We crave them, we obsess about them, and we’re constantly holding them in. We’re talking about abs, of course. But do you realize that it would be impossible to have fantastic abs without the low back muscles playing a big role too? Surely by now you’ve heard about “core training.” The basic theory is that if you train your core or trunk muscles (your abdominals and low back) you will improve strength, stability, and possibly power. That’s because the power that generates Venus Williams’s lethal serve comes from the center of her body and transfers out to her arms. Think about this: many “accidental” injuries and overuse injuries can trace their origins back to poor trunk control and strength. If your core is not strong and you perform high level activities like deadlifting a toddler or lifting weights in the gym, you may be putting stress on muscles that are smaller, weaker, and mechanically disadvantaged to perform those movements. That’s why I’m going to give you a routine that will incorporate both muscle groups for a strong and sexy total midsection.

Routine
When I train my clients I like to be quick and efficient. I want to challenge their cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems simultaneously. I want them to work hard, but also smart. That’s why I feel that supersets are a fantastic training principle. The Weider System of Bodybuilding defines the basic superset as a “grouping of two exercises for antagonist muscle groups (abs and low back) with as little rest as possible between the exercises and a 30-60 second rest between supersets.” This fast training will surely increase your metabolic rate and promote fat loss. Supersetting the abdominals and low back muscles will also incorporate the core training philosophy, as will performing many of the exercises on a stability ball. A recent study showed that performing curl-up exercises on a ball increased abdominal muscle activity and placed a higher demand on the motor control system than curl-ups on a stable surface. It also appeared to increase external oblique muscle activity more than that of other abdominal muscles. Curl-ups on balls change both the level of muscle activity and the way that the muscles coactivate to stabilize the spine and the whole body.

Set, Rep and Weight Recommendations
Within the descriptions for each exercise, you will find helpful hints for progressions from a beginner, to intermediate, to advanced. However if the exercises are new to you, even if you are an advanced exerciser, you should consider yourself a beginner at least for the first time. Technique, balance, and control are very important with the exercises we’ve selected, and quality is always better than quantity. Start with a typical bodybuilding routine for muscular hypertrophy of 3-4 sets per exercise and 8-12 reps. For your first time choose the least amount of sets and reps (3 sets and 8 reps) and work your way up from there. First increase the reps until you are performing 3 sets of 12 reps, then add an additional set of 8 reps and go up from there. Look to add weight to the exercises when 4 sets of 12 reps is no longer challenging. Although some feel that the core muscles need to be trained with more reps because they are endurance muscles, I say train for hypertrophy (growth) and strength and then use the muscles all day long for endurance. In other words, training for hypertrophy will increase your muscle mass and metabolic rate and give you a six-pack, and you can use that new-found muscle all day long by contracting it and using proper body mechanics when bending over to pick up groceries or sitting tall at your computer desk. The abdominal muscles are the same as any other muscle and should only be trained at the maximum once every 48 hours. But you can work on them and your low back daily by contracting them constantly.

Tips and Advice
1. Keep your abs pulled in tight with every rep for abs and low back.
2. Keep your neck, head, and shoulders in alignment by having a training partner watch you or by taking a quick glance in the mirror.
3. Maintain control of your muscles and avoid using momentum and swinging movements.
4. Low back muscle soreness is an expected outcome from low back exercises. Don’t confuse muscle soreness with true pain from an injury.
5. Minimize injury potential by starting out slowly, making small progressions, and having perfect form.

Change it Up
Training programs get stale and boring after about a month of consistent workouts. Once your body adapts to a particular workout, unless you change the sets, reps, weights or exercises, you won’t see any gains. That is why you will see variety built into this program. As a beginner you’ll concentrate on perfecting the movement with less range of motion (ROM), reps, and sets. As you progress through the intermediate level you’ll increase your ROM, reps and sets. When you achieve advanced status you’ll hit a full ROM and add weight to the set and rep count. It might take you a month of performing these exercises 1-2 times per week to get to the advanced level, but that’s ok because you have been progressively increasing your effort. You can stay at the advanced level for another month or so as long as you feel like you are improving. After that, you may want to alter the exercise by performing it on a machine or doing it unilaterally.

Exercises
Swiss Ball Crunch for abs
Beginner – small ROM crunch with shoulder blades just off ball, hands crossed over chest
Intermediate – full ROM sit up, hands behind head
Advanced – full ROM, arms straight overhead
Advanced Plus - full ROM sit up to arms touching knees, arms straight overhead with weight
Lie back on a Swiss ball, low and mid-back supported, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hands are in their respective position depending on level of difficulty. Crunch up to your level of strength and slowly lower trying to place one vertebrae at a time down on the ball.

Prone leg extensions/reverse hyperextensions for low back
Beginner – on floor one leg at a time progressing to both legs
Intermediate – off Swiss ball raising one leg with the opposite arm
Advanced – off Swiss ball raising one leg with the opposite arm with hand and ankle weights, off Swiss ball with both legs together, or on reverse-hyper platform
Advanced Plus – off Swiss ball or reverse-hyper platform with both legs and weight
Beginners start on the floor with their arms at sides. Tighten the abs and glutes, keep the pelvis down, and lift one leg off the floor and lower under control. Progress to raising both legs simultaneously. Intermediates should lie with their stomach on the ball, their arms outstretched over the ball with their hands touching the ground, and legs straight back with toes touching the ground. Raise and lower the right arm and left leg simultaneously. Repeat with the left arm and right leg. For a challenge, add hand and ankle weights. Next try lifting both legs up and down together on the Swiss ball or on a reverse-hyper machine. For the super advanced, just add weight.

Swiss Ball Pull-In for abs
Beginner – small ROM
Intermediate – full ROM
Advanced – unilaterally
Get into a push-up position with your shins and ankles on top a Swiss ball. Keeping your back straight, pull your knees in toward your chest, allowing the ball to roll forward. Hold for a moment and contract your abs, then straighten our legs and roll the ball back to the starting position. Beginners should start by bringing the ball in only half-way to their chest while intermediates should concentrate on a full ROM. Advanced exercisers should have one leg on the ball pulling it in toward the chest and one leg extend up in the air.

Deadlifts for low back
Beginner – limited ROM with light weight dumbells
Intermediate – full ROM with heavier weight dumbbells
Advanced – heavy weight with a barbell or unilaterally
For beginners and intermediates, the dumbbells should be set up to the outside of each leg. Position your feet slightly less than shoulder-width apart, flat on the floor, with your toes pointed out slightly. Bend your knees and lower your hips into a deep squat position with your hips lower than your shoulders. Tighten your back so it is flat or slightly arched. Grasp the dumbbells, breathe in and start to pull the weight off the ground, keeping the back flat, your head up. and the weights close to your body. Breathe out slowly as you lift the weight, keeping your arms straight throughout the movement. Stand erect, but don’t lean back at the top of the lift. Lower the weight keeping your back flat. Pause and reset your position before doing another rep. When you can advance to a barbell, position it on the ground in front of you, lightly touching your shins. Use an overhand grip slightly wider than where your legs touch the bar. Look upward slightly and pull against the bar so that there is no “slack” in your arms or the bar. Raise up while moving the shoulders and hips as a unit. Keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement.

Swiss Ball Reverse Crunch for abs
Beginner – small ROM, arms at your sides
Intermediate – full ROM with butt lift, arms behind head
Advanced – with upper ab crunch simultaneously, arms behind head
Lie on your back and rest your lower legs on top of a Swiss ball, so that the ball is tucked underneath your knees. Dig your heels into the ball and contract your abs to bring your knees to your chest. To make it harder, lift your butt off the ground as you bring your knees to your chest. For the most advanced reverse crunch, add in an upper ab crunch with the lower ab crunch simultaneously.

Hyperextensions for low back
Beginner – small ROM off Swiss ball
Intermediate – full ROM off Swiss ball
Advanced – full ROM off Swiss ball with weights or hyperextension bench with/without weights
Lie on your stomach on a Swiss ball, legs straight in back with the toes touching the ground, hands behind your head and head down. Raise your upper body off the ball and slowly return. Beginners should limit the amount of movement backward, intermediates should go as high as the body will allow, and advanced trainers can hold a weight in their hands or progress to a hyperextension bench with or without weight.