Lie flat on your back on a padded mat. Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the sides of your head or fold your arms against your chest. This is the starting position. Exhale and start raising your body up towards your legs. Once your body touches your legs or reaches its highest position, inhale and slowly lower it back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps. (Back to Contents)

Adjust an incline bench to your desired angle. A 30-degree angle is recommended for beginners (Increased angles will place greater stress on the abs). Lie down with your back against the bench. Bending your legs, hook your feet under the padded foot bars at the end of the bench. Fold your arms against your chest or place your hands on the sides of your head. This is the starting position. Exhale and start raising your body up towards your legs. Once your body is perpendicular to the floor, inhale and slowly lower it back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Sit on a bench or a seat without a back support that also has padded foot bars below the bench. Hook your feet under the bars and fold your arms against your chest or place your hands on the sides of your head. Your torso should be perpendicular to the floor. This is the starting position. Inhale and lean back until your torso is slightly above parallel to the floor. Once your torso is slightly above parallel to the floor, exhale and sit back into the upright starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Step onto the steps of a parallel bar with your back against the back support. Place your forearms on the padded parallel bars and grasp the handles if they are provided. Step off the steps so that your legs are slightly bent and hanging perpendicular to the floor and you are supporting yourself on your forearms. This is the starting position. Exhale and raise your knees towards your chest. Once your knees just about touch your chest and/or reach the highest position, inhale and slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Position yourself under a chin-up bar. Keeping your hands about shoulder width apart and your arms fully extended, use an over-hand grip to grasp the bar. Your entire body should be perpendicular to the floor. Bend your knees slightly and lift your legs barely off the floor. This is the starting position. Exhale and raise your knees towards your chest. Once your knees just about touch your chest and/or reach the highest position, inhale and slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Lie flat on your back on a padded mat. Fully extend your arms above your head so that they are also flat on the floor with your palms facing up. This is the starting position. Exhale and raise your legs and torso at the same time so that your body forms a “V”. At the peak position, you should be able to reach out and touch your toes. Once you touch your toes, inhale and slowly lower your legs and torso back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Lie flat on your back on a padded mat. Place your hands under your glutes with your palms facing down. With your knees bent slightly, lift your legs barely off the floor. This is the starting position. Keeping your legs stiff, exhale and lift them towards the ceiling using only your abdominal muscles. Once your legs are perpendicular to the floor, inhale and slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Adjust an abdominal board to your desired angle. A 30-degree angle is recommended initially (Different angles will stress the abs differently). Lie on your back on the board with your head towards the adjustable rack. Using an under-hand grip, reach back and grasp the rack. Bend your knees slightly and lift your legs barely off the floor. This is the starting position. Keeping your legs stiff, exhale and lift them towards the ceiling using only your abdominal muscles. Once your legs are at about a 45-degree angle to the floor, inhale and slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Position yourself under a chin-up bar. Keeping your hands about shoulder width apart and your arms fully extended, use an over-hand grip to grasp the bar. Your entire body should be perpendicular to the floor. Bend your knees slightly and lift your legs barely off the floor. This is the starting position. Keeping your legs stiff, exhale and lift them towards the ceiling using only your abdominal muscles. Once your legs are parallel to the floor, inhale and slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Step onto the steps of a parallel bar with your back against the back support. Place your forearms on the padded parallel bars and grasp the handles if they are provided. Step off the steps so that your legs are slightly bent and hanging perpendicular to the floor and you are supporting yourself on your forearms. This is the starting position. Keeping your legs stiff, exhale and lift them towards the ceiling using only your abdominal muscles. Once your legs are parallel to the floor, inhale and slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Lie flat on your back on a padded mat and lift your feet off the floor so that your upper legs are perpendicular to the floor. Cross your lower legs at your ankles for balance. Place your hands on the sides of your head. This is the starting position. Exhale hard, trying to force all the air out of your lungs. At the same time, raise your head and shoulders towards your waist so that your abdominal muscles “crunch” together. Hold this position a moment and then inhale and return your body to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Lie flat on your back on a padded mat and lift your feet off the floor so that your upper legs are perpendicular to the floor. Cross your lower legs at your ankles for balance. Place your hands on the sides of your head. This is the starting position. Exhale hard, trying to force all the air out of your lungs. At the same time, raise your head and shoulders trying to touch your left elbow to your right knee. As you rise up, your right-side abdominal muscles will ‘crunch” together. Hold this position for a moment and then inhale and return your body to the starting position. Repeat the exercise trying to touch your right elbow to your left knee. When you have done the exercise from both sides, you have completed one rep. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Attach a rope to the upper cable of a pulley stand. Kneeling on a soft pad about a foot away from the stand, extend your arms out and hold each end of the rope with an over-hand grip with your palms facing each other. This is the starting position. Exhale hard, trying to force all the air out of your lungs. At the same time, bend forward at the waist, bringing your arms in toward your body so that your abdominal muscles “crunch” together. Continue to bend forward until your forehead is slightly above the floor. Hold this position a moment and then inhale and return your body to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps.  (Back to Contents)

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Place a very light bar behind your neck so that it rests on your trapezius muscles and your shoulders. Extend your arms out and grasp the bar using an over-hand grip. This is the starting position. Without moving your hips or head, exhale and twist to the right as far as comfortably possible. Once you reach the farthest point, inhale and start back to the starting position. Instead of pausing at the starting position, exhale again and continue to twist to the left as far as comfortably possible. Once you reach the farthest point, inhale and return to the starting position. When you have twisted to both the right and left, you have completed one rep. Repeat for suggested number of reps. Do not pause between reps – it should be a fluid motion when twisting from one side to the other.  (Back to Contents)

Sit on a flat bench with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Place a very light bar behind your neck so that it rests on your trapezius muscles and your shoulders. Extend your arms out and grasp the bar using an over-hand grip. This is the starting position. Without moving your hips or head, exhale and twist to the right as far as comfortably possible. Once you reach the farthest point, inhale and start back to the starting position. Instead of pausing at the starting position, exhale again and continue to twist to the left as far as comfortably possible. Once you reach the farthest point, inhale and return to the starting position. When you have twisted to both the right and left, you have completed one rep. Repeat for suggested number of reps. Do not pause between reps – it should be a fluid motion when twisting from one side to the other.  (Back to Contents)

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Using an over-hand grip, grasp a light dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing your body. Place your left hand on your left hip for balance. This is the starting position. Keeping your back straight and your head up, inhale and bend to the right as far as comfortably possible. Once you reach the farthest point, exhale and return to the starting position. Repeat for suggested number of reps. Repeat the exercise to the other side using your left arm. When you have done the exercise to both sides, you have completed one set.  (Back to Contents)

Sit on a decline bench with your back perpendicular to the bench and wrap your feet under the bar provided. Place a very light bar behind your neck so that it rests on your trapezius muscles and your shoulders. Extend your arms out and grasp the bar using an over-hand grip. This is the starting position. Without moving your hips or head, exhale and twist to the right as far as comfortably possible. Once you reach the farthest point, inhale and start back to the starting position. Instead of pausing at the starting point, exhale again and continue to twist to the left as far as comfortably possible. Once you reach the farthest point, inhale and return to the starting position. When you have twisted to both the right and left, you have completed one rep. Repeat for suggested number of reps. Do not pause between reps – it should be a fluid motion when twisting from one side to the other.  (Back to Contents)