The Coregasm Workout

Ab-tightening exercises you'll want to do behind closed doors

In the words of one woman: "I don't care why it happens, but just am happy it does."

Yep, we said coregasm. It's an orgasm some women can have when performing certain ab exercises. Experts say the this wacky core-induced climax could be due to a number of factors: the tightening of pelvic muscles, the build up of tension and even nerve impulses. Explanation aside, we figure it's worth trying.

*NOTE: These ab moves are just suggestions--we can't guarantee you a coregasm, but these belly-busting moves will definitely help whittle your waist.

Hanging Straight-Leg Raise

Targets lower abs

Hang from a pullup bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your hips centered under your body so there's a straight line from your hands to the bottom of your hips (A). Keeping your legs and back straight and using a slow, controlled motion, raise your legs until they're parallel to the floor (B). Slowly lower your legs. That's one rep. Do four to six. Feeling extra Barnumesque? Try to raise your feet above 90 degrees (C).

Perfect Form As you raise your legs, don't swing them or let momentum do the work. Concentrate on keeping your butt down, as if you're sitting on a chair.

Toe Touch

Targets upper abs

Lie on your back holding an 8- to 10-pound dumbbell in both hands. Lift your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor and extend your arms, keeping the dumbbell directly over your chest (A). Without moving your legs, lift your chest and shoulders off the floor and try to touch your feet with the dumbbell (B). Do 15 to 20 reps.

Perfect Form Avoid bending your knees and try to lift your chest and shoulders higher with every rep.

The Sprinter

Targets upper and lower abs and obliques

Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, legs straight, and heels hovering about six inches off the floor (A). Start sitting up while elevating your left arm with the elbow bent so it resembles a sprinter's pumping motion. At the peak of the situp, bring your right knee to your chest (B). Return to start, keeping your legs raised, and repeat with the opposite arm and leg. That's one rep. Do up to 20.

Perfect Form Control your movement through the entire exercise, bracing your core to keep pressure off your back.

Walking Lunge Plate Twist

Targets entire core

Grab a 10- to 25-pound weight plate and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Position the plate in front of your chest with your elbows bent (A). With your right leg, lunge forward about three feet until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is nearly touching the floor. At the same time, twist your upper body 90 degrees to the right (B). Twist and step back to start, then repeat, stepping with the left leg and twisting to the left. That's one rep. Do eight to 10.

Perfect Form Sink low into the lunge but don't let your front knee extend past your toes. Keep your chest up and your back straight as you twist.

Twisting Windmill

Targets obliques

Lie on your back with your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height. Raise your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor (A). Lower your legs to the left side of your body so you meet the floor a few inches away from your left hand (B), then bring them back to center. Repeat, lowering your legs to the opposite side. That's one rep. Do 12.

Perfect Form Avoid bouncing your feet off the floor before you move back up to center.

Superman Variations

> Targets lower back

Lie on your stomach with your legs hip-width apart and your arms extended in front of you, palms down, shoulder-width apart. Lift your head off the floor and look straight ahead. Lift your legs and hold for 15 to 30 seconds (A). Lower, and then do the following variations: Lift just your arms and hold for 15 to 30 seconds (B); lift your right arm and left leg (C), then slowly switch sides, lifting your left arm and right leg. Alternate until you've completed 15 on each side.

Bar Crunch

Targets upper abs

Grab a 10-pound Body Bar with your arms shoulder-width apart and lie on a bench with your knees bent and your feet together. Extend your arms so the bar is directly above your chest (A). Without bending your elbows, crunch up by lifting your upper back and shoulders off the bench and extend the bar toward the ceiling (B). Slowly return to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 15.

Perfect Form At the top of the crunch, push the bar up as if you're trying to reach the ceiling.

Hammer Toss

Targets entire core

Grab a 5-pound medicine ball and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the ball with both hands in front of your chest (A). Lower your hips and touch the ball outside your right foot (B). Stand up quickly, bringing the ball across the front of your body, and toss it to a partner, releasing to the left at about shoulder height (C). Have the partner toss it back. That's one rep. Do 10, then repeat to the other side.

Perfect Form Use a full range of motion as you move the ball across your body. Extend your arms at the low position and as you throw.

The Wicked Wiper

Is it the world's craziest abs move? We dare you to find out

OK, so you get the point: Olympians need to challenge their cores in crazy ways to stay in fighting shape. To find out just how insane these pros are, we sought out the single most difficult ab move on the planet. And (eureka!) we found it: the Hanging Windshield Wiper, courtesy of Sandoval.

How it's done Hang from a pullup bar with your arms shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from you. Keeping your arms straight, raise your body so your hips, back, and shoulders are as parallel to the floor as possible. Raise your legs straight up so you're in pike position (A). If that's not difficult enough, rotate your legs down to the right (B), bring them back to center, and then lower them to the left (C). Yow.

The Super-Tough Workout

Seven moves that make two killer workout routines

Do the routines 2 to 3 days a week, alternating between the two versions, so you're never doing the same routine on consecutive workout days. And choose a weight that lets you complete the set with perfect form.

When the moves are labeled with numbers, do them as an alternating set -- or a "superset," in trainer-speak. Example: For B1 and B2, do one set of B1 followed immediately by one set of B2, and then rest. Continue repeating until you've completed all the sets, then move on to exercise C.

Workout 1 (all 7 moves)
reps: 4
sets: 3 to 4
rest between sets: 90 seconds

Workout 2 (the same 7 moves)
reps: 8
sets: 2 to 3
rest between sets: 60 seconds

Do the workout for 4 to 6 weeks. Then up the reps to 6 for Workout 1, and to 12 for Workout 2.

A. Front Squat And Push-Press Combo

Grab a barbell with an overhand grip, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Position your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows, bringing your knuckles toward your body until they're touching the outside of your shoulders (A). Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor (B). Straighten your legs and use your momentum to press the bar overhead (you'll need to move your chin back a bit) (C). Pause, then lower the bar. That's 1 rep.

B1. Step up

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand up to 2 feet from a step or exercise bench, with weights at your sides and feet hip-width apart. Place your left foot on the step (A) and press up through the leg. Allow your right leg to come up and brush the bench (B), but don't put any weight on it. Step down with your right leg, then your left. Complete all reps, then repeat, stepping up with your right leg. That's 1 set. Go to B2.

B2. One-Point Dumbbell Row

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart, weights at your sides. Bend forward at the hips while lifting your right leg straight behind you until your body forms a T. Your left knee should be slightly bent. Let your arms hang straight down, palms facing each other (A). Squeeze your shoulder blades together and bring your elbows toward the ceiling until they pass your torso (B). Do half the reps, then switch legs and finish the set. Return to B1 after a rest.

C1. Single Dumbbell Overhead Squat

Grab two dumbbells, one twice the weight of the other. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the lighter dumbbell in your left hand and the heavier one in your right. Raise the left dumbbell straight overhead, palm facing forward. Next, position the right weight between your legs with arm straight, palm facing you (A). Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor (B). Return to start. Complete all reps without lowering your arms, then switch sides. That's 1 set. Note: The light dumbbell should always be overhead. Go to C2.

C2. T-Pushups

Get into pushup position with feet together and hands shoulder-width apart (A). Lower yourself until your chest is 2 to 4 inches off the floor (B). As you push back up, lift your right arm straight up and rotate your body to the right until you form a T, balancing on your left hand and the outside of your left foot (C). Return to the top of the pushup position and repeat to the opposite side. That's 1 rep. Continue alternating to complete the set. Return to C1 after a rest.

D1. Prone Jackknife

Grab a Swiss ball and get in pushup position with your shins resting on the ball and your palms flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart (A). Pull your knees toward your chest, allowing your hips to rise toward the ceiling and your head to tilt toward the floor. Stop when your toes are on the ball and most of your weight is on your hands (B). Straighten your legs to roll the ball back to start. That's 1 rep. Go to D2.

D2. Reverse Woodchop

Grab a medicine ball and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the ball with both hands on the outside of your right hip, then perform a squat (A). Keeping your chest up and arms straight, press your feet into the ground as you "chop" the ball up and across your body until your legs are straight and the ball is above your left shoulder (B). Pause, then lower the ball back to your right knee. Complete all reps before repeating on the other side. That's 1 set. Return to D1 after a rest.

Glute Camp

Grand Plié Elvis Squat

Works core, hips, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves

Grab a 15- to 20-pound body bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Rest the bar across your shoulder blades and position your legs wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes turned out. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor (A). Rotate your entire body 90 degrees to the left (B). Return to center, stand, and squat again, this time rotating to the right. That's one rep. Do two sets of 12 to 15, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

Front Lunge Push-Off

Works core, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves

Grab a pair of 10- to 15-pound dumbbells and stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Leading first with your left foot, lunge forward and lower your hips until both knees form 90-degree angles (A). With your right leg, pull yourself back to standing as you raise your left leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor (B). Balance on your right leg for one second, then return to start. Do 12 to 15 reps, then repeat on the other side. That's one set. Do three sets, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

Trainer tip: Contract your glutes and look straight ahead to maintain your balance.

Lateral Reverse Lunge-Reach Combo

Works hips, glutes, hamstrings, and quads

Grab a pair of 10- to 15-pound dumbbells and stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Keeping your right leg straight and your toes facing forward, lunge to the left and lower your hips until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Bend at the hips and lower the dumbbells so they're on either side of your left calf (A). Return to center. Next, perform a reverse lunge, stepping back with your left leg. Bend at the hips and lower the dumbbells so they're on either side of your right calf (B). Return to start. Do 12 to 15 reps, then repeat, lunging with your right leg. That's one set. Do three sets, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

Sumo Squat And Leg Raise

Works core, hips, glutes, hamstrings, and quads

Grab a 15- to 20-pound body bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Stand two feet to the right of a 12-inch-high step or bench. Position the bar across your shoulder blades. Step onto the bench with your left foot, then squat until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor (A). Stand up, straightening your left leg as you lift your right leg straight out to the side (B). Balance on your left leg for one second, then return to start. Do 12 to 15 reps, then repeat on the other side. That's one set. Do three sets, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

Curtsy Squat Rear Leg Lift

Works core, hips, glutes, hamstrings, and quads

Grab a pair of 12- to 15-pound dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Cross your right leg behind your left, slightly left of your left heel, and rest your toe on the floor about two feet behind you (A). Keeping your right heel up, squat down as far as you can without letting your left knee extend past your toes (B). Straighten your left leg and raise your right leg as high as possible behind you, lowering your torso toward the floor (C). Return to start. Do 12 to 15 reps and repeat on the other side. That's one set. Do three sets, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

Trainer tip: Maintain proper alignment by keeping your neck in line with your spine at all times.

Raised Lunge with Knee Balance

Works core, hips, glutes, hamstrings, and quads

Grab a pair of 12- to 15-pound dumbbells and stand with your back to a 12-inch-high step two to three feet away. Place your right toes on the bench and sink into a lunge (A). Straighten your left leg as you bring your right knee in front of you and up until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (B). Balance on your left leg for one second, then return to start. Do 12 to 15 reps, then repeat on the other side. That's one set. Do three sets, resting for 30 seconds between sets.

Hip Bridge And Heel Drag

Works core, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves

Lie on your back with your lower legs on a stability ball. Raise your hips until they're aligned with your feet and shoulders (A). Raise your left leg until the bottom of your foot is facing the ceiling (B). Press your right heel into the ball and roll it toward your butt (C). Roll the ball back out. Keeping your hips lifted, repeat the rolling motion for 12 to 15 reps. Repeat on the other side, resting for 30 seconds beforehand if needed. That's one set. Do three sets, resting for 30 seconds between sets.