Six-pack abs and rock-hard legs

I have tried for so long to get a rock-hard stomach and legs, and I haven’t had the results I’m looking for. What workouts can I try to get the results I want?

Lizzie
Los Angeles

Abdominals and legs are on most people’s top five list of body parts they’d like to improve. But many go about it the wrong way, leading to the kind of frustration you’re experiencing.

For advice, we turned to Paul Katami, a Los Angeles-based personal trainer, group fitness instructor, exercise-video host and expert on all things abs and legs.

“It’s important to do a variety of exercises,” he says. “A lot of time people get stuck on that linear, back-and-forth motion.” The problem, he says, is that the standard crunch exercise doesn’t work all the abdominal and core muscles, which are on the sides and back of the trunk as well as the front. “We’re meant to move in three dimensions,” Katami says, “so you have to do different exercise that will activate the muscles in a 3-D environment.”

Also, after doing the same movements over and over, muscles eventually adapt to the stress and don’t get stronger.

One exercise Katami recommends: Begin by lying flat on the ground, knees slightly bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend elbows outward, and clasp fingers together above the chest. Take the right elbow to the floor, then up and over to the left knee. After a few repetitions, repeat on the other side.

Because this exercise can be difficult, beginners should limit their range of motion, starting at the knee and moving back toward the ground, but not going all the way down.

Proper technique and position are crucial for any abdominal exercise, Katami says. “The devil is in the details. In every class I remind people that they’re working from their midsection, so why pull on your neck head and shoulders?” To learn correct technique, consult with a certified trainer or pick up a book or video. Pilates and yoga classes also emphasize good form.

For legs, Katami advocates weight training. “Legs are big muscle groups, and that’s why people are afraid they’re going to build them up,” he says. But adding a little more weight to the normal routine will increase strength without creating bulky muscles. “I’m not saying do 500 pounds in a leg press,” he says, “but if you add a little weight so that you’re exhausting your muscles, that’s going to build strong legs.”

Lowering overall body fat is the other key to having abs and legs with definition. Even the best worked-out core won’t reveal its six-pack if it’s covered by a layer of pudge. Doing cardiovascular exercise, Katami says, will help burn fat and is part of a balanced exercise plan.

Weight work and abdominal exercises are best done every other day, to give muscles a chance to recover and repair. “That’s when you’re building muscle,” he says, “not while you’re working out.”

-- Jeannine Stein