Tip: Try This Gut-Punch of an Ab Exercise

Granted, the Smith machine in the video is one of the new-fangled ones that lets you move in two planes of motion – up and down and back and forth – but this movement works equally well in a conventional Smith machine.

Intrigued, I waited for her to finish and move on to another area of the gym so I could try it out. I also didn't want anyone to see me using these two stupid pieces of equipment.

Surprisingly, it felt... good. The movement targeted the rectus abdominis perfectly. I pushed out 10 reps, with no additional weight on the bar, stood up, and then doubled over in pain. I felt like I'd been punched. That, or eaten a really bad bowl of chili from a street vendor's hygiene-challenged cart. That's how bad the cramps were.

No ab exercise had ever hit me like that. I was in love, in love with the BOSU ball and the Smith machine. Can a Hallmark unconventional-love story movie be far behind?

The movement, which I've coined "Smith machine BOSU ab crunches," is a lot like the movement T Nation contributor John Rusin described here: Partial Pulses. While you may or may not cramp up, this is a five-star ab exercise. Just remember the following points:

• Position the small of your back over the center of the BOSU ball and "wrap" your spine around it.
• Grab the bar with your arms perpendicular to the ground. Keep your elbows locked.
• Start the movement by "curling the spine" upwards as far as your range of motion will allow.
• Make sure not to protract your shoulders as you curl up in an effort to raise the bar higher (remember, it's an ab movement, not a chest or shoulder movement).
• Reverse the movement until you're flat on the BOSU. Pause a second before starting the next rep.

Do a number of reps that's concurrent with your current ab training. Try it first without any additional weight, and then load up as necessary.