BACK OF THE BOOK

In recent instalments, this column has described exercises that were invented by some of the great names in bodybuilding-like George Zottman's curls or Arnold Schwarzenegger's presses. Today, I have a homegrown abs move that promises to get you that washboard middle better than any other abdominal exercise that I have come across. And, I'm going to name it Abdul's Toe-Touch Abs Crunch after my trainer who introduced me to it the other day.

ATTAC is a variation on the crunch but what a variation! You lie on your back on the floor (on a mat if you like) as in Pic. 1. Your arms should be outstretched beyond your head; raise your legs with the left leg above and higher than the right leg; your higher leg should be at a 45 degree angle with the floor. That's the starting position. Now bring your arms forward, lifting your body from the waist upwards, without moving your lower body, and try to touch the toes of the foot that is higher as in Pic. 2. That's one repetition and, believe me, a very, very strenuous one. Do 15 of them. Then switch over and put your other leg on top. Do 15 reps. Together they make one set. Do three.

I know you probably won't be able to actually touch your toes but stretch your arms to the maximum-getting your fingertips close to the foot is enough. The trick is to do the movement slowly and feel the burn in your abs. Build this exercise into your abs routine and you won't regret it. Although I'm pretty sure there are variants of this killer abs move around but I've decided to credit my trainer, Abdul, with its invention. The best thing about ATTAC is that it works out the upper, lower, middle and oblique parts of the abs-a true all-rolled-into-one abs workout.

Postscript: I was quite chuffed when a colleague reminded me recently that Treadmill turns six in a couple of months from now. Frankly, when I started it back in June 2001, I'd never thought it would last this long. But as we went along, you, dear readers, have egged me on-Treadmill receives many e-mails with queries, suggestions and even, on occasion, case histories from people who've used exercise to bring about great changes in their lives. It's always encouraging and thrilling to receive feedback from readers but sometimes it's plain unabashed flattery. Like when a new business paper recently decided to introduce a fitness column in its pages and called it very imaginatively, yes you guessed right, Treadmill!

-Muscles Mani
write to musclesmani@intoday.com

Caveat: The physical exercises described in Treadmill are not recommendations. Readers should exercise caution and consult a physician before attempting to follow any of these.

MIDDLE AGE MANTRAS

Middle age (over 40) is perhaps the time to take stock of heart beat, blood pressure, and go in for sundry health check-ups on a regular basis. But here are five essential tips to keep you in shape.

Detoxification. Even if you eat well, many toxins from the air, water, and daily life can accumulate in your body and compromise your health. Says Dr M.P. Srivastava, Senior Consultant, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi: "Our body requires detoxification at least once every six months. To support proper body function, eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods, including foods high in antioxidants-vitamin C (present in citrus fruits, mangoes and spinach) and beta carotene-and high in B vitamins (present in almonds, peanuts, and pine nuts)."

Cut Fat. Say no to fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats. Says Dr Srivastava: "Dairy products such as cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in limited amounts. To avoid large blood sugar swings, try eating small meals throughout the day."

Shiny Skin. Try a range of options to restore your youthful appearance, from exfoliation to laser resurfacing-a technique that can remove the upper layers of skin to reduce facial wrinkles, blemishes or acne scars. Says Dr Srivastava: "Also, Omega-3 fatty acid, found in some fish, is believed to help the skin stay elastic."

Kick Caffeine. "Caffeine leeches calcium from the body, which is especially problematic if you are at risk of osteoporosis," adds Dr Srivastava. Try drinking yoghurt, low-fat milk or blend bananas with honey.

Bald and Beautiful. Don't treat or colour your hair too frequently. Stock up on pumpkin seeds, oysters, and nuts-great sources of zinc-for healthier locks. If all else fails, flaunt your baldness a la Bruce Willis.

-Manu Kaushik

The guys at the naming department at Suzuki must be smoking something quite nice. SX4 apparently stands for Sports-Fun Four Seasons. What that means is for you to figure out.

Name aside, this is a serious piece of machinery. In fact, it is not too far-fetched to say that this is clearly going to become the best car in its segment, because the Honda City is nowhere close, either on performance or, crucially, on specifications.

The top-end SX4 ZXi comes with dual front airbags, automatic air-conditioning, an integrated stereo with steering mounted controls-all three being firsts in its class. And all this for an expected price of around Rs 7.5-8 lakh; the base model with none of the nice extras should be a considerable amount cheaper-maybe a shade under Rs 7 lakh.

The clincher, however, is not what the car comes loaded with or its fairly generous legroom, but Suzuki's brand new 1600cc M-series engine with 102 horsepower. The sx4 is the first Maruti to get this new engine with a refinement and performance that is genuinely surprising. The car snorts off the line with sufficient amounts of tyre-smoke, but low-speed power delivery is very smooth as well. Though BT didn't get a chance to test out fuel economy on the short drive, Maruti engineers promise that the car will be frugal as well. The wide 205/60R16 tyres help with handling.

Maruti is introducing this car shortly with two specification levels, the fully-loaded ZXi and the VXi with, well, the same engine and body. If you do buy one, stick to the higher-end model; the level of kit is more than worth it. The sx4 is easily the best car Maruti has made in India to date.

-Kushan Mitra

PRINTED CIRCUIT
A Fantastic Gaming Console
The new PS3 is probably the best thing going, but there are minor glitches and it's expensive.

Gaming has been part of my life for years. I have spent several hours plotting grizzly deaths on the Sony ps2 and the Microsoft Xbox 360. But a week with the Sony Playstation 3 (ps3) has left me with my jaw on the floor.

First things first, this is a very good-looking console, but it is also pretty heavy. The standard kit has only one controller and, surprisingly, no High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) output cable, despite the ps3's Blu-Ray (BR) Disc playing ability. I know this sounds mundane, but this machine is meant to be a home-entertainment hub; so including the cable in the sales kit would have been a nice touch.

Sony sent across two titles with the ps3. The first Resistance: Fall of Man (FOM) is a first-person story-shooter. It's a fantastic game with brilliant sound and picture quality. The story was similar to other first-person shooters, with its post-apocalyptic description of a virus taking over the world. The gameplay was excellent.

But it was the second title, MotorStorm, that had me hooked. This is, by far, the best racing title I have played and I love the genre. It's a brilliant concept, with insanely good graphics that utilise the immense power of the ps3's 'Cell' processor.

In fact, MotorStorm is also a great way to get acquainted with the Sony sixaxis controller, which uses an internal gyroscope to figure out movements and allows you to turn the car by just turning your controller gently to the left or right. It is not easy, not easy at all, but you slowly get the hang of it. Even on FOM, there are times when you get attacked by the chimera; the only way to beat them off is to violently shake the controller.

I can carry on about the console and the games. I mean there are no two ways about it, the console and the titles are good, but it will cost Rs 39,990, quite a bit more than the competition, the Microsoft

XBox 360, which is not as capable though. And the extras, such as the cables and the additional controllers and even games, will tack quite a lot onto the price. Worth it? Maybe, if you have the dosh. This is a superb system, but honestly, Sony should work double-time to introduce online multiplayer gaming in India.

-Kushan Mitra