One of the biggest misconceptions about getting fab abs is that you need to do 100,000 crunches a day. Although that is definitely a mid section burner, it’s not the most effective way to go. There are several muscles in our core, including the rectus abdominus (hello, 6-pack), transverse abdominus (deepest side muscle), as well as the internal and external obliques (love handle central). That’s why planks are known to be one of the best core stabilizing moves because it incorporates all of these muscles. If you ever get sick of staring at the carpet, then try some of these new moves!

1. Corkscrew

Level 1: Keep your legs at a table top.
Level 2: Extend your legs straight into the air.

Keep your back straight, chest up and extend your legs into the desired level position. Bring your elbows behind you so that they are aligned under your shoulders. Take your knees or feet and draw a big circle in the air. Imagine that you are bringing your toes to the big numbers on a clock. In the first position, your feet will be pointing at 3 o’clock, then 6 o’clock, then 9 o’clock and it ends back up at 12 o’clock. Squeeze your core tight! Read More »

Although it’s not swimsuit season anymore (moment of silence…..), you don’t have to give up on those 6-pack dreams. Sure, your thick-knit sweaters will be keeping 90% of your body covered up for the next 6 months, but by keeping up your workout routine now, you’ll eliminate that bathing-suit-shopping-dressing-room-meltdown later. Plus, bathing suit or not, 6-packs are hot. Even if you’re the only one seeing it.

And with this easy to follow guide, you can get one…from the privacy of your dorm room! Print it out, tack it to your wall and crunch away. Read More »

So you’re determined to get those rock-hard, washboard, Jessica Alba abs. And you even stepped up the intensity of your workout by increasing those crunches and sit-ups to ensure that your stomach is flat in no time.

Well, its time to stop that.
Right now.

Turns out, crunches are not good for you.

I know you’ve spent your whole life thinking those painful and annoying little exercises were getting you one step closer to a Britney body (circa 2001), but, sadly, the main thing that crunches do is crunch your spine. And yes that really is as bad as it sounds. According to and article in the New York Times, the way to visualize this concept is to “think of the spine as a fishing rod supported by muscular guy wires. If all of the wires are tensed equally, the rod stays straight.” However, focusing only on the deep abdominal muscles can cause the spine to buckle. To avoid this, it is important to strengthen the entire core. Read More »

Considering we had an extra day this weekend, this past week has been ROUGH. That Monday BBQ was awesome, but Tuesday just felt like the worst Monday of all time. It didn’t help that we ended up with a mullet because we were afraid of  offending our stylist.  Or the fact that we’re just now realizing our current “intimacy lite” situation with the boy we thought was our Prince Charming. But I guess we can’t really complain; at least we have the right to get married, unlike some of our friend in California.

But let’s not go there.

Instead, we’re going to enjoy this lovely spring weekend. Our toes are perfectly pedicured for flip-flops, and we’re going to head to the spa for a luxurious sperm facial (Note: don’t Google that…).  Then we plan to head home, settle in under our Snuggie and get suckered into buying even more crap we don’t need.  Hopefully there is some sort of miracle product on there to keep our abs in tip-top shape.  Nobody wants a mid-summer muffin top crisis.

Here’s to the weekend, even if it is only two days long this week!

Are you a procrastinator? Did you forgo the gym all week to cram for that Chem final and now you’re freaking about putting on a bathing suit this Saturday!? Unlike academics, getting a beach body cannot be achieved by pulling an all-nighter. However, lucky for you there are a few tips and tricks that will provide you with a quick fix to looking fabulous.

Any Pilates enthusiast will agree that this practice can tighten your tummy in just one session. Ab exercises that are inspired by the Pilates roll up will give your mid section a flatter look and you will stand taller, which creates the illusion of looking slimmer.

Try lying on your back, legs out straight. Take a deep breath in through your nose and breath out as you pull your belly button towards your spine. Repeat, but this time when you breathe out peel your head off the ground and then – one vertebra at a time, keeping your tummy pulled inward – lift all the way up and over, rounding your back out as you reach the top. This is known as the Pilates Roll Up and to watch how it’s done, check out this video. Done regularly, your stomach will look like amazing every day. Do this move 20x before you hit the beach (yes the very same day) for some fABulous results. Read More »

What a coincidence it is that April is both Stress Awareness Month and when we all take finals. Cruel trick, world. A cruel trick, indeed.

Instead of grabbing a cigarette or another cup of coffee, use exercise this year as a way to alleviate the overwhelming feelings that come with cramming a semester’s worth of information into a few study sessions.

Clinically proven, exercise naturally decreases the amount of stress hormones your body produces and counteracts your body’s normal stress response. By working out regularly, your body will better be able to handle finals week and allow you to get in the amount of studying you desperately need. It will allow the burden of 2 tests in one day seem much less daunting than it really is. It will make the inevitable ‘F’ seem like a very doable passing grade.

So just take a deep breath and put on those sneakers before you hit the books. Read More »