Excerpt
from Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly, Boy Shorts Bottom: Tighten and Tone Your Body in as Little as 10 Minutes a Day
by Minna Lessig
Lying Side Bend
This move creates a trim, tight waistline you'll want to show off in low-rise jeans. It chisels the abdominal muscles, particularly the rectus abdominis and obliques.
Sets and Reps
Beginner: 1 to 2 sets, 10 to 15 repetitions per side
Intermediate: 2 to 3 sets, 10 to 15 repetitions per side
Advanced: 3 sets, 10 to 15 repetitions per side
Starting Position
Lie on your right side. Stack your hips and shoulders. Place your hands behind your head with your fingertips touching but not interlaced and your elbows pointing forward. Rest your head on your arm.
The Move
Using your abdominals, lift your head and right shoulder as high off the floor as you can. Return to the starting position to complete 1 repetition. Repeat to complete 10 to 15 repetitions, then switch sides to complete 1 set.
Focus on Form
v Align your head and spine throughout the move.
v Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears.
v Keep your shoulders and hips stacked throughout the move.
At Home/At the Gym
At Home: Perform the Side Plank (see page 150) in the modified position. Lie the floor on your right side. Raise your hips off the floor and support your weight on your right forearm and right foot,
with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and your forearm perpendicular to your body. Your body should be completely
off the floor and form one long, straight line from your head to your heels. From
this position, lower your right hip to the floor, then, using your obliques, lift your body again into one long, straight line. Repeat
until you complete your reps, then switch sides to complete 1 set.
At the Gym: Perform the move on a stability ball with your feet pressed flat against the wall for added support and balance.
Beginner
Instead of placing your hands behind your head, place your left palm flat on the floor in front of your chest to help you lift your shoulder off the floor.
Intermediate
From the starting position, bend your bottom (right) knee but leave your top (left) leg extended. Then perform the move.
Advanced
Perform the Intermediate version of this move, but lift your left leg 6 to 12
inches off the floor as you lift your right shoulder.
Minna Says
We are never given dreams without also being given the power to make them reality.
Use Your Head
As you perform each repetition, imagine that a rope tied around your torso is lifting it up while your
hips and legs remain on the floor.
Breathwork
Exhale as you lift your shoulder off the floor. Inhale as you lower yourself into the starting position.
Suggested Stretch
Static:
Spinal Twist (page 31)
Reprinted from: Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly, Boy Shorts Bottom: Tighten and Tone Your Body in as Little as 10 Minute a Day by Minna Lessig © 2007 Minna Lessig. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling at (800) 848-4735.