How To Develop A Tapered Waistline by Dr. Robert Osgoodby

short movement and you don't want to come all the way up.

Through the entire exercise, your lower back should remain firmly

on the floor. Most gyms also have several exercise machines that

mimic the motion of the forward crunch and focus on those upper

rectus abdominus muscles.

Leg Raises are a great exercise for the lower rectus abdominus.

Leg raises can be done in a variety of positions including

sitting, hanging or lying on your back. Most gyms have a leg

raise chair or machine. If they don't, lay on your back on the

lying hamstring machine, tuck your feet under the leg pads and

bring your knees up to your chest. This exercise can also be

done on the floor or on a sit-up board without using weight.

Another great exercise for the lower section of the RA is seated

leg tucks. This is a sitting variation of the leg raise. Sit at

the end of a weight bench with your knees bent and legs hanging

over the end. Bring your knees up toward your chest.

The obliques are the muscles that help you bend from side to side

and rotate the torso. When people speak about love handles, they

are usually speaking about fat deposits in the oblique area. A

great way to train your obliques is using side crunches on a

hyperextension bench. Tuck your feet and lower legs under the

leg pad so that your left hip is down and level with the top of

the hyperextension bench. Clasp your hands behind your head and

bend at the waist as far as you can towards the floor. Next

raise your upper body upwards as high as you can (pivoting at the

waist) and contract the muscles in your waist concentrating on

contracting the obliques on the right. Don't forget to switch

positions and train the muscles on the left side.

You can train your serratus and intercostal muscles using a

modified version of the side crunch. Instead of pivoting at the

waist, use a shorter seesaw motion and pivot higher at the level

just below your armpit. This motion places a higher

concentration on the intercostal and serratus muscles, rather

than the obliques.

You can also train your obliques, intercostals, and serratus

using seated twists with a broomstick behind your neck. These

can be done on a hyperextension bench or sit-up board. Tuck your

feet under the lower leg pad, lean back at approximately a 45

degree angle and twist at the waist from side to side in a rotary

fashion.

Hyperextensions are a great exercise to develop the muscles in

your lower back. They are much safer than Good Mornings using

free weight. The lower back is one of the most ignored muscle

groups when it comes to waist training, but the results

hyperextensions produce are well worth the extra effort. They

really help narrow your waist and finish the product.

To have a great waist your diet is also a big piece to the

puzzle. You can have rock hard, well developed abs, but if their

hidden underneath a layer of fat, they can't be seen. No matter

how hard you train, your abs will never be visible and impressive

unless you get your body fat percentage low enough. A low fat,

calorie restricted diet will help finish the package and bring

everything together.

Another great abdominal tool is the AbRoller. This neat piece of

equipment makes sure you are using proper form, takes the stress

of your lower back and can be purchased at any sporting goods

store for less than $100.00. Most gyms and health clubs have

several of them. The AbRoller comes with a videotape which shows

you exactly how to use it for forward crunches, leg lifts, and

side crunches. I personally use it and highly recommend it

especially if you are a novice or suffer with lower back pain.

Last but not least, there are many good ab specific exercise

video tapes like "8 Minute Abs" and "Abs Of Steel." These

programs can all be done in the comfort of your own home - all

you need is a VCR. Many aerobic exercise tapes also have an ab

program at the end of the tape.

The following is a sample intermediate/advanced program for

training your waist:

Forward Crunches - 4 sets to muscle failure

Leg Raises - 4 sets to muscle failure

Side Crunches - 4 sets to muscle failure

Seated Twists - 4 sets to muscle failure

Hyperextensions - 4 sets to muscle failure

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BIO:

Dr. Osgoodby was a finalist in the "EAS Body for Life" Contest.
Stop by his web page at bestbodyever.com to see his before
and after pictures and subscribe to his monthly newsletter.

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