Kate Middleton’s Fab Abs (Glam Slam)

Congrats to Kate Middleton and Prince William on their son George’s christening today!

Kate looked lovely at the ceremony and is really looking amazing these days… especially when her post-pregnancy flat-as-a-board abs were exposed on the volleyball court last week. Some girls just have all the luck…and awesome DNA to match.

For the rest of us, it takes work to get our pre-baby bodies back, so I asked celebrity trainer Kit Rich (she’s responsible for Ke$ha’s rock hard abs) to suggest some exercises.

She came up with these starter exercises specifically for women who have just had babies. Let’s go!

PELVIC TILT

It is especially hard to activate the lower abs after giving birth. So the pelvic tilt is a great starter exercise to help find your control there again.

How to do it:
Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Have your hands down by your side. Begin (Inhale) and tilt the top of the pelvis upwards, arching the back, and then (exhale) reverse that by scooping the pelvis and dropping the spine down to the floor and tilting the bottom of the pelvis up towards the sky. Really try to pull your belly button in as much as you can. You will feel a squeeze of the glutes, but try not to lift them up since we are really trying to just activate the lower abs.

For a more powerful effect: Place a ball between the knees and squeeze it the entire time you are performing this exercise. This will help activate the inner thighs, which helps the lower abs to engage even deeper.

Do this 10-12 times.

REVERSE CRUNCH WITH BENT KNEES

Reverse crunches are a great way to help strengthen and tone the lower abs post pregnancy. They are gentle on the body and a great way to tone and build up strength so that you can eventually do harder exercises the stronger you get.

How to do it: Lying on your back, place your hands by your side. Bend your knees at a 90 degree angle and lift your feet parallel to the floor. Keep your knees and hips separated about six inches apart. On an exhale, pull the belly button in towards the spine and lift the pelvis off the mat rocking your knees up and towards your chin. Inhale, and return back to starting position.

For an even more powerful effect: Place a ball between the knees to activate the inner thighs.

Repeat this 10-12 times.

TOE TAPS IN A CRUNCH

This helps to work both the upper and lower abdominal wall. Once again, it is gentle on the body, so it is a great way to build up strength.

Interlace your hands behind your head. Now lift your legs up into a 90 degree angle and keep your feet parallel to the floor. Begin by lifting your head and shoulders up into a crunch position. Contract your abs and pull your belly button in towards the spine. On an inhale, tap the toes down towards the floor, pulling the knees away from your body as though you are dipping your toes into water. Push your back into the floor. On an exhale, pull the knees back in to starting position and lower your head to the floor.

Repeat this 10-12 times.

Start with one set each. As you get stronger, start to increase reps and sets.

For more info on Kit, head to www.kitrich.com.

— Ryan Patterson