1 Move For Amazing Abs

Move Of The Week:

Cannonball (for amazing abs!)

What it does:

This move is sometimes called the “banana,” because of the slightly-curved line your body forms at the start of the exercise. But no matter what you call it, this full-body core strengthener is a surefire way to fire up the entire abdominal wall.

Step 1:

Start lying on your back, with your arms reaching out overhead, legs lifted slightly off the floor, and toes pointed. Even here, at the start of the move, you’re activating core muscles by stretching them out. Keep pressing the lower back into the mat or floor to ensure the back doesn’t arch. If this feels like too much tension on the back, try lifting the legs a little further away from the floor.

Step 2:

Imagine that, as you’re stretching the fingers and toes away from each other, the core is a strong magnet working to pull them back in.

Step 3:

Using the force of that imaginary magnet, bring the knees in toward the chest. At the same time, reach your arms toward the legs.

Beginners:

If you’re not quite strong enough to do a full push-up and side plank, you can perform the entire movement on your knees.
You can also modify the side plank by resting on your elbows instead of your hands.

Advanced:

Add a leg extension to the top of the move: So as you form the ˙T” in your side plank, instead of keeping both feet on the floor, lift the top foot up and extend it slightly toward the ceiling, and you’ll start to form more of an ˙X” formation.