Hanging Straight-Leg Raise
Targets lower abs
Hang from a pullup bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your hips centered under your body so there's a straight line from your hands to the bottom of your hips (A). Keeping your legs and back straight and using a slow, controlled motion, raise your legs until they're parallel to the floor (B). Slowly lower your legs. That's one rep. Do four to six. Feeling extra Barnumesque? Try to raise your feet above 90 degrees (C).
Perfect Form As you raise your legs, don't swing them or let momentum do the work. Concentrate on keeping your butt down, as if you're sitting on a chair.
Targets lower abs
Hang from a pullup bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your hips centered under your body so there's a straight line from your hands to the bottom of your hips (A). Keeping your legs and back straight and using a slow, controlled motion, raise your legs until they're parallel to the floor (B). Slowly lower your legs. That's one rep. Do four to six. Feeling extra Barnumesque? Try to raise your feet above 90 degrees (C).
Perfect Form As you raise your legs, don't swing them or let momentum do the work. Concentrate on keeping your butt down, as if you're sitting on a chair.
Toe Touch
Targets upper abs
Lie on your back holding an 8- to 10-pound dumbbell in both hands. Lift your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor and extend your arms, keeping the dumbbell directly over your chest (A). Without moving your legs, lift your chest and shoulders off the floor and try to touch your feet with the dumbbell (B). Do 15 to 20 reps.
Perfect Form Avoid bending your knees and try to lift your chest and shoulders higher with every rep.
Targets upper abs
Lie on your back holding an 8- to 10-pound dumbbell in both hands. Lift your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor and extend your arms, keeping the dumbbell directly over your chest (A). Without moving your legs, lift your chest and shoulders off the floor and try to touch your feet with the dumbbell (B). Do 15 to 20 reps.
Perfect Form Avoid bending your knees and try to lift your chest and shoulders higher with every rep.
The Sprinter
Targets upper and lower abs and obliques
Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, legs straight, and heels hovering about six inches off the floor (A). Start sitting up while elevating your left arm with the elbow bent so it resembles a sprinter's pumping motion. At the peak of the situp, bring your right knee to your chest (B). Return to start, keeping your legs raised, and repeat with the opposite arm and leg. That's one rep. Do up to 20.
Perfect Form Control your movement through the entire exercise, bracing your core to keep pressure off your back.
Targets upper and lower abs and obliques
Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, legs straight, and heels hovering about six inches off the floor (A). Start sitting up while elevating your left arm with the elbow bent so it resembles a sprinter's pumping motion. At the peak of the situp, bring your right knee to your chest (B). Return to start, keeping your legs raised, and repeat with the opposite arm and leg. That's one rep. Do up to 20.
Perfect Form Control your movement through the entire exercise, bracing your core to keep pressure off your back.
Walking Lunge Plate Twist
Targets entire core
Grab a 10- to 25-pound weight plate and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Position the plate in front of your chest with your elbows bent (A). With your right leg, lunge forward about three feet until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is nearly touching the floor. At the same time, twist your upper body 90 degrees to the right (B). Twist and step back to start, then repeat, stepping with the left leg and twisting to the left. That's one rep. Do eight to 10.
Perfect Form Sink low into the lunge but don't let your front knee extend past your toes. Keep your chest up and your back straight as you twist.
Targets entire core
Grab a 10- to 25-pound weight plate and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Position the plate in front of your chest with your elbows bent (A). With your right leg, lunge forward about three feet until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is nearly touching the floor. At the same time, twist your upper body 90 degrees to the right (B). Twist and step back to start, then repeat, stepping with the left leg and twisting to the left. That's one rep. Do eight to 10.
Perfect Form Sink low into the lunge but don't let your front knee extend past your toes. Keep your chest up and your back straight as you twist.
Twisting Windmill
Targets obliques
Lie on your back with your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height. Raise your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor (A). Lower your legs to the left side of your body so you meet the floor a few inches away from your left hand (B), then bring them back to center. Repeat, lowering your legs to the opposite side. That's one rep. Do 12.
Perfect Form Sink low into the lunge but don't let your front knee extend past your toes. Keep your chest up and your back straight as you twist.
Targets obliques
Lie on your back with your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height. Raise your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor (A). Lower your legs to the left side of your body so you meet the floor a few inches away from your left hand (B), then bring them back to center. Repeat, lowering your legs to the opposite side. That's one rep. Do 12.
Perfect Form Sink low into the lunge but don't let your front knee extend past your toes. Keep your chest up and your back straight as you twist.
Superman Variations
Targets lower back
Lie on your stomach with your legs hip-width apart and your arms extended in front of you, palms down, shoulder-width apart. Lift your head off the floor and look straight ahead. Lift your legs and hold for 15 to 30 seconds (A). Lower, and then do the following variations: Lift just your arms and hold for 15 to 30 seconds (B); lift your right arm and left leg (C), then slowly switch sides, lifting your left arm and right leg. Alternate until you've completed 15 on each side.
Perfect Form Try to lift your hips off the floor, not just your legs
Targets lower back
Lie on your stomach with your legs hip-width apart and your arms extended in front of you, palms down, shoulder-width apart. Lift your head off the floor and look straight ahead. Lift your legs and hold for 15 to 30 seconds (A). Lower, and then do the following variations: Lift just your arms and hold for 15 to 30 seconds (B); lift your right arm and left leg (C), then slowly switch sides, lifting your left arm and right leg. Alternate until you've completed 15 on each side.
Perfect Form Try to lift your hips off the floor, not just your legs
Bar Crunch
Targets lower back
Grab a 10-pound Body Bar with your arms shoulder-width apart and lie on a bench with your knees bent and your feet together. Extend your arms so the bar is directly above your chest (A). Without bending your elbows, crunch up by lifting your upper back and shoulders off the bench and extend the bar toward the ceiling (B). Slowly return to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 15.
Perfect Form At the top of the crunch, push the bar up as if you're trying to reach the ceiling.
Targets lower back
Grab a 10-pound Body Bar with your arms shoulder-width apart and lie on a bench with your knees bent and your feet together. Extend your arms so the bar is directly above your chest (A). Without bending your elbows, crunch up by lifting your upper back and shoulders off the bench and extend the bar toward the ceiling (B). Slowly return to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 15.
Perfect Form At the top of the crunch, push the bar up as if you're trying to reach the ceiling.
Hammer Toss
Targets entire core
Grab a 5-pound medicine ball and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the ball with both hands in front of your chest (A). Lower your hips and touch the ball outside your right foot (B). Stand up quickly, bringing the ball across the front of your body, and toss it to a partner, releasing to the left at about shoulder height (C). Have the partner toss it back. That's one rep. Do 10, then repeat to the other side.
Perfect Form Use a full range of motion as you move the ball across your body. Extend your arms at the low position and as you throw.
Targets entire core
Grab a 5-pound medicine ball and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the ball with both hands in front of your chest (A). Lower your hips and touch the ball outside your right foot (B). Stand up quickly, bringing the ball across the front of your body, and toss it to a partner, releasing to the left at about shoulder height (C). Have the partner toss it back. That's one rep. Do 10, then repeat to the other side.
Perfect Form Use a full range of motion as you move the ball across your body. Extend your arms at the low position and as you throw.
The Wicked Wiper
Is it the world's craziest abs move? We dare you to find out
OK, so you get the point: Olympians need to challenge their cores in crazy ways to stay in fighting shape. To find out just how insane these pros are, we sought out the single most difficult ab move on the planet. And (eureka!) we found it: the Hanging Windshield Wiper, courtesy of Sandoval.
How it's done Hang from a pullup bar with your arms shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you. Keeping your arms straight, raise your body so your hips, back, and shoulders are as parallel to the floor as possible. Raise your legs straight up so you're in pike position (A). If that's not difficult enough, rotate your legs down to the right (B), bring them back to center, and then lower them to the left (C). Yow.
Is it the world's craziest abs move? We dare you to find out
OK, so you get the point: Olympians need to challenge their cores in crazy ways to stay in fighting shape. To find out just how insane these pros are, we sought out the single most difficult ab move on the planet. And (eureka!) we found it: the Hanging Windshield Wiper, courtesy of Sandoval.
How it's done Hang from a pullup bar with your arms shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you. Keeping your arms straight, raise your body so your hips, back, and shoulders are as parallel to the floor as possible. Raise your legs straight up so you're in pike position (A). If that's not difficult enough, rotate your legs down to the right (B), bring them back to center, and then lower them to the left (C). Yow.
