Widowmakers (ab circuit)
Do this ab routine without stopping. We are doing 20 reps on each exercise, so basically you are doing a circuit. This circuit can be done with or without the help of a Swiss ball, personally I prefer it, but it may be helpful to just use a regular bench at first to work up to the ball. You will need at least a 25 lb. plate for the first two exercises.
The circuit is composed of four exercises:
Weighted crunches (hold the weight to your chest)
Hands-over-head weighted crunches
Leg pull-ins
Leg raises
If you are doing this circuit on the Swiss ball: When you get to the leg pull-ins, I would suggest "locking" the Swiss ball by wedging it up against a sturdy bench (alternatively, you could always have a partner hold the bench) and reach back and brace yourself on the bench as you balance atop the ball. For the leg raises on the Swiss ball, position the ball at your lower back and roll yourself away from the bench until you have reached a comfortable distance and then reach your arms back and lock them under the bench to support. Now you can balance on the Swiss ball and do your leg raises for maximum core impact. If you need to cheat slightly, try resting your head on the bench. Either way, these are killer.
I usually do three of these with minimal rest in between.
