The latest technique for strong abs

If you do straight leg or bent leg sit-ups, if you do abdominal curls with your ankles or feet secured, the following message is for you. Quit it! According to John Peterson, Total Fitness Center Director at Joliet Junior College, the absolute best way to isolate and work your abs is with unassisted abdominal crunches. Any other version not only won't do much for your mid section, but could do more harm than good. "The most important reason you don't want to do full sit ups is because you're not working your abs if you do," he said, "but also, once you hit that 45 degree angle, it puts a lot of strain on the lower back." For the perfect crunch, Peterson offers the following tips:

• Lie on your back, knees bent with your feet 12 to 18 inches from your buttocks. Place your fingertips behind your head with the elbows wide, or, if you're a beginner, put your arms down at your sides.
• Keep a space the size of your fist between your chin and your chest and pick a point on the ceiling to align your head correctly and avoid neck strain.
• Press your lower back into the floor and concentrate on pulling your ribs toward your pelvis until you can't go any further -- your shoulder blades should only come offf the floor about four or five inches.
• Use your abs, not your momentum, to control the movement. Count to two as you contract, hold for a moment, then return slowly to the floor.
• Speed or number of repetitions isn't important. Work slowly with good form until the muscles are fatigued.
• Exhale during each contraction; inhale as you lower yourself to the floor

Once you've mastered the basic crunch, try the new crunch of the '90s, also known as the circular crunch. A more intense version of the above, circular crunches work all the stomach muscles -- including upper, lower and obliques -- aafter just a few reps. To do them, assume the basic crunch position. Raise up so your shoulder blades are a couple inches off the floor. This is the start position. Next, in a slow, fluid motion, move your head and torso around to nine o'clock, noon, three o'clock and back to six o'clock. Viki Lettow, program director at the Aurora YWCA, said she has yet to incorporate circular crunches into her classes, but that didn't stop her from getting down of the floor and giving them a try. "It might take some practice to get it smooth," she said in mid circle, "but I can definitely feel the lower abdominals engaged, and the uppers...and as you come around, you can feel the obliques. I think it's very good!" Keep your circle tight and smooth, and try to do a set of 10 reps clockwise, then counterclockwise. It's not easy, so if you can't do all 10 at first, just make sure you do the same number of reps in each direction.

© Copyright 1994 Paula Lauer