The stuff coming down from the exercise eggheads in physiology labs shows that you can make big gains with a relatively small investment of pain and time. If the old rules have left you fat and tired, it's time for some replacements. For a new you... 
 
Make your abs a priority 
A study of more than 8,000 Canadians found that, over 13 years, those with the weakest abdominal muscles had over double the death rate of those with the strongest. Our theory: a man who has his abs in balance has won the fat war. 
Follow the rule: Athletes who do abdominal and lower-back exercises on an exercise ball have been shown to have far better midsection strength and overall balance than those who do crunches and back extensions on the floor. So get on the ball. 
20 minutes, twice a week 
That's all it takes for a major health upgrade, says exercise researcher Bert Jacobson. He examined the absentee records of 79,000 workers and found that those who did a little exercise had fewer sick days than inactive men. And here's the really good bit: the twice weekly exercisers saw the same health gains as those who worked out a lot more. "You don't have to bust a gut to get benefits," Jacobson says. 
Follow the rule: If you're not exercising at all, schedule two brisk 20-minute walks a week. Or make that four brisk 10-minute walks. You can achieve the same results with 10-minute chunks of exercise that you can with longer sessions. Just keep the total exercise time the same. 
 
Change your body by changing speeds 
Simply running faster for a minute, then going a little slower for a minute, helps you lose weight faster than moving at a steady pace, according to a study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. After 10 weeks, those who changed speeds lost more weight and more fat. 
Follow the rule: Gradually increase your running speed to one you think you can maintain for 20 minutes or so. Go slightly faster than that pace for a minute, then run a minute at a slightly slower speed. Continue for about 20 minutes, then cool down for 5 minutes. In no time you'll be donating trousers to the Home for Middle-Aged Fat Runners. 
If you hate to jog, don't 
Despite the benefits of aerobic exercise, you can reach the same goals through weight-lifting and a healthy diet, with a few added dividends: bigger, stronger bones and muscles, less fat, a faster metabolism. In fact, one session of heavy lifting can increase a man's metabolism for the next 48 hours. (Following moderate aerobic exercise, metabolism goes back to normal after half an hour.) 

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