Ask a Trainer
Two elite 24 Hour Fitness Trainers tackle your most burning in-the-gym questions.
How can I whip my abs into shape before the end of the summer?
-- Lorraine, Miami
If we could make something that would magically reduce body fat in the abdomen, we’d be millionaires pretty quick.
Real quick. But to answer your question, I’d have to see what kind of shape you’re in first. If you’re carrying too much weight, you can work specifically on building your abs, but it’d be like building the Taj Mahal under the Astrodome: Nobody’ll see it. First, you should take a hard look at your food intake, and trim it as needed. Then, you need to ramp up your cardio to lose weight all around.
I agree—eating right and cardio is going to give you a better result, quicker. But I’d also suggest hitting the ab machines with some weight resistance, and trying to strengthen and tone that area doing ball work. On the ball, I like regular crunches with the ball under your feet: You want to have your rear end, your lower and middle back, and your neck and head aligned, then just crunch forward and return to that position. Never bring your elbows in or pull downward with your neck. And when you’re coming back down, don’t try to gain momentum: You’ll be arching your back, and you can hurt yourself that way.
Because the ball can be tricky, I, personally, like to recommend using a machine that works the internal and external obliques first. When you get a hint of a six-pack, then you can advance to exercises on the ball.
Agreed. Also, to be safe and effective, it’s always best to ask a trainer to make sure you’re doing ball exercises correctly. So while you’re at it, ask a trainer about this move, too: a roll-in. You start face down, with the ball under your shins. Contract your abs, and pull your pelvis up, toward the ceiling, and your knees and the ball toward your chest. Pause, and return to a flat plank position. I really like roll-ins a lot. They require stability, so they’re more advanced. But it doesn’t take long to get there.
Meet the Experts
Two trainers, both with impeccable credentials but very different styles.
Brandy Bachmeyer, 28, a former Olympic weightlifter, is a rare amalgam of brains, brawn, and perkiness. Sort of like a cross between MacGyver and a local TV weatherperson. In a good way. An elite trainer at San Ramon Supersport Club in California, Brandy regularly puts in 12-hour days, sometimes joining them as they train for half-marathons—even surveying the contents of their sub-Zeros.
Scott Nunes, a trainer at the 24 Hour Fitness in Escondido, California knows firsthand that getting fit doesn’t just happen. “I used to be a bona fide couch potato,” Nunes avows. When Nunes was in his mid 20s, he had back surgery, developed arthritis, and found himself weighing in at 260 pounds: “When my one-and-a-half-year-old son raced me to the top of the stairs and beat me, I started doing pushups and sit ups that day,” he recalls. Nunes, 37, got in great shape, which helped him raise his son, who’s now 14.
COMBINED WISDOM Gaining core strength on the mat and the machines then moving to careful crunches and roll-ins on an exercise ball can give you Janet Jackson or Matthew McConaughey abs. Consult with a 24 Hour Fitness trainer to make sure you’ve got these moves down. But you might have to cut some calories and start running, too.
