Ab-salute

Abdominals. Who doesn't love 'em? But often we find ourselves falling into the routine of the same four moves, which is not only dull but also becomes ineffective. A way to avoid this abominable fate is to get creative. I am a sponge for new ab moves and have decided to post the best of my repertoire, for easy reference if you ever find yourself in a crunch.

I have a lot of favorites, but I'm just going to post one fABulous move of the day, so as not to overwhelm. It's easier to squeeze one move a a time into your next workout, and over time, you'll be able to pull any combination you fancy from your bag of tricks.

First up: A combination of crunching and oblique twisting that I have entitled
Single-leg Crunch with Open Arm Twist.

To begin: Lie on your back with legs bent, feet on floor. Extend right leg straight out, a few inches off the floor.
A) With arms extended straight towards feet, begin to crunch up to a 45 degree angle. (Note: You want to maintain this 45 degree angle the entire duration of the move).
B) With open straight arms, begin to twist your body to the right. Reach your right hand behind you and your left hand to your right. Return to center and twist to the left, touching your left hand behind you and your right hand to your left. Return to center, arms extended in front of you.
C) Slowly lower your torso down to the floor, keeping right leg raised, for one repetition. Repeat move 10 times with right leg extended, then 10 more with left leg extended.

Sounds complicated, but take it slow the first few times and you'll get the hang of it. If the leg raise is too difficult at first, begin by keeping both feet on the floor the whole time. As you get stronger, extend the leg.