Chapter List

• Introduction
• Achilles Tendon
• Adrenal Glands
• Ankles
• Appendix
• Arteries
• Back
• Belly Button
• Birth Control
• Birthmarks
• Bladder
• Blood
• Body Hair
• Body Type
• Brain
• Breasts
• Cervix
• Childbirth
• Chin
• Circulatory System
• Clitoris
• Collarbone
• Digestive System
• Ears
• Elbows
• Emotions
• Endocrine System
• Energy
• Esophagus
• Eyes
• Fallopian Tubes
• Fat
• Feet
• Fertility
• Fingernails
• Gallbladder
• Gums
• Gynecological Exam
• Hair
• Hands
• Heart
• Hips
• Hormones
• Intestines
• Jaw
• Joints
• Kidneys
• Knees
• Larynx and Vocal Cords
• Lips
• Liver
• Lungs
• Lymphatic System
• Medical Tests
• Menopause
• Menstrual Cycle
• Moles
• Mouth
• Muscular System
• Neck
• Nervous System
• Nose
• Nutrition
• Ovaries
• Pain Relief
• Pancreas
• Pelvis
• Pregnancy
• Rectum
• Reproductive System
• Respiratory System
• Ribs
• Salivary Glands
• Scalp
• Sex
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Shins
• Shoulders
• Sinuses
• Skeletal System
• Skin
• Skull
• Spine
• Spleen
• Stomach
• Stress
• Sweat Glands
• Tailbone
• Tear Ducts
• Teeth
• Throat
• Thyroid
• Toenails
• Tongue
• Tonsils
• Underarms
• Urinary System
• Urine
• Uterus
• Vagina
• Veins
• Vulva
• Wrists
• Shaping Up
• The Total Body Shaping Workoout
• Abdominals
• Biceps
• Buttocks
• Calves
• Chest
• Forearms
• Neck3
• Shoulders3
• Thighs
• Triceps
• Aerobic Conditioning

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Abdominals

Abdominals

Here are the first of the optional toning exercises that can be added to the Total Body-Shaping Workout or substituted for exercises in that workout.

Outside the belly, you have four abdominal

Figure 16

muscles that demand attention. They include the long rectus abdominis, running from the lower border of the rib cage to the crotch, and the oblique muscles, located along the sides of the torso. In the Total Body-Shaping Workout, the abdominal crunch and the rotating crunch are good ways to start toning this area.

Remember, these exercises are a little more vigorous than those in the previous workout. Be sure to follow the directions closely and to stop if you feel strain or pain in any area. Also, be aware that while toning will firm the abdominal muscles, aerobic exercise will burn off the coat of fat that covers them.

Equipment: exercise mat (can substitute a rug or folded blanket).

Full Crunch

Lie on your back and lift your legs up and off the floor, with your knees bent, your ankles crossed and your calves parallel to the floor. Put your fingers behind your ears and aim your elbows toward your knees. Curl up your torso, bringing your knees and elbows toward each other until they touch at the top of the lift (Figure 16). (You may find it easier to raise your shoulders off the floor if you shoot your extended arms past your knees and toward your feet as you rise.) Lift your hips and shoulders off the floor as you tighten your abdominals. Hold the crunch for a few seconds, then slowly lower to the starting position. Start with two sets of eight repetitions each and work your way up to three sets of ten repetitions each. (Note: Be careful not to yank or pull yourself up by your neck or head.)

Reverse Sit-Up

Lie on your back, with your arms flat by your sides

Figure 17

and your palms down. To start, bend your knees and raise your legs so that your thighs are vertical (Figure 17).

Then raise your buttocks off the floor, keeping your knees bent and bringing them toward your chest as your hips rotate upward (Figure 18). (When you first do this exercise,

Figure 18

you may push down with your hands to help get your hips off the floor and your knees close to your chest.) Return to the starting position.

Be sure to rest for a second or two before you repeat the exercise. But don't lower your feet to the floor until you've finished four or five repetitions in your beginning set. (Remember: You are using your abdominal muscles, not momentum, to contract and pull your lower body toward your chest.)

Once you become proficient at doing reverse sit-ups with your arms down at your sides, do them with your arms stretched above your head on the floor to give your lower abdominals the maximum workout. Increase the number of repetitions until you get to 20, then gradually add a second set of 30 to 40 repetitions.