All I wanted for Christmas was flat, toned abs. Just like Gwen Stefani or Katy Perry. Instead, I still have 2010’s jiggly middle. UGH!
This year I promised myself to hit the gym and overhaul my abs. Unfortunately, there are no miracle tummy toners! An enviable core takes crunches, twists, and other gut-busting exercises. Plus, I need to ban my hand from the candy dish at work.
“Spot toning is a fallacy,” states fitness expert and owner of Made In LA Fitness, Andrea Lawent. “If you overeat during the holidays or any other days for that matter, no ab exercise or any other isometric exercise is going to reverse overeating,” adds Andrea.
A good way to jumpstart your system to an ab-tastic figure in 2011 is to “eat clean, void of sugar and complex starches.” Plus, Andrea shares with Healthy Hollywood five of her favorite ab exercises.
1. Full Vertical Crunch: Lie on your back and extend the legs up towards the ceiling. Place hands behind your head (lightly cupping it) and contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor. At the same time, press the heels toward the ceiling, creating a ‘u’ shape with the torso. Lower down and repeat for 12 – 16 reps.
2. Reverse Crunch: Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head. Bring the knees in towards chest until they’re bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling. Lower and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12 – 16 reps. It’s a very small movement, so try to use abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.
3. Plank: Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.
4. Bicycle: Lie on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulders blades off the floor without pulling on the neck. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, taking the left elbow towards the right knee. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee. Continue alternating sides in a ‘pedaling’ motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
5. Crunch: Lie down on the floor on your back and bend your knees, placing your hands behind your head or across your chest. Pull your belly button towards your spine, and flatten your lower back against the floor. Slowly contract your abdominals, bringing your shoulder blades about one or two inches off the floor. Exhale as you come up and keep you neck straight, chin up. Hold at the top of the movement for a few seconds, breathing continuously. Slowly lower back down, but don’t relax all the way. Repeat for 15 to 20 repetitions with perfect form for each rep.
Ab 101: Always make sure the abdominal wall is flat as to not build the muscle out, creating a pooch.
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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With both arms inked to the wrists, ripped tee and a mic in her hand, Andrea Lawent is a workout wildcat. The owner of Made in LA Fitness, Lawent blasts Queens of the Stone Age, Slipknot and System of a Down for a tattooed clientele including Carmen Electra and members of Bad Religion. Her weekend:
Play rough. “I like to have a scrub and a rub at Olympic Spa. I have the Goddess treatment. They don’t play. They throw you around. I’m down with that.” 3915 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 857-0666, MAP
Look inward. “I enjoy Tej’s class at Golden Bridge Yoga a lot. If you’re not coming from a spiritual base. . .I tell my own class, ’Your a** can always look great, but if that’s all you have and nothing is going on inside, then you’re just an a**.’” 6322 De Longpre Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 936-4172, MAP
Straighten out. “I have my hair blown out at Shag in Silver Lake. Peter Myles owns the shop, he’s very rad. I also like going there because they’re dog-friendly.” 2771 Rowena Ave., Silver Lake, (323) 664-2887, MAP
Turn off the world. “On Sundays, I put up blackout curtains, turn off the phone, and I’m a total Lifetime freak. I sit at my house and I relax. I think that’s an important part of fitness.” We can rock that.
“There is you, a stationary bike and your will. It’s not the road, its THE RIDE.
How far will you let it take you? Made in LA Fitness raises the bar on any other spinning programs in the world. From their 7am sunrise ride till the candlelit evening ride, they will take you far past “calories burnt”.
This is a program for every level of fitness. As Andrea Lawent says, “it’s your ride, your time, not a race, not a competition, just 45 minutes that will rock your world!” We welcome all levels, just bring your 100%!”
~Made in LA Fitness
The hard-rocking owner and CEO of Made In LA Fitness dishes about dancing, cookie diets, and fellow badass Christina Applegate.
Where do you show off your Made In LA bod? 101 Coffee Shop is like my second home. It’s an old-school diner in Hollywood, with really good food and a great jukebox. I like the sushi and sitting on the roof at The Kress. There, my partner, Mike Viscuso, took the old Frederick’s of Hollywood and redid the whole thing into an entertainment mecca. I walked through the place with him as he was ripping it up, and now it’s beautiful. Finally, M Cafe De Chaya. I love the food there. They manage to create the most fantastic dishes, and all with no sugar or dairy.
How do you fill your days?
At Made in LA Fitness, I own, operate, design our clothing line, hire, fire, schedule—everything. I am an ex-dancer and choreographer who has always taught. I started teaching spinning about 14 years ago and have developed a very large, loyal following, which eventually led to the opening of this establishment.
Who has inspired you?
Jillian Michaels is someone I admire and respect. She has been my student for over a decade. I have watched her put her head down with no ego and work her ass off. She left The Biggest Loser, as they wouldn’t give her what she asked for and is worth. Obviously, they brought her back, as the show without her wasn’t a success. We hold bootcamps at Made In LA for members of Jillian’s website quarterly. They come from Australia, England, Canada, and all over the US. I also met Christina Applegate when I was what felt like 15 months pregnant with my first child. I was choreographing Don’t Tell Mom, the Babysitter’s Dead. And I actually thought I was gonna meet Kelly Bundy. I was wrong—she is the most down-to-earth person. She then was one of my first students and has been with me for 14 years.
Have there been any recent changes in your industry?
Even though of course fitness is to look good, there also seems to be a movement towards how good you are on the inside—our mental and spiritual health. I always say, “I never heard the words ‘change’ and ‘comfortable’ in the same sentence.”
What’s something in your industry that you don’t support?
The gimmicky “magic bullet” diet aids: “I lost 40 pounds in two weeks,” “Five-minute abs,” “The Cookie Diet.” There is no magic bullet—it’s commitment and tenacity and showing up consistently.
What is something that people might not know about you?
Being all tatted up and loving my rock music, most people think I’m tough. I’m not. I cried when my kids were little and said the pledge of allegiance. My friends call me the Martha Stewart of Hollywood as I have very conservative tastes. I must own every Polo sweater in every color. I’m prone to changing the duvets and linens seasonally, and I like Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley bedding.
Look inward. “I enjoy Tej’s class at 
Turn off the world. “On Sundays, I put up blackout curtains, turn off the phone, and I’m a total Lifetime freak. I sit at my house and I relax. I think that’s an important part of fitness.” We can rock that.
