Beat Belly Bulge

Beginner: Reach Up

Targets obliques, abs

• Lie faceup on the floor, with legs extended and arms at sides, ankles crossed.
• Keeping your shoulders down and your lower body still, engage your abs and reach your right hand up and across the center of your body.
• Hold for a few seconds, then lower.
• Repeat with left arm. Do 12 reps on each side.

Beginner: Standing Side Crunch

Targets obliques, glutes

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, abs engaged and knees slightly bent.
• Lift your right leg, bending knee 90 degrees and turning thigh out to side.
• Place both hands behind your head and crunch your right elbow to right knee 15 times.
• Switch legs and repeat.

Beginner: Woodchop with Dumbbell

Targets shoulders, abs, obliques, glutes, quads, hamstrings

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a 5-pound dumbbell in front of your torso with both hands.
• Engage your abs, keep shoulders down, and squat, bringing dumbbell toward right foot.
• Stand up, using your abs and glutes, while lifting dumbbell diagonally across your body to left shoulder.
• Repeat 12 times; switch sides (starting to left) and repeat.

Intermediate: Windshield Wipers

Targets obliques

• Lie faceup on the floor with arms out to sides, legs extended and abs engaged.
• Place a folded towel between your knees. Bend knees 90 degrees and raise legs so calves are parallel with floor.
• Keep legs together as you lower them to the left side.
• Return to center, then twist to the right.
• Do 12 reps on each side.

Intermediate: Plank with Twist

Targets back, abs, obliques

• Get into plank position with forearms on the floor, abs engaged, back straight and toes tucked under.
• Twist your entire lower body (from the torso down) to the right, keeping your arms, shoulders, and head still, legs and feet together.
• Hold for 5 seconds, then return to center.
• Repeat, twisting to the left.
• Do 12 times on each side.

Intermediate: Woodchop in Lunge

Targets shoulders, abs, glutes, quads, hamstrings

• Stand with feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in front of your torso with both hands.
• Engage your abs, keep feet facing forward, and bend your right knee into a lunge, bringing dumbbell down to your right foot.
• Pull through left hip to rise, and lift dumbbell above your body on the left side.
• Do 12 times; switch sides (lunging to left) and repeat.

Advanced: Side Plank Rotation

Targets obliques, glutes, quads

• Begin in full push-up position (legs extended, abs engaged, wrists under shoulders).
• Slowly rotate body to the right, lifting right arm toward ceiling and bringing right leg behind you.
• Push your hips up high, away from floor, keeping both feet grounded.
• Lower back to push-up position; then rotate to left.
• Do 3 reps on each side.

Advanced: Reverse Crunch with Swivel

Targets abs, obliques

• Lie faceup on floor with legs extended toward ceiling.
• Engage your abs and lift your hips, keeping legs and heels together.
• Swivel legs to the left, drop a few inches, then raise and swivel back to the center.
• Lower hips, then lift and repeat, swiveling to the right this time.
• Do 20 reps, continuing to alternate sides.

Advanced: Lateral Stretch

Targets shoulders, obliques, abs, glutes, quads, hamstrings

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
• Lunge to the left, keeping left knee over ankle and right leg straight.
• Bend right elbow, bringing dumbbell to shoulder.
• With back straight and abs engaged, lower torso to left and extend right arm toward ceiling.
• Slowly return to start position.
• Switch sides; repeat. Do 12 reps on each side.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, April 2007.