So You Think You Can Dance host, Cat Deeley, demos the super effective middle-minimizing moves that whittled her waist.
Your Trainer
Tight-in-the-abs and easy-on-the-eyes Joshua Lipsey, a fitness pro from Toronto who created the tummyhoning program TransCoremation ($150; C2Core Concepts.com). The brilliance of his belly buffers: Unlike classic crunches, which target only the rectus abdominis (running from the center of your chest to your pubic bone), these moves work the transversus abdominis (deeper muscles that wrap around your trunk) as well as the obliques along your sides.
More: The Ultimate No-Crunch Ab Exercise
Translation: A tinier waist, a flatter middle and sexy definition? fast! Hello, cute bikinis! Plus, the top 10 slimming superfoods and metabolism-revving meals to get you to your slimmed-down self, even faster!
Your Plan
Add five ab-firming minutes a day to your workout, doing any combo of the six moves here. Or if you're in the mood for a flat-ab-athon, try this entire lineup.
Swizzle Reach
Works: Transversus and rectus abdominis
Lie face up, hands behind head, elbows out, legs together with knees bent, shins parallel to ground. Engage abs, lifting upper body and reaching elbows to knees. Hold crunch as you straighten legs, lifting right leg high and lowering left leg to a 45-degree angle. Extend arms and hold for one beat. Return to start. Repeat, reversing legs, for one rep. Do 10 reps.
More: The Ultimate No-Crunch Ab Exercise
Twist and Tighten
Works: Transversus and rectus abdominis, obliques
Sit with feet planted, right hand on ground about a foot behind right hip, left hand on head, elbow out; lift hips. Hold tabletop pose as you bend torso and raise right knee to touch left elbow over midsection. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.
More: 5 Ways to Burn an Extra 200 Calories
Super Cinching Sit-Up
Works: Transversus and rectus abdominis, obliques
Lie faceup, arms overhead on ground. Engage abs as you sit up, bending knees and twisting torso to right as you extend arms past knees. Return to start. Repeat on opposite side for one rep. Do 20 reps.
More: ABSolutely Effective Abdominal Exercises
