's MOTD Wed 4/19/06 Sit-ups

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's Daily MessageWednesdayApril 19, 2006

FLAT

The first time I saw someone do a sit-up, I thought they were having some kind of an attack! He just kept bobbing up and down and had a horrible and painful look on his face. Later I found out what they were called, and right then and there, I swore I would never do them.

Oh, boy, was I wrong, because I love sit-ups! If you do them, you will have tighter and stronger abdominal muscles. Gone are the straight leg or bent leg sit-ups where you came all the way up, which totally wrenched your back, and in their place are a series of crunches approved by AFAA and the ACSM. While your heart needs 45 minutes to an hour daily to stay healthy, your abs only need just a few minutes of working out daily, and yes, I said daily!

I do them right after I do my stretches in the morning. I lie on the floor with my knees bent and put my hands behind my head. I first do front crunches and then my obliques, which are the sides of your abs. Then I make my sit-ups more challenging by lifting my legs while I am crunching. The most important thing I remember is to use my abs while I`m lifting and not jerking on my neck.

When I first began doing sit-ups, I could only do a few because those muscles were so weak, but the more I did them, the more toned my abs got. If you stop doing your crunches for a while and then decide to start again, you may find it difficult to get back in the groove, because your ab muscles become mush again. That`s why you can`t stop doing them!

My last sit-up routine is included in the new Totally Tonin` DVD. It`s 5 minutes long and very thorough.

A lot of people think if you do your crunches, you will eventually have a flat stomach. Well, that is partially true. Along with your ab workout, you need to eat healthy. When you put on weight, you put on a lot in the tummy area, and when you have a belly, it`s more difficult to see your abs under your skin. But once you start eating less calories and fat grams and that belly goes down, your abs will emerge.

I know I ask you to do a lot. It`s because I think you deserve living in the best body you can create for yourself. Try to get your crunches in every day, and before you know it, you`ll be in 6-pack heaven!

Love,