muscles a good workout.

Lie on your back with your left knee bent toward your chest, your right leg extended and a few inches off the floor. Place your hands behind your head, fingertips touching. Curl your head, neck and shoulders up. Rotate from your middle so that your right elbow is pointing toward your left knee.
Hold for a slow three count, then slowly rotate to the other side by bending your right knee and extending your left leg as your left elbow moves toward your right knee. Again, hold for a slow three count. Continue rotating to complete reps.

Full Hover (3 to 5 reps)
This is an advanced version of the Hover in the beginner's routine. It works your abs even harder.

Assume the raised pushup position by balancing on your palms and underside of toes. Pull your abs in so that your entire torso is in a straight line. Tuck your chin toward your chest.
Lower yourself 1/4 inch or so by bending your elbows and hold for 10 slow counts. Focus on keeping your torso straight the entire time. To rest between reps, sit back on your heels and drape your body forward.

Opposite Extension (3 to 5 reps)
This exercise strengthens and lengthens your lower back.

Lie on your stomach with your abs pulled up and in toward your spine and your hipbones in firm contact with the floor. Stretch your arms out in front of you along the floor, directly in line with your shoulder joint and extend both your legs straight out behind you, directly in line with your hip joints.
Lift your right arm and left leg 1 to 2 inches off the floor. Hold a moment. Slowly lower to the start and repeat with the left arm and right leg. Lengthen your body as much as possible. Pretend you're trying to reach something with your toes and fingertips that's just out of your reach. You'll feel a gentle pull through your lower back and a mild stretch down the entire length of your body.

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Advanced Routine

Advanced Spinal Lift (3 to 5 reps)
This teaches your abs and lower back to work in sync with each other while adding an element of intensity to the Spinal Lift from the intermediate routine.

Sit up tall with your left leg bent and your left foot flat on the floor. Extend your right leg up and out so that your right knee is level with your left knee. Relax your shoulders and extend your arms straight out in front of you, palms facing in toward each other. Pull your bellybutton in toward your spine.
Lean a small way back then lift up tall, reaching your fingertips upward toward your extended right foot. Hold a moment before moving into the next rep. Don't let your leg drop downward, and keep it as straight and long as possible. Do an equal number of reps with your left leg extended.

Rewind (3 to 5 reps)
This exercise is an advanced version of The Hinge from the beginner routine. It uses your abdominal and lower back muscles to promote balance, strength and good posture.

Sit up tall on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor a comfortable distance in front of you. Relax your shoulders and extend your arms out in front of you at shoulder level. Pull your bellybutton in toward your spine.
Lower your body an inch or so toward the floor by rounding your back and pulling your abs in even more. Hold a moment and then lower an inch or so closer to the floor. Continue lowering in this way until your head touches the floor. Hold underneath your thighs and gently assist yourself back up into the sitting position. Don't allow your feet to come up off the floor at any point.

Hundred (100 reps)
This Pilates exercise is a deceptively simple yet very intense overall abdominal exercise.

Lie on your back with your abs pulled inward. Extend your arms down your sides, parallel to your body. Hold them a few inches off the floor. Relax your shoulders and lift your legs off the floor, bending your knees slightly toward your chest. Lift your head up and tuck your chin to your chest so that you're looking directly at your navel.
Straighten your legs and lower them as far as you can toward the floor while still maintaining contact between your lower back and the floor. Go no lower than a 45-degree angle to the floor.
Keeping your arms long and extended, pump them vigorously up and down about an inch 100 times. Inhale every five pumps; exhale every five pumps. Once you have completed the 100 pumps, bend your knees into your chest to finish.

Ab Circles (3 to 5 reps)
This exercise works your middle three-dimensionally with a special emphasis on your obliques.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your head but don't lace your fingers together. Round your elbows outward, tuck your chin slightly, and pull your abdominals in toward your spine. Lift your head, neck and shoulder blades off the floor and hold.
Make a small clockwise circle with your waist: bend a small distance to the left, curl a small distance upward, bend a small distance to the right, and then lower a small distance downward. This is one repetition. Do an equal number of reps in a counter clockwise direction.

Suspended Hover (3 to 5 reps)
This is a very intense version of the Hover in the beginner's routine. It works your abs (and your arms!) even harder.

Assume the raised pushup position by balancing on your palms and underside of toes. Pull your abs in so that your entire torso is in a straight line. Tuck your chin toward your chest.
Bend your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor and hold for 10 slow counts. Focus on keeping your torso straight the entire time. To rest between reps, sit back on your heels and drape your body forward.

Swimming (8 to 15 reps each side)
This exercise strengthens and lengthens your lower back.

Lie on your stomach with your abs pulled up and in toward your spine and your hipbones in firm contact with the floor. Stretch your arms out along the floor in front of you, directly in line with your shoulders, and extend both your legs straight out behind you in line with your hips.
Lift your right arm and left leg 1 to 2 inches off the floor. As you lower them to the floor, lift your left arm and right leg up. Continue this lifting and lowering as if you are swimming through the ocean. Don't stop until you have completed all reps.

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