Have A Ball!
5 hard crunching stomach drills
Working your midsection muscles into shining shape takes a lot of sweat and effort. If you can manage to exercise your abdominals on a daily basis all the better. This routine utilizes a Swiss ball, which forces you to maintain perfect balance while doing the maneuvers. The benefit is that you must tighten your abs to keep balanced. Take your time getting used to these drills, then perform the session once weekly.
Photography by Keith Munyan
ABDOMINALS Balance Crunches
Lie with your back on the ball, hands
behind head and legs bent at 90-degree
angles. Proceed to raise the upper body a few inches. Pause, then return to starting
position. Perform 15 repetitions.
ABS & OBLIQUES
Arm Raises
Support yourself face down with legs on the ball and arms straight. Proceed to raise the left arm, feeling the left side of
the abs contract. Pause, then return to starting position and next raise the right arm. Perform 15 alternating repetitions
with each arm.
ABDOMINALS Reverse Leg Lifts
Lie face down with the ball in the middle of your body. With arms balancing your upper body, palms down, proceed to
lift legs off the ground. Pause, then return to starting position. Perform 15 repetitions.
OBLIQUES
Arm Swings
Lie with your upper back on the
ball, hands clasped with arms
extended straight up and legs bent
at 90-degree angles. Proceed
to swing arms to the right until
parallel to the ground. Pause, then
return to starting position and next
swing arms to the left. Perform 15
alternating repetitions to each side.
ABDOMINALS
Hip Raises
Lie face up with hands
on hips, legs bent and
the back against the
ball. Proceed to raise
hips until the upper body
and thighs align. Pause,
then return to starting
position. Perform 15
repetitions.