14 INNER and OUTER 


Core Exercises

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
If you love ‘crunching’ your life away on the gym floor, then this section is
not for you!!

If you are ready to learn some brand-new, revolutionary exercises that

The first thing that you must understand is that you have more than one ab
muscle… you have 4 groups of abdominal muscles.

The first is your Transverses Abdominus (TVA); this is the muscle that
acts to draw your belly button in. It is also known as the Power House in
Pilates (I think…). But anyway, the purpose of this muscle is to act as a
stabilizer for your low back and hips. So getting this muscle stronger will
not only serve to flatten your stomach but may also relive your low back
pain.

The second group is your Internal Obliques; this group helps you to flex
your trunk forwards as well as side bending and rotation.

The third group is called your External Obliques, this group helps you to
flex the trunk, side bend and rotate also. In addition, the external obliques
act functionally a lower abdominals.

And finally, the fourth abdominal muscle is called the Rectus Abdomnius,
this is the large muscle that is the most popular… it gives your stomach
that “washboard” look. The Rectus Abdominus also flexes the trunk
forward and acts as a stabilizer under heavy loads.

In the following section I am going to teach you all of the best exercises for
activating these 4 groups of abdominal muscles. When you follow this
program you will begin to see your abdominals flatten, almost overnight!

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
Section A – Transverses Abdominus / Lower Abs

1.Tummy Vacuum

So, how do I do it?

Glad you asked - #1 get into a 4-point stance, on your hands and knees… your hips
and shoulders should both be at 90-degree angles.
#2. Take a deep belly breath and expand your belly with air… do not move your back or
chest when inhaling.
#3. Let all of the air out through your nose and then pull your belly button in as far as it
can go, without moving your back or chest.
#4. Hold your belly in for 10 seconds and then repeat.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
2. Lower Abdominal Coordination

So, how do I do it?

#1. Lay flat on your back with both knees bent and feet off of the floor
#2. Place your hand in the gap between your lower back and the floor… your hand
should be directly below your belly button.
#3. Draw your belly button in and flatten your low back onto your hand.
#4. While maintaining pressure on your hand with your low back, slowly slower one foot
to the ground and recover to the starting position… repeat on the opposite leg.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
 3. Swiss Ball Reverse Crunch

So, how do I do it?

#1. Lay face up on a Swiss Ball, with your feet off of the floor and your hands grasping
an object for support.
#2. Draw your bellybutton in and then begin rolling your pelvis up towards your ribcage.
#3. Slowly lower the legs and repeat.

For increased intensity extend your legs out further.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
Section B – Internal & External Obliques

1. Russian Twist

1. ! 2. !

3. !

So, how do I do it?

#1. Lay face up on a Swiss Ball with your head and shoulders on the ball, feet flat on
the floor and your hips raised.
#2. Keeping your hips raised (by squeezing your glutes), rotate to one side and then the
other. Begin slowly until you have enough balance to increase the speed.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
 2. Reverse Wood Chops

So, how do I do it?

#1. Grab one end of a cable that is positioned low, then take a wide stance a few feet
away from the machine.
#2. Keeping your chest up and your belly button drawn in, shift your weight to the inside
leg.
#3. Staying low, shift your weight to the opposite leg and rotate the cable on an upward
angle to the other same side.
#4. Weight shift back to the original position and repeat.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
 3. Lower Body Russian Twist

So, how do I do it?

#1. Lay flat on your back with both feet together and raised up toward the sky.
#2. Keeping your upper body flat on the floor and your legs straight slowly lower your
legs to one side of your body.
#3. Using the strength in you abdominals bring your legs back to the original position
and repeat on the opposite side.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
 3. Swiss Ball Lower Russian Twist

So, how do I do it?

#1. Get into a push-up position with bent knees on the Swiss Ball.
#2. Keeping your upper body still rotate your knees to one side using your waist.
#3. Be sure to keep your shoulders over your hands… then rotate your knees to the
opposite side.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
4. Swiss Ball Side Flexion

So, how do I do it?

#1. Put one hip on the Swiss Ball with the same leg of that hip bent… the other leg will
be straight (you may even want to jam it between the floor and a wall for extra support)
#2. Keeping your hips forward, side bend across the ball and back… be sure not to
rotate forward of backwards, stay in the frontal plane.
#3. Begin with your hands across your chest… as you get stronger you can move your
hands to your head and then you can raise them overhead for the highest resistance.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
 5. Oblique Toss

So, how do I do it?

#1. You and a partner will stand facing the same way about 5 –8 yards apart.
#2. The first man with the ball will “side toss” the ball towards the second man… the
second man will catch the ball while still facing forward, use the weight of the ball the
“load’ your abdominal muscles as you prepare to throw the ball back to the first guy.
#3. Be sure to keep your chest up and your back straight when catching and throwing
the ball… flexing forward and rotating at the same time can create back injury.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
Section C – Rectus Abdominus / Upper Abs

1. Forward Ball Roll

So, how do I do it?

#1. Kneel in front of the Swiss Ball with your forearms on the ball… your hips and
shoulders should both be at 90-degree angles and your back straight.
#2. Draw your belly button in and begin to extend your hips and arms at the same
time… be sure to keep your back straight. I see many people doing this exercise
incorrectly, it is essential to keep your low back from arching and you need to keep your
chest up.
#3. Hold the extended position for up to 10 seconds and then repeat.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
2. Prone Jack Knife

So, how do I do it?

#1. Get into a push-up position with your feet on the Swiss Ball… be sure to keep your
back straight and your chest up.
#2. Draw your belly button in and then slowly pull your knees towards your chest… do
not let your butt drop below the height of your head and do not let your back round out.
#3. Extend your legs back to the staring position and then repeat.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
3. Swiss Ball Crunch

So, how do I do it?

#1. Lie over a Swiss Ball with your fingers on your temples, tongue on the roof of your
mouth, both feet flat on the floor and hips flexed.
#2. Begin the crunch by rolling your chin towards your chest followed by crunching the
bottom of your ribcage toward your hips and your hips towards your ribcage
simultaneously…. Squeeze your butt and tighten your abs at the top of the movement.
#3. Begin with using just your hands and increase resistance by holding a dumbbell on
your chest.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
4. Prone Bridge

1.! 2. !

3.!

So, how do I do it?

#1. Get into a “close grip” push-up position with your feet on the ball… be sure to keep
your back straight, chest up and belly button in.
#2. When your hips are “locked” into position begin to raise one arm with the thumb up,
over your head.
#3. Then bring that same arm over to your side… then return it to the overhead position
before putting it back on the floor.
#4. Repeat on the opposite side.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
5. Pike

So, how do I do it?

#1. Begin in a push up position with both feet on the ball, with your back straight
#2. Let the body sag towards the floor.
#3. Then “pike” your hips up toward the sky… slowly return to the neutral position and
repeat.

http://www.ElliottHulse.com
http://www.ElliottHulse.com