Ab muscles worked to the ‘Core’

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"Gorgeous Core with Suzanne Bowen"

Updated: May 5, 2011 4:43PM

Beware: Your ab muscles cannot hide from “Gorgeous Core with Suzanne Bowen,” a new DVD.

If you really want to strengthen your mid-section and score some sweet abs, “Gorgeous Core” ($19.99, suzannebowenfitness.com) is a must for your 2011 workout resolutions.

Bowen, who has worked with celebrities including Naomi Judd, offers nice variety in six different workouts that are between 5 and 12 minutes long. I don’t think an ab or core exercise exists that she doesn’t include among her workouts here.

Bowen gives excellent instruction on form, does a great job of reminding you to “zip up” your abs and to not scrunch up your shoulders, and is really good about providing modifications for beginners.

Three of the ab segments, “Lean, Long & Strong,” “Classic Abwork,” and “Sleek Physique” use a lot of deep ab muscle exercises you’ll find in Pilates mat classes. You can’t fake it through these — Bowen will find your deepest abs and make them quiver. Which is a good thing, remember!

I loved “Metabolism Bootcamp,” which uses very simple to follow exercises that work your deepest tush muscles. Her hardest workout, “ABsolute challenge,” should be called “ABsolutely” brutal — even she warns you’ll probably have to work up to it.

Bowen’s exercises don’t give the rest of your body a holiday — I never knew modified bridge poses could be so challenging, nor did I know there were so many variations to the all-around plank pose — great stuff for your arms and back. You will get stronger with these exercises if you do them. And you’ll whimper, too, but that’s OK.

If you could work these core segments into your week’s workouts this winter, what could your mid-section look like come springtime?