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At the gym: Crunch time

Doing crunches? Pull in your abs before curling up to work your muscles twice as hard.

Do the bicycle to target other ab muscles (crunches work only the rectus abdominus, aka your six-pack): Lie with your hands behind your head; alternate touching each elbow to the opposite knee.

Don’t neglect your midback muscles (the lats). They work with your core to help you stand straighter, minimizing your pooch. Try Lat Rows: Bend at the waist and hold a dumbbell in each hand; bend elbows and pull weights up until elbows are level with torso.

To really challenge your abs, crank out crunches on a stability ball. You’ll engage more muscles than you will doing traditional crunches, according to a study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Next: At the gym: Balance