Torch your tummy: The formula to flat abs

Are you ready to bust your gut?  From Thanksgiving until New Year's Day, our focus is redirected to fun festivities like holiday hooplas, swigging spirits and eating our weight in Christmas cookies.  To avoid being haunted by the ghosts of holiday hams past, give yourself the gift of abs so flat you could spin a Dreidel on them.  Keep that jingle from becoming a jiggle with these three core-crushing, ab-awaking fitness moves.

Slam Dunk.  Torch that tummy and your stress by slamming a weighted ball.  Most gyms will carry an array of medicine balls that come in a variety of weights and sizes.  Grab a resistance ball and slam it against the floor for 30 seconds.  Keep your knees slightly bent, abs activated and shoulders back.  Next, hit those eggnog washed, obsolete obliques with a ball slam twist.  The same form applies, however this time you will lift the ball overhead and slam it laterally from side to side.  Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, 3 times with a 30 second rest period in-between sets.

Gut Wrenching.  Using a weighted Body Bar, lay supine on a mat with your legs forming a 90-degree angle at the hips.  With strong shoulders, keep the Body Bar aligned above the chest, and slowly lower the legs until they are 2 inches from the floor.  Open your legs into a "V" at the bottom and hold for 2 counts.  Bring your legs back up to the starting position.  It is crucial to keep your back flush against the mat during the lowering phase in order to protect the lower extensor muscles from being injured.  Perform 3 sets of 20 repetitions.

Belly Blaster.  Burn calories, tighten your tummy and challenge your endurance with this total-body move.  Using a Bosu Ball, position the body in the proper pushup form.  Slowly rock your body weight from one side, then onto the other (holding for 2 counts on each side).  Follow this motion with a pushup.  Jump the feet to the outside of the Bosu Ball.  Drive your body weight through the heels and keep your abs activated as you lift the Bosu above the head.  That is one repetition.  Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Don't let running from store to store be the only workout you get in this holiday season.

Earn it.

Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.