4

TheMHLittle

BookofGettingAbs

Three Big ReasonsWhy You Don’t Have Abs1. Beer = best friendWe’re not going to tell youto stop drinking, but thereare few things that’ll killyour ab dreams faster.They’re liquid kilojoules,

and the hops in beer havebeen linked to increases inoestrogen, which makesyour body soft. They’realso a gateway for pizzaand more beer.

2. Your workout sucksEven if your workoutincludes an ab focus, thatdoesn’t make it an ab-centric workout. For that,you need a special blend of

Three Big ReasonsWhy You Don’t Have Abs

This is your abwake-upcall.They’ve been lying hidden, dormant undertheir blanket of blubber. You’ve tried eve-rything, right? Pills, powders and proteinshakes? The reality is that there’s no shortcut, no fancy formula that can give a wash-board stomach instantly.

Thankfully, we’ve got the solution. TheMHBig Book of Getting Abs is it, and thisbooklet is a snapshot – a taste tester of thatpowerful fitness tool. All we need from you?Some dedication.

What are you waiting for? Get reading,and then start your six-pack reveal plan!

Arthur JonesSenior Editor,Men’s Health

6 Six-PackSecrets12 Eat YourWay to

a Six-Pack22 TheWarrior’s

Workout28 Core to The

Power of Three32 GetTheMen’s

HealthBigBookof GettingAbs

What’s

5

exercises, rest periods andplanned progress to revealthe ripples in your midsec-tion. Anyone who says allworkouts are created equalis talking rubbish.

3. You don’t “diet”The truth: you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Mostguys do work hard in thegym, but then carry oneating what they want,

when they want. It doesn’tmatter how good yourgenetics are, without asmart approach to eatingyou’ll have trouble seeingyour abs.

In Here In Here

6

Six-PackSecretsHere are 10 insider secrets to help rev yourmetabolism, addmuscle and get ripped

7

six-pack secrets

the first, and biggestsecret, comes in realis-ing that you can losefat and build muscleat the same time. Hereare 10 secrets (takenfrom the 18 found inThe MH Big Book OfGetting Abs) to helpyou crack that balanceand start reaping theripped rewards.

1. SleepmoreResearchers from Har-vard University studiedmore than 68 000 peopleand found that those whosleep less than six hoursa night weighed 2.3kgmore and were 15%morelikely to be overweightthan those who sleptmore than seven hoursa night. After just onenight of bad sleep, youexperience increasedactivity in your brain’sreward centre. The result:those who sleep less eatan average of 920 morekilojoules per day, sayresearchers from theUniversity of Chicago.Quick Fix: Aim for eighthours of sleep a night butnot less than seven. Whenyou sleep six or fewerhours, you increase yourchances of prematuredeath by 12%.

2. Eat thewayyouwantWhen you eat, your bodyrequires energy to burn

away the kilojoules. Sothe reasoning went thatmore meals would equalmore kilojoules burned.Only one problem – it’snot how frequently youeat, but rather what youeat that impacts howmany kilojoules you’llburn during mealtime.Quick Fix: In an attemptto burn more kilojoules,you might have been ac-cidentally overeating andsabotaging your weightloss goals. With the dietplan in TheMen’s HealthBig Book of Getting Abs,you’ll understand whatyou need to eat. Thenit’s up to you to decidethe times and frequen-cy that work best. In or-der to do this, take a weekand journal when you feelmost hungry. Then ad-just your eating patternsaccordingly.

3. SnacksmarterWhile the number ofmeals you consumedoesn’t matter, the size

8

seconds and read the la-bel. You’re usually lookingfor something with 800 to1 250 kilojoules per serv-ing, about 15 to 20 gramsof protein, and with thesame amount of carbs asprotein (or less).

4. Eatmore,drink lessIf you’re like most men,you’ll find that you cancut your non-meal kilo-joules by more than 50%,according to the Amer-ican Journal of ClinicalNutrition. In fact, 65% ofAmericans indulge dai-ly in kilojoule-rich bever-ages, and it’s drinks likethese that are often thereal culprit behind weightloss struggles.Quick Fix: Stick to water,coffee, teas and kilojoule-free drinks to help keepyour slim-down plan ontrack. Remember that anysugary drink – whetherit’s a soft drink or a fruit

21Percent less likelymenwill experienceerectile dysfunctionif they exercise

the

absbenefit

of your snacks does. Ac-cording to Purdue Univer-sity researchers, snackshave become meals,and meals have becomefeasts. In the last 30years, snack sizes haveincreased from 1 050 to2 400kJ. That’s a whop-ping 1 350 extra kilo-joules per snack. Whenyou consider that the av-erage man snacks twicea day during the workday,you’re looking at about2 700 extra kilojoules perday. In just one week, twooversized healthy snacksper day can contribute toan 450g of fat.Quick Fix: The lean, nu-tritious snacks in themeal plan will help youcrush your cravings andwhittle down your waist.Your best bet is to use onehand to solve your crav-ings. If a portion doesn’tfit into your hand, then it’sprobably too much. If it’sa packaged food, take 10

9

six-pack secrets

juice – should be consid-ered the equivalent of adessert. And beer? Youcan indulge, but modera-tion is always key.

5. LiftweightsmoreoftenRunning may initially helpyou drop a few kilograms,but your progress will flatline as soon as your bodyadjusts to your exerciseregimen. Plus, runninglong distances on a reg-ular basis takes a physi-cal toll (in the form of in-juries, like runner’s knee),which can seriouslydampen your enthusiasm.Ultimately, all that painand boredom can causemany people to burn out.Quick Fix: Start liftingbodyweight and heavymetal. Just three days aweek of resistance train-ing will keep you burningkilojoules and will offerthe metabolic boost youneed to slash fat and turn

heads in whatever outfityou choose. Head to thegym three times a week,but don’t make the cardioyour first priority.

6. Lift heavierResearchers at Washing-ton University Schoolof Medicine in St. Louisdiscovered that the moreiron you lift, the morefat you burn. In fact, theresearchers found thatheavy weights burnmore kilojoules duringyour workout and thenincrease your sleepingmetabolism by 8%.Quick Fix:When youwork out, don’t be afraidto use bigger weightsonce you get more com-fortable and improveyour strength.

7. Eatmorefish (oil)University of Pennsylva-nia researchers foundthat omega-3 fatty ac-ids might be the secret

69Percent decrease indevelopment of type 2diabeteswhen youhave lower body fat

the

absbenefit

10

57Percent less likelymenwith lean bellies are todie of heart disease

the

absbenefit

ingredient to burning fatand gaining muscle atthe same time. The sci-entists believe that ome-ga-3s help fight againstcortisol – the stressyour body produces thatmakes it easier for youto store fat. By shuttingdown your cortisol pro-duction, you keep the ex-tra weight off your hips,thighs and stomach, andhave an easier time add-ing lean, kilojoule-shred-ding muscle.Quick Fix: Take fish oildaily. It doesn’t matterwhether it’s a supplementor a whole food sourcelike salmon or sardines.

8. LoaduponproteinEvery time you eat a mealand don’t consume pro-tein, you’re telling yourbody that you don’t wantto burn more kilojoules.Here’s why: protein helpscontrol your blood sugar,

keeps you fuller, reduceshunger, and burns morekilojoules during thedigestion process soyou can stay lean andstrong and still enjoyyour favourite foods.Also, it’s harder for pro-tein to be turned into fat.So if you’re ever going toovereat, protein is yourmeal of choice.Quick Fix: Carbs arenot evil. But when you eatthem alone, they set off aseries of events – such asa rise of insulin – that cansabotage your healthyeating habits and causeyou to crave more foodand store more fat. Sowhether you’re snackingor eating a meal, makesure to include someprotein – you’ll drop fatand defeat stress.

9.Don’t fear fatIn fact, the Institute ofMedicine recommendsthat fatty foods make

11

six-pack secrets

the latest research,about 30 to 40% ofyour daily kilojoulesshould come from fat.

10. Eatwith yourgymcrewPeople who work outtogether should eattogether. Eating withthose who have a similargoal helps you lose kilo-grams faster, accordingto a study in the journalObesity. Once again, it’sall mental. When you’rewith people who are alsotrying to lose weight, thesocial expectation createsa different attitude towardfood. It’s like weight lossosmosis. The shared goodintentions of your felloweaters rub off on you,and it makes the entiredietary process easier.Quick Fix: Try to makeplans with buddies on asimilar track to weightloss success, the supportwill help you.

12Percent less likelymenare to have a strokewhen they lower theirbody fat percentage

by just 2%

the

absbenefit

Find therest oFthe hardrules inTheMen’shealTh BigBook ofgeTTingaBs.

up 20 to 35% of yourtotal kilojoules, howeverthe fats you want toinclude in your diet areprimarily saturated fats– frommilk, red meatand pork products – andmonounsaturated fats(MUFAs) like nuts, avoca-dos and healthy oils. Areport published in theBritish Journal of Nutri-tion found that a MUFA-rich diet helped peoplelose small amountsof weight and body fatwithout changing theirkilojoule intakes. Evenbetter: fatty foods actu-ally improve your HDL(good) cholesterol, whichcan help to clear yourarteries and preventheart disease.Quick Fix: As long asyou are staying awayfrom fried foods, transfats and partially hydro-genated oils, the healthyfats you eat will makeyou leaner. According to

12

EatYourWaytoaSix-PackReveal your abs in just fourweekswith theworld’sgreatest (and simplest) hard-core eating planIf you want to experience success like never before, all you have to dois make these four simple rules your mantra and follow the four weekeating plan on the next few spreads. These four rules are the HardBody Rules – make them part of your daily routine and you’ll be theowner of a ripped midsection in no time.

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YourabsMealplan

HARDBODYRULE#1“I’ll lift heavyweights.”When it comes to weightloss, you can’t out-exer-cise a bad diet. But whenyou combine the bestworkout strategies withgood eating habits, youcan transform your bodyin ways you never thoughtimaginable. Need proof?Scientists at the Univer-sity of Connecticut foundthat dieters who liftedweights lost nearly 40%more fat than those whodid traditional cardio,even though the totalamount of exercise timewas the same.

HARDBODYRULE#2“I’ll eat greens.Every. Day.”Whether you prefer spin-ach, peppers, asparagusor exotic offerings like bokchoy, pack your plate highwith as many shades ofgreen and varieties as youlike. There are many ben-efits to going green but

the biggest, however, isweight loss. A study inthe American Journalof Clinical Nutrition foundthat men who includ-ed veggies in every mealwere able to eat 25%more food but lose overone kilogram. How? Veg-etables help you lose fatby keeping you more sat-isfied, so you’re less likelyto overeat. (And they alsohave fewer kilojoules.)Greens are low in kilo-joules, high in volume,and nutrient dense.

HARDBODYRULE#3“I’ll make proteinmywingman.”When you consider thatJohns Hopkins Universitylinked a high-protein dietto lower blood pressure,less body fat, better cho-lesterol levels, improvedtriglycerides, and the pre-vention of diabetes, obe-sity, and osteoporosis, it’sno wonder we’re in favourof protein. Your plan of at-tack: eat protein in every

meal and snack. Focusingon protein fights off hun-ger and makes your stom-ach unlikely to bulge sinceprotein is less likely to bestored as fat. That’s be-cause protein is harder todigest, so you burn morekilojoules just eating thefood. This process alsohelps ensure you eat less.

HARDBODYRULE#4“Iwill trade emptykilojoules for real carbs.”If there’s one “food group”you should limit on thisplan, it’s sugar. Your fix:eat more fruit. Fruit –nature’s sweet reward– provides plenty of carbsfor energy, but has lessimpact on your blood sug-ar than processed sweetsand other carbs. Ideally,the majority of your carbswill come from fruits.That doesn’t mean youwon’t have grains, beans,or other carbohydratesources and the occasion-al treat, but they will bea secondary source.

14

Week 14Weeks to AbsMondayMeal 11 cup plainyoghurt½ cup blueberries¼ cup slicedstrawberries

Meal 2170g sesame-crusted tunaserved over a bedof mixed greens,drizzled with bal-samic vinaigrette

Meal 3170-225g sirloinwith grilled babymarrows, onionand steamedspinach

SnacksBanana andalmonds2-3 hard-boiled eggs

TueSdayMeal 1Strawberry-banana proteinsmoothie

Meal 2170g bakedsalmon withpeach-mangosalsa1 cup melonSteamed spinach

Meal 3170-225g grilledchicken breast,cooked in oliveoil, topped with½ avocadoGrilled asparagusand squash

Snacks1 apple85g hard cheese

WedneSdayMeal 1Mexican eggs(3 eggs, choppedtomatoes, onions,spinach, redpeppers, ½ cupshredded cheese,¼ cup salsa)1 orange

Meal 2½ cup noodleswith 170gmince, roastedspinach andmushrooms

Meal 3Kebabs withchicken, onion,red and greenpeppersSpinach saladtopped with ½avocado

Snacks1 cup cottagecheeseAlmonds

ThurSdayMeal 12 slices whole-wheat toast2 tablespoonspeanut butter1 cup skimmilk

Meal 2170g grilledchicken withrocket, babyspinach, walnuts,cucumbers,mint leaves

Meal 3225g beef burgerwith sautéed redpeppers, onionsand mushrooms

SnacksHandful of biltong1 matchboxsized block ofmozzarella

1515

YourabsMealplan

FridayMeal 1Eggs and cheesesandwich(2 scrambledeggs, 1 slicemelted cheeseon rye bread)

Meal 2170g tuna steakmarinated in2 tbsp soyasauce, 2 tspwasabi, 1 tbsprice wine vinegarSide salad

Meal 3Beef chilli(225g lean mince,diced tomatoes,beans, freshchillies)

Snacks1 can of tunatopped with salsaWalnuts1 apple

SaturdayMeal 1Protein pancakes(Mix 1 scoop pro-tein powder with1 egg, ½ cup milk,½ cup oats, 1 tspsalt, 1 tsp bak-ing powder. Blendand pour in apan. Slice up 1cup strawberries,place on top)

Meal 2Tuna sandwich(1 can tuna, 2slices multigrainbread, ½ slicedavocado, 1 sliceCheddar cheese)

Meal 3170g chickenkebabs with pep-pers, onions andbaby marrows.

SnackProtein smoothie

SundayMeal 1Smoked salmonscrambled egss(3 eggs, ¼ slicedonion, 85g salm-on, capers)Grapefruit

Meal 2170g seared trouttopped with herbsand drizzled witholive oilSteamed broccoli

Meal 3225g grilledsalmon toppedwith lime, slow-roasted babytomatoes andbroccoliSpinach salad

Snacks1 cup ice cream1 cup mixedberries

4.5kilograms of fat

lost by high-protein dieters

who didn’texercise, over 16weeks, according

to Canadianresearchers

the

absbenefit

16

Week 2MondayMeal 13-egg omelettewith spinach,mushrooms,onions, peppers,and Cheddar½ cup oats withcinnamon

Meal 2170g grilledchicken breastsmarinated in2 tbsp teriyakisauce and 1 tbspwater, withroasted butternutand walnuts

Meal 3225g pork chopswith sweetpotatoes andbroccoli

Snacks1 cup plainyoghurt with ½cup blueberriesand blackberriesAlmonds

TueSdayMeal 12 rashers baconand 2 fried eggsGrapefruit

Meal 2Chicken fajitas(170g slicedchicken breast,onion, green andred peppers,1 jalapeño, freshcoriander, cumin,1 wholewheatwrap)

Meal 3225g salmonseasoned withsalt and pepperSide salad withcucumber,artichokes,broccoli, sproutsand tomatoes

SnackChocolate-peanut buttersmoothie

WedneSdayMeal 1Supercereal(cereal of choicewith more than3g of fibre,topped withsliced bananas)3 boiled eggs

Meal 2170g grilledsalmon witha spinach androcket salad

Meal 3Meatballs(225g extra leanground beef,1 clove garlic,¼ onion, ¼ cuptomato sauce)Grilled peppers,butternut.

Snacks1 cup plaincottage cheese½ sweet melonAlmonds

ThurSdayMeal 1½ cup oats,cinnamon,¼ cup raisins2-3 small chickensausages

Meal 2Chicken pad thai(¼ cup noodles,170g chicken,peas, carrots and¼ cup dicedpeanuts; add2 tsp spicy sauceand 2 tbsp soyasauce whenfinished cooking)

Meal 3120g grilledcalamari and120g grilledprawns servedover sautéedspinach andonions

SnacksHandful biltong

4Weeks to Abs

17

YourabsMealplan

FridayMeal 1Breakfast burrito(3 scrambledeggs, 1 whole-wheat wrap,cheese, 50gshredded chicken,tomato, onions,peppers, avocado)

Meal 2170g hake with½ cup butterbeans, gemsquash, anddiced onions

Meal 3Beef stir-fry(220g lean steak,spinach, peppers,onions, mush-rooms, sugarsnap peas, beansprouts, 2 tbspsoya sauce)

Snacks1 apple1 cup milk

962Kilojoulesmore per day that people eat onlow protein diets compared to their high-

protein counterparts, according toaustralian researchers

SaturdayMeal 1Protein berrysmoothie(2 scoops vanillaprotein powder,170ml skim milk,strawberries,blueberries,blackberries,1 cup spinach,4 ice cubes)

Meal 2Wrap (170gsliced chicken,peppers, olives,rocket, feta and¼ cup hummus)

Meal 3Seafood pastaSpaghetti with100g musclesand 100g prawnsSteamed peas

Snacks2 boiled eggs1 matchbox sizedblock of cheese

SundayMeal 1Mexican eggs(3 eggs, choppedtomatoes, onions,spinach, peppers,½ cup gratedcheese, ¼ cupsalsa)1 orange

Meal 2Tuna sandwich(1 can tuna,2 sliceswholewheatbread, ½ slicedavocado, 1 sliceCheddar cheese)

Meal 3225g Cajun-rubbed top sirloinwith grilled babymarrows, onionand steamedspinach

Snacks1 cup cottagecheeseAlmonds

18

Week3MondayMeal 1Power oats(½ cup oats,1 cup berries,1-2 scoopsprotein powder)1 cup skim milk

Meal 2Salmon salad(170g salmon,rocket, lettuce,cherry tomatoes,¼ cup pecans)

Meal 3Chicken stir-fry(170g chicken,peas, spinach,mushrooms,¼ cup peanuts)served over ½ cupbrown rice

SnacksAlmonds55g hard cheeseApple

TueSdayMeal 1Spicy omelette(3 eggs, 1 linkchicken sausage,spinach, 2 mush-rooms, 1 tbspgrated Cheddar,½ cup salsa)1 cup vegetablejuice

Meal 2Portobello andsalmon kebabsmixed with onionsand peppersSteamed spinachand cauliflower

Meal 3225g flank steakMixed salad withbaby spinach,carrots, cucumberand sprouts

SnacksChocolate milk1 banana

WedneSdayMeal 1Strawberry-banana proteinsmoothie

Meal 2Chicken Parmesan(170g chickenbreast, 1 tbspParmesan cheese,1 clove garlic,¼ cup tomatosauce, spinach)½ cup quinoa

Meal 3225g steak withchimichurri(1 tbsp water,2 tbsp red winevinegar, 2 mincedcloves garlic,1 tsp salt, groundred pepper, blackpepper, olive oil)

Snacks1 ½ cups grapes1 slice mozzarella85g ham, sliced

ThurSdayMeal 1Spinach, cheeseand mushroomomelette(3 eggs, ¼ cupCheddar, spinach,mushrooms)

Meal 2Tuna sandwich(1 can tuna,2 sliceswholewheatbread, ½ slicedavocado, 1 sliceCheddar)

Meal 3Chicken fajitas(225g slicedchicken, ½ cupbeans, ½ cupsalsa, ½ avo, anda small wrap)

Snacks1 cup cottagecheese1 cup slicedstrawberries

4Weeks to Abs

19

YourabsMealplan

FridayMeal 12 eggs2 rashers bacon1 cup mixedberries

Meal 21 hard-boiledegg, 85g slicedchicken, cherrytomatoes, smallhandful of slicedalmonds, lettuce,1 tsp rice winevinegar

Meal 3225g grilledchicken1 cup steamedspinach1 cup butternutAsparagus

SnacksHandful of biltong4 sticks of celerywith 1 tbsppeanut butter

SaturdayMeal 1Pineapple-bananasmoothie (1-2scoops vanillaprotein powder,170ml skim milk,½ cup pineapplechunks, 1 banana,1 tsp vanillaextract, 4 icecubes; blendand serve)

Meal 2170g chicken½ avocadoAsparagus andbaby marrows

Meal 3240g prawns,½ cup cookedquinoaSteamed broccoliand carrots

Snacks1 matchbox sizedblock of cheeseWalnuts

SundayMeal 11 cup plainyoghurt1 cup cherries2 boiled eggs

Meal 2170g beef burgeron a bed of wiltedspinach

Meal 3Fish wraps (225ghake, 2 wraps,¼ avo, 2 tsp salsa,½ cup lettuce,1 cup peppers,sliced onions)

SnacksBerry smoothie(120ml skim milk,120ml water,1 scoop vanillaprotein powder,½ cup blueber-ries, ½ cupstrawberries, ¼cup blackberries)

40Percent less likelymen are to dieof cancerwhenthey are at a

healthyweight

the

absbenefit

20

MondayMeal 12 servingsSmoked salmon,scrambled eggs,red onion, caperson toast

Meal 2Seafood pastaSpaghetti with240g prawnsSteamed peas

Meal 3Salmon burgerswith babyspinach onwholewheat rolls

SnackMixed fruitbreakfastsmoothie withone scoop vanillaprotein powder

TueSdayMeal 1Breakfast burrito(3 scrambledeggs, 1 whole-wheat wrap,cheese, 55gshredded chicken,tomato, onions,peppers, avo)

Meal 2Salmon salad(170g salmon,rocket, lettuce,cherry tomatoes,¼ cup pecans)

Meal 3170g chickenkebabs withpeppers, onions,and baby marrow

SnackBlueberryyoghurtsmoothie with1 scoop vanillaprotein powder

WedneSdayMeal 13-egg omelettewith spinach,mushrooms,onions, peppers,and Cheddar½ cup oatmealwith cinnamon

Meal 2170g hake with½ cup butterbeans, squash,and diced onions

Meal 3Fish wraps(225g hake,2 wraps, ¼ avo,2 tsp salsa,½ cup lettuce,1 cup peppers,sliced onions)

SnacksChocolate milk1 banana

ThurSdayMeal 1Spinach and fetafrittata(4 eggs, 4 eggwhites, onion,1 cup feta, 500gspinach, garlic,basil, lemon zest)

Meal 2170g chicken½ avocadoAsparagus andbaby marrow

Meal 3Beef, vegeta-ble, and almondstir-fry(500g steak,sliced, ½ cup rice,2 carrots, 1 redpepper, 225g snappeas, 3 tbsp al-monds)

SnackChocolate-peanutbutter smoothie

Week44Weeks to Abs

21

YourabsMealplan

FridayMeal 1Peanut butterstrawberry wrap(2 tbsp crunchypeanut butter,½ cup strawber-ries, 1 whole-wheat wrap)

Meal 2Tuna sandwich(1 can tuna,2 slices multi-grain bread, ½sliced avocado, 1slice Cheddar)

Meal 3Chicken withwalnuts andspinach(120g chicken,1 cup babyspinach, 1 cupchopped walnuts)

Snacks1 apple2 boiled eggs

SaturdayMeal 12 rashers baconand 2 fried eggsGrapefruit

Meal 2170g sesame-crusted tunaserved over a bedof mixed greens,drizzled with bal-samic vinaigrette

Meal 3170-225ggrilled chickenbreast, cookedin olive oil, toppedwith ½ avocadoGrilled asparagusand gem squash

SnackStrawberry-banana proteinsmoothie

SundayMeal 1Egg and cheesesandwich(3 scrambledeggs and1 slice meltedcheese placedon a toastedEnglish muffin)

Meal 2Wrap with 170gsliced chicken,peppers, olives,rocket, feta and¼ cup hummus

Meal 3240g prawns,½ cup cookedquinoaSteamed broccoliand carrots

Snacks1 cup cottagecheeseAlmonds

40Percent less likelymen are to developarthritis of the hipsor knees when they

drop 2.25kg ofbelly fat

the

absbenefit

22

Thebestabsworkoutevercreated

TheWarrior’sWorkoutMartinRooney,the creator of

theTraining forWarriors system,spent 15 yearscreating “hur-

ricane training”,aworkout thatstimulates the

cardio demands ofa fightwhile stillbuildingmuscleand burning fat

PERFORM THISwORkOuT 3DAYS AwEEk, resting a least a daybetween each session. Each hurricaneconsists of three rounds: a round isthree sets of three exercises, per-formed back-to-back with only a shortperiod between movements. Onceyou’ve done all 3 sets, that’s 1 round,and you rest for two minutes betweenrounds. You’ll need a treadmill for eachround, and make sure you don’t startout too fast or with too high a gradient.This is a category one hurricane, thereare three types in The Men’s HealthBig Book of Getting Abs, increasing indifficulty from category one to three.

23

thewarrior’sworkout

Perform the following three exercises as a circuit. That is, after you completeone set of the first exercise, immediately move to the next. After you’ve com-pleted one set of each exercise, rest as little as possible (no rest, if you can)and then start the process over. You’ll complete the circuit a total of threetimes. After you finish the third set, rest for two minutes and then moveon to the next round. Follow the same pattern for all three rounds.

ExErcisE sEts rEps rest

1A Treadmill: 14km/h at 10% grade 3 20seconds 0

1B Knee-Grab Sit-up 3 10 0

1C Knee to Elbow Push-up 3 10 0

1B Knee-Grab sit-UpA) Lie on your back with your legs straightand arms at your sides, keeping yourelbows bent at 90 degrees.B) Perform a sit-up. As you sit up, bringyour knees toward your chest and try tograb just below your kneecaps. Lower yourbody to the starting position and repeat.

roUnd 1:

24

thewarrior’sworkout

1C Knee toElbow Push-UpA) Begin in the standardpush-up position withyour body forming astraight line from yourankles to your shoulders.B) Bring your right kneeto your left elbow, andpause before returningyour leg to the startingposition.C) Now lower your bodyas you would for astandard push-up.D) Push back to thestarting position andrepeat, this time bring-ing your left knee toyour right elbow.

25

ExErcisE sEts rEps rEst

2A Treadmill: 16km/h at 10% grade 3 20seconds 0

2B Med Ball Single-Leg Kick 3 8 0

2C Plyo Push-up 3 10 0

2B Med Ballsingle-Leg KickA) Hold a medicine ballin both hands, and lieface up on the floorwith your legs and armsstraight. Your armsshould be straight abovethe top of your head.B) In one movement,lift your torso and oneof your legs, and try totouch your toesC) Lower your body backto the starting position,and repeat with yourother leg.

round 2:

26

2C Plyo Push-UpA) Assume a push-upposition. Then lower yourbody until your chestnearly touches the floor.B) Press yourself up sothat your hands leave thefloor. “Land” back in thestart position, lower yourbody and repeat.

ExErCisE sEts rEPs rEst

3A Treadmill: 16.5km/h at 10% grade 3 20seconds 0

3B Med Ball Russian Twist 3 50 0

3C Push-up 3 10 0

roUnd 3:

27

3B Med BallRussian TwistA) Sit on the floor with yourknees bent and your feet flat.Hold a medicine ball, with yourarms straight out in front ofyour chest. Lean back so yourtorso is at a 45-degree angleto the floor.B) Brace your core androtate to the right as far asyou can. Pause, then reverseyour movement and twist allthe way back to the left as faras you can.

3C Push-UpA) Get on all fours and placeyour hands on the floor slightlywider than and in line with yourshoulders. Your body shouldform a straight line from yourankles to your shoulders.B) Lower your body until yourchest nearly touches the floor,making sure that you tuckyour elbows close to the sidesof your torso. Pause, thenpush yourself back to thestarting position.

thewarrior’sworkout

28

Threemoves toadd toyour trainingplan

Core to thePower of 3

If you do hun-dreds of crunches

daily toworktowards your six-pack, you’re doingitwrong. Stick tocompoundmoves

in a total bodyworkout, and addthese devastatingcoremoves for a

rippedmidsection

IT’S SIMPLE. The sit-upand crunch had their day,now it’s all about the core.To get that lean, ripplingcover model look, youshouldn’t just focus on theabs that you can see, youneed to work your wholecore (as well as the restof your body in a compre-hensive total body workoutprogramme). Add thesemoves to your currentworkout, doing three sets often for each. There are threehere, ranging from beginnerlevel to advanced.

29

Core powermoves

1. HangingLeg RaiseA) Grab a chin-up barwith an overhand,shoulder-width grip andhang from the bar withyour knees slightly bentand feet together.

B) Simultaneously bendyour knees, raise yourhips, and curl your lowerback underneath youas you lift your thighstoward your chest.Pause when the frontsof your thighs reach yourchest, then slowly low-er your legs back to thestarting position.

30

2. Tall KneelingKettlebell HaloA) Sit on your knees withyour body upright andyour core tight. Hold akettlebell in both handswith the bottom of thebell facing the ceiling.

B) Your elbows should bebent about 90 degreesand your hands in frontof you. In one movement,move the kettlebell in acircular fashion aroundyour head while keepingyour elbows bent. Keepyour core tight and try toavoid any movement inyour upper body.

C) Make sure you stay astall as possible, squeezeyour glutes, and makethe rotation as tight aspossible by keeping thebell close to your body.Continue until you com-plete all reps.

Core powermoves

31

3. Stability BallStir the PotA) Assume a plankposition with your fore-arms on a stability ball.Your body should forma straight line from yourshoulders to your ankles.Squeeze your abs andglutes as hard as you can.B) Use your forearmsto move the ball in smallcircles while keeping therest of your body in theoriginal position.C) Make one circle mov-ing to the right and thenone to the left. That’sone rep.