Build Rock Hard Abs

There’s no need to break your back to harden your gut. But it worked for this guy.

Guys with tank-tread stomachs come and go, but Owen McKibbin is different. He built his chiseled midsection while suffering from a broken back. Doctors think McKibbin, who has appeared on seven Men’s Health covers (including November 2000), may have been born with a fractured vertebra in his lower back. Or he may have broken it in college while exercising with an injured ankle.

Either way, McKibbin carried that snapped bone around with him until a physician diagnosed it when he was 30. “The only thing that relieved the pain was keeping my stomach tight and my hamstrings loose,” says McKibbin, now 35. He still works out six days a week, training his midsection and doing 45 minutes of hard aerobics. Here’s McKibbin’s three-part ab workout:

Cat Back (A)

1. Cat back

A traditional yoga move, this exercise works the strap of muscles that runs from the top of your hip-bones to the bottom of your sternum. Rest on your hands and knees on a padded surface, with your hands (fists down) directly beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Slowly raise your head toward the ceiling, and arch your back by pressing your midsection toward the floor (A).

Cat Back (B)

Hold this starting position for a moment; then drop your head between your arms and suck in your gut to round your back(B). Pause and return to the starting position. Do three sets of 20 repetitions.

Crunch (A)

2. Crunch

Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, your fingers touching (but not interlocked). Bring your heels close to your butt, keep your knees together, and pigeon-toe your feet (A).

Crunch (B)

Lift your shoulders as if you were trying to touch your ribs to your pelvis (B). Pause for a second, then lower your shoulders (but don’t relax your abs), and repeat. McKibbin breathes through his nose for a more effective crunch. Do one set of 25 reps.

Decline Curlup (A)

3. Decline Curlup
This is tough, so start out using a decline bench (slant board) adjusted so it’s almost flat. Lie on your back with your head near the top of the board, and grab the board above you. Bend your knees and lift your feet so they’re close to your butt (A).

Decline Curlup (B)

Slowly curl your knees toward your chest as you exhale (B). Inhale when you lower your hips. McKibbin does five sets of 20 reps; you should probably start with two sets of 15. Increase the angle of the decline bench as you gain strength.