Study This Core Curriculum

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (1)

DUDES OBSESS OVER BUILDING BIGGER BICEPS, and gals are all about perking up their behinds, but both sexes agree on one body part that deserves even more loving: the abs. They're not just the core of the body — they should also be the core of your workout routine. If you're looking for abs-olute perfection, take your tummy to one of these classes.

» NOT-SO-SHORT CIRCUIT
Just in case anyone doubts Mike Everts' devotion to core training, the owner of FIT (1633 Q St. NW; 202-255-7814) offers a free weekly class devoted to the human midsection.

"For a week after class, I can't sneeze or laugh or cough," says regular Mike Sigelman, 30, who keeps returning in order to realize his goal: "I want to do laundry on my abs by July."

He'll be well on his way to that washboard look if he keeps plugging away at exercises like Everts' signature "super crunch": Extend your arms above your head and lie flat on the ground, then clap your feet and hands together in midair.

The circuit-style class means each person heads to a new piece of equipment every two minutes. By the second station, it's cardio. And by the end of the 70-minute class, it's not so much about actually completing movements as it is struggling to attempt them.

Class is held most Sundays at 12:15 p.m. Size is limited to approximately 10 participants. RSVP to Everts@fit-dc.com.

» QUICK CHANGE
The abs class at Bench Gym (1150 18th St. NW; 202-775-9400) is basically a personal training session for the core. Bench's group exercise studio can fit only about six students, so instructor Dominic Cardoze can easily keep an eye on form, and any cheating students might be tempted to do, as he leads a nonstop 30-minute strength session.

They're the sorts of moves one might do on one's own — no equipment really necessary. But participants say they push more than they would during a solo workout.

Take, for example, plank pose. Many people may hold the push-up-esque position during their usual routines. But Cardoze prods his students to complete a few variations. "Plank with the elbows works your back more. Holding plank with your arms works your abs more," he explains.

Students tend to range in age from the 30s to the 50s, so Cardoze is particularly attuned to preventing back injuries. But it's about looking good, too: One crunch requires you to hold a dumbbell between your legs to help promote those coveted V-shape obliques.

Class is held Wednesdays at 5 p.m. It's $8 per class, with prepayment required. Call to reserve a slot.

» SIX-PACK SISTERS
The pink walls at Goddess Fitness (4931 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda; 301-654-2007) politely tell boys, "Get out." The gym started with pole and chair dancing but is now branching out — although Tina Moran, co-owner and teacher of ABS-olutely Fabulous Core Strengthening, does note that strong abs are key to staying up on a pole.

When Moran and her husband work out, they aim for intervals to burn through more calories, so this class is her way of teaching the effective method to her gals. They do three minutes of cardio, two of general core strength, one of abs, get a one-minute break and then start over. There are six segments of moves, plus a warm-up with a weighted hula hoop and a cooldown stretch, so it lasts about 50 minutes.

"Class kicks our butt every week," says Megan Woolheater, 26, particularly the "twisties," a cardio move that has students jumping so their feet are facing one side of the room while their arms and upper body are facing the other. Those are followed by two minutes of "Super Woman" (lying on your stomach, raise your limbs as though you're flying) and one minute of "frogs" (crunches while your legs are forming a diamond on the ground).

Class is held Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in five-week sessions. The next one starts May 7. It's $150 per session.

Photos by Lawrence Luk