Tip of the Week: Don't waste your time doing sit-ups. There are far more productive ways to train your abs.

I've never been a fan of sit-ups, and recent studies have shown that not only are they not very effective for working your abs, they can also be dangerous. Because the emphasis of the exercise is raising your torso from a lying position, you run the risk of keeping a straight back, which is never a good thing.

Crunches are a far more effective exercise for developing the abs. Because the focus of them is to "crunch" your body forward, you are using the abdominal muscles entirely, as opposed to the hip flexors, which come into play when trying to simply raise your torso.

I recommend two sets of 25 reps of crunches performed every morning upon waking for keeping the midsection tight, toned and strong.

Q: I know that you're against taking steroids for athletics, but I'm 61 and considering getting hormone replacement therapy. I've watched as my body has begun to decline with age, and I don't like it. I've heard about the amazing things testosterone can do and would like to try it. What are your thoughts on it?

Joe: I, too, have heard quite a bit about the benefits of testosterone and know men who have received HRT (hormone replacement therapy). My good friend Bob Delmontique actually speaks at anti-aging conferences around the world and has good things to say about hormone therapy.

There are a number of anti-aging clinics around the country — some reputable, others not. If you are serious about it, I would suggest finding a doctor who specializes in hormone therapy. I've heard stories of unqualified "experts" who will see a patient, write a prescription and then give it to a doctor to sign, oftentimes without the doctor ever even having met the patient!

May I suggest that before you take the step of therapy you consider finding natural treatments that may boost your own natural testosterone levels? Eating healthy fats, lifting weights, eating cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, and even increasing sexual activity can all help boost your testosterone levels naturally.

You might want to consider speaking with a qualified nutritionist first, and then if the results aren't what you desire, going to a physician. I'm always for trying natural treatments before medical ones.

Q: I'm a woman who's interested in sculpting my glutes. I need to lose about 20 pounds, and I do know that I'll need to diet and do cardio to help with this. But once those pounds have been shed, I want to have "buns of steel" to show off. What, in your opinion, is the No. 1 glute exercise?

Joe: You know, I've never paid too much attention to glute-building in the past. After all, none of the thousands of male bodybuilders I've personally coached have asked me for my advice on butt development. Yours is not an uncommon interest among female trainees, however, and so I do have advice to offer.

There are devices out there designed specifically to hit the gluteal region, both in the gym and home equipment. However, to my way of thinking, there's no need to perform an exercise that targets only the glutes when a number of leg-building exercises also work the backside. Among these are below-parallel squats, lunges and stiff-legged deadlifts. Also, leg presses performed with the feet spaced wide are good for working the glutes.

Below I've outlined a leg routine that, if performed twice a week, should get your glutes into fine shape within two months' time.

Joe's Glute-Leg Program

Exercise —— Sets —— Reps

Below-parallel squats —— 3 —— 15

Walking lunges —— 2* —— 20

Stiff-legged deadlifts —— 2 —— 15

Wide-stance leg press —— 3 —— 10

* Take 20 deep steps with hands on hips, rest for one minute, then repeat.

Joe Weider is acclaimed as "the father of modern bodybuilding" and the founder of the world's leading fitness magazines, including Shape, Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Hers, Golf for Seniors and others published worldwide in over 20 languages.To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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