Why You Should Work Your Abs First

Your core—the dozens of muscles between your shoulders and your hips—contracts first in every exercise, he explains. All the energy you exert starts in your midsection, and is then transferred to your limbs.

A strong core allows you to apply more force to a barbell, whereas a weak core decreases the amount you can apply.

But in order to prime your core muscles so they fire better during your workout, you need to train your core right after your warmup, he says.

Is It Possible for Every Woman to Get Her Abs Back Post-Pregnancy?

Popping out a baby does a number on your body: Your boobs get droopier, stretch marks crisscross your middle, and your vagina, well, let’s not even go there. (Hint: Expect pigment changes.) But of all the issues brought on by a bun in the oven, one of the most frustrating is post-pregnancy belly flab. Is the squishiness fixable, or are flat abs a thing of the past? Even super glam Reese Witherspoon said in a recent interview with the blog Cricket's Circle that her abs were "nonexistent" after she gave birth to her three kids. So we went to an expert to find out if it's actually possible for every woman to get her core muscles back in pre-baby shape.

How to Work Your Abs with a Basketball

When it comes to working your abs, a basketball probably isn't the first tool that comes to mind. But BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S., CEO of Men's Health StreamFIT, came up with a fun—but tough—way to add it to your core routine.

The move: Dribbling a basketball while holding the top of a pushup position.

It's hard for two reasons, he says. First, you have to hold the position with only one arm.