Sculpt And Shred Your Core

	This series of abs exercises can double as a total-body warmup. Try it at the start of your lifting workout to loosen your back muscles and strengthen important core muscles, such as your obliques, hip flexors, and rectus abdminis (the six-pack muscle). You’ll also increase bloodflow to your arms and your legs, to prepare them for a great workout. In each exercise, focus on keeping your arms straight at all times. If you do, the medicine ball will feel heavier as you move from one exercise to the next – meaning your abs have to work with your shoulders and biceps to hold the weight away from your body. Do these exercises as a circuit, moving from one to the next without resting. Do two or three circuits with six-seconds rest between circuits. YOUR MUSCLES IN MOTION A RECTUS ABDOMINIS You might want a six-pack, but the rectus abdominis is actually made up of four sections and a tendon called the linea alba that divides them into two parts – creating an eight-pack. B OBLIQUES Forget the fallacy that building your obliques will give you a wider-looking waist. Strong obliques help you rotate your torso with more force, allowing you to be more active and burn more calories in any sport. C HIP FLEXORS For many men, the psoas – a core muscle that attaches to your upper thigh – is both tight and weak, which is why moves like the lunge lift are essential. It stretches and strengthens your hip flexors. 1 STRAIGHT-ARM ROTATION Stand on your right leg and hold a medicine ball with your arms extended in front of you. Raise your left knee so it’s bent 90 degrees, thigh parallel to the floor. Keeping your arms straight, turn your shoulders to the right until you’re facing the other side. Do 10 repetitions, then switch legs and do another 10. 2 SINGLE-LEG SQUAT CHOP Stand on your left foot holding a medicine ball with arms extended above and to the left of your left shoulder. Bend at the hips and knees to lower your body into a squat. As you drop, bring the ball down towards your right foot. Then explosively push back up and lift the ball overhead to the starting position. Finish 10 reps on your left leg before switching to your right leg for 10 more. 3 LUNGE LIFT Start in a modified lunge position with both knees bent 90 degrees and your right knee on the floor. Hold the ball down in front of you with straight arms. Stand up quickly, lifting the ball as high as you can. Raise your right leg off the floor and up until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause for a second, then slowly lower your body and the ball. Do 10 reps with your left leg forward, then 10 with your right leg forward.