This eight-week ab-building programme, designed by Michael Mejia, CSCS, works your entire midsection-not just the six-pack muscle (rectus abdominis, a la Shah Rukh Khan), but also your obliques (at the sides of your waist) and your lower back. So whether you're bending, twisting or leaping, these exercises ensure that you and your abs will perform better and last longer. And, on those occasions when you'll need to remove your shirt, while bending, twisting or leaping, your hardworking, multitasking abdominal muscles will make that a painless experience, too. 

The muscle group 
1 Rectus abdominis 
2 External obliques 

THE REST OF YOUR WORKOUT 
Do the abdominal exercises first in your workout. After that, it's up to you how to fit in exercises for other muscle groups. Here are some suggestions. 
Do a total-body workout 2 or 3 times a week. After you finish your abdominal exercises, you can try 1 set of 8 to 12 repetitions of the following exercises: Beginner 
Do a total-body workout 2 or 3 times a week. After you finish your abdominal exercises, you can try 1 set of 8 to 12 repetitions of the following exercises: 
1. Lat pulldown 
2. Squat or leg press 
3. Leg curl 
4. Dumbbell chest press 
5. Cable or dumbbell row 
6. Cable triceps extension 
7. Dumbbell biceps curl 

Intermediate 
Divide your programme into two workouts, one for your upper body and one for your lower body. Perform your abdominal exercises on the day you do your lower-body workout. 
Alternate between the two workouts, taking a day off after each. 
Upper-body workout Choose one exercise each for chest, back, biceps and triceps. Do 2 or 3 sets of the chest and back exercises and 1 or 2 sets of the exercises for the arms. 
Lower-body workout After doing the abdominal programme in this installment, choose one "hipdominant" lift-an exercise that emphasises the hamstrings and gluteals (examples include stepups and deadlifts). Then choose one "kneedominant" exercise, meaning the emphasis is on the quadriceps muscles of the front of the thigh (squats, leg presses and lunges qualify). Do 2 or 3 warmup sets and 2 work sets. (A work set means you're using the most weight you can for that number of repetitions. The warmup sets should be percentages of that weight-maybe 40, 60 and 80 per cent. Do fewer repetitions in each warmup set). Add your choice of calf exercises. Advanced 

Divide your workout into four parts. Do each one once a week; don't work out more than two days in a row 
1. Shoulders and arms 
2. Abdominal and knee-dominant exercises (described above), plus calves 
3. Chest and back 
4. Abdominal and hip-dominant exercises (also above), plus calves again 

YOUR WORKOUT STARTS HERE BEGINNER 
If you're new to weightlifting or are returning to it after a long layoff, consider yourself a beginner. Do the four beginner exercises for four weeks, followed by the intermediate exercises on the next page for weeks 5 through 8. 
Weeks 1-2: 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions of each exercise except the bridge 
Weeks 3-4: 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions 
Weeks 5-8: Do the intermediate programme on the next page 

Bridge 
1 Start to get into a pushup position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. 
2 Pull your abdominals in; imagine you're trying to move your belly button back to your spine. Hold this for 20 to 30 seconds, breathing steadily. 
3 Release, then repeat for another 20 to 30 seconds. That equals 2 complete sets. As you build endurance, you can do 1 set of 60 seconds instead of 2 shorter ones. 

Russian twist 
1 Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet fl at. Hold your arms straight out in front of your chest with your palms facing down. Lean back so your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. 
2 Twist to the left as far as you can, pause, then reverse your movement and twist all the way back to the right as far as you can. As you get stronger, hold a light weight in your hands as you do the movement.
.....Back

KNOW YOUR MUSCLES 
Your chest is composed of two muscle groups-the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor 
1. The pectoralis major, the larger layer and the one lying closer to the skin, is divided into three parts: the clavicular, which starts high at the collar bone; the abdominal, which originates at your external oblique muscles; and the sternocostal, which starts at the breast bone. Each stretches across your chest in a fan shape, starting wide at the centre, then tapering at the side to the top of the humerus-your upper arm bone. 
2. The pectoralis minor is a thinner, more triangular muscle that lies beneath the pectoralis major. It starts along the third, fourth and fifth ribs and stretches to connect to the shoulder blade. Together, the pecs let you rotate your upper arms as well as flex the shoulder joints. 
THE PAYOFF 
A knockout punch: The chest's primary objective is to move the arms forward, so developing pectoral strength helps you deliver more energy into your target.
A stronger swing: A more powerful chest adds more power to your game. Forehand strokes in tennis and throws in basketball rely on strong chest muscles for velocity, in addition to your core musculature. 
Winning edge: Stronger chest muscles make it easier to push off opponents in any contact sport, whether your game is football, basketball or martial arts. Just don't let them elbow you in the chest, genius. 
And... better sex: A bigger, stronger chest will fill out your shirt in a way that women will want to quickly remove that shirt. You'll be able to support yourself longer in the missionary position and let her admire your pecs.
.....Back