On Thursday, March 26, 2009, The Early Show

[Pages:3]On Thursday, March 26, 2009, The Early Show continued its series, "Firm It Up," in which we help you get your trouble spots in shape for the warm weather, then show how to dress to highlight them. First, though, we discuss celebs who have the best of the body parts we're focusing on!

Thursday's topic: getting those perfect abs!

Latina magazine () Beauty and Fashion Director Angelique Serrano says celebs whose abs are constantly in shape include Beyonce, Demi Moore and Britney Spears. Britney, she says, has had her ups and downs with her weight recently, but has gotten her body back into tip-top shape.

1. Angelique , most women struggle with their abs, trying to get a flat stomach. Even Britney who's made a terrific comeback with her body. What has she been doing?

Yes, I hear you! This is a part of the body where, when you work it out, it shows. If you DON'T work it out, it shows! And I think Britney is a great example of that. Remember years ago there was a quote from her saying she did, like, 200 crunches a night before bed. Then she was constantly photographed eating junk food and she gained weight and she wasn't touring. She turned it around. When she's working on her abs - just recently in preparation for her Circus tour you can see the muscle tone come back to her midsection. But it takes a lot of work. And she's really dancing to get in shape and she had a gym at home. Her dance routines alone are an incredible cardio routine, and she's now on tour working it out up to 2hours every night all over the country . And that surly keeps her in shape.

2. Then we have Demi Moore who is in her 40's, mother of three grown girls and her abs look amazing. What's she doing to stay in such great shape?

Demi is actually stepping it up right now. She's been fit her whole adult life, but now she was just Twittering - that's the website, , where you can post comments throughout the day she was twittering about how Ashton, her husband, is really getting fit now for an upcoming role and how she's got to step up her game! She said she had tried the Yoga DVD of the p9OX plan and it kicked her butt! The P9OX is a fitness DVD system...really hardcore to get your body ripped in 90 days. So she's getting serious about her body! She's also done pilates and eats very healthy.

3. Beyonce has one of the greatest stomachs around and she shows it off. She does say she like to eat What type of workout does she do to keep her abs so flat and toned ?

Beyonce is known to say how much she does not enjoy working out, and how hard it is. She is a naturally curvy girl and to get down to a really skinny frame takes a lot of work for her. She famously confessed to doing that liquid diet before the movie "Dreamgirls." She has to workout days a week, and work out hard to get in shape. She works out with a trainer doing squats and running 6 miles a day. She is doing program on strengthening your muscle which is great for your core.

These celebrities all have trainers, and they all really put their time and energy into working out before a big project, whether it's a tour or a movie. And with the abs in particular, you really see the results of a workout. And just the same, you can really see the results if you don't work them out!

WORKOUTS

We brought in three trainers-to-the-stars to go over abs workouts.

Core trainer Chris Robinson () has worked with Oprah and is the author of "The Core Connection." Victoria's Secret model trainer Leila Feizel is with Aerospace (), in New York. And Oscar Smith is with O-Diesel Studio (). He trains football great Tom Brady.

Robinson:

1 Chris, you kept Oprah and her best friend Gayle in shape during their summer road trip in 2006 and eventually got Oprah down to what she said was her ideal weight. You believe in training from the core. What is your core and what does that mean? The core is the total abdominal region and the glutes and the inner thighs. That whole region stabilizes the spine. Whenever you make a movement you should feel it in your stomach, it should and you should feel fatigue in the core.

2. You've come to us this morning one killer abs exercise that we can do at home. What's the workout? You're in push up blank position, a pushup position that you're holding and you're going to lift one arm up and bring it up and down . If your body is a table than one arm or leg comes up at a time. the trick is that your back is a table and a glass of water is on it, don't let it fall off. You can do (5) to 10 reps one to 3 times a session.

3. What about Oprah's favorite core workout, "the teaser," for advanced exercisers? You are are holding both legs out at a 45 degree degree angle while lying on your back. Your hands are up in front of you in the air (legs and hands are extended , into a "V" position). Once you are up , you place one vertebrae at a time with your legs still up in the air. It only takes :20 at the end of a full pilates workout. Pilates it's a method of exercise that incoperates the core to move and control the body.

Feizel:

In order to get the most efficient abs workout possible, you must be able to hit more than just one of the groups of abdominals with each exercise. These positions are all available to modify as well, to accommodate people with lower back problems:

1. Is jumping rope also good for the abs? Yes. Actually, what many people may not realize is that, in order to jump rope and be coordinated at the upper and lower body, you have to be engaging the core. You're actually using all of the abdominal, the upper, lower and the obliques inorder to jump rope.

2. There's actually an athletic way to jump rope for a good work. Show us and describe what you're doing: This is the basic jump, jumping on two feet. As you get more advanced, you go faster and lose the last layer of fat. This is what we call aerospace speed, and different routines. The key is to go easy on yourself 3-5 minutes and build up. Don't get frustrated and keep doing it.

Smith:

1.You train some pretty big names, including Tom Brady. What goes into a workout for an athlete at that level? When you are training an athlete at that level, they perform at 100 %. So you have to work them harder to make them sweat. For regular people, I say, set a goal for yourself, whether it's getting into clothes for a wedding or the beach. The goal gives you a vision to strive for even if it's just getting into better shape.

2. You have one abs exercise that you can show us. It's called the window washer. What do you do?

You lie flat on your back your arms are out to your sides palm down on the ground. Your legs are 90% up in the air and then you gently bring your legs together to the right and touch the ground and them move them over to the left. It strengthens your lower back, obliques and lower abs. You do (3) sets of ten reps, everyday you work out. Do make it harder you put a medicine and stability ball between your legs.

FASHIONS SPOTLIGHTING ABS

Angelique Serrano had three looks to show off your firmed-up midsection:

Sandra Mariscal ? Day look Dress: BB Dakota at Macy's; $98 Jacket: XOXO at Macy's; $39.98 Bangles: RJ Graziano, call 212-685-1248 for stores; $65-$75 Shoes: Model's own

Sarah Bogdanski ? Weekend look Top: BCBGeneration at Macy's; $68 Vest: French Connection at Macy's; $148 Skirt: Kimchi Blue at Urban Outfitters; $68 Bangles: Rosena Sammi at ; $55 each Hat: Hurley at Macy's; $28 Shoes: Nina (model's own)

Dismary Duenas ? Evening Look Dress: BCBGenerations at Macy's; $158 Necklace: Rachel Leigh at ; $132 Bracelets: House of Dereon at ; $30 for set Shoes: Model's own

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