Aaron KernMartial Artist

Executive EditorFounderBryce Mills

brycemills@atownmagazine.comTwitter: @lastgeek

Layout DesignerElizabeth Zappa

Lizzappa@atownmagazine.comTwitter: @LizZappa89

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A-Town Magazine is printed monthly by Short Run Printing, Ltd., and is distributed for free at various businesses throughout Aberdeen. Content in this magazine or on the website should not be copied in any way without written permission from the executive editor. A-Town Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Materials will only be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope, so it is preferred material simply be sent via email. Content and opinions expressed in the A-Town Magazine are solely the opinion of their writers. A-Town Magazine neither condones nor condemns the content of these articles, advertisements, or editorial material. © 2013 A-Town Magazine. All rights reserved.

Victoria LuskBook ReviewerLoves reading novels, especially with a glass of wine.

Kieran Sinclair Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach with ASCA. Competitive powerlifter and Strongman. Has worked all over the globe with clients from all walks of life. Contact him at kieransinc@yahoo.com.au.

Haley ZerrFashion ExpertLiterature junkie. Television addict. Fashion enthusiast. English Major at NSU, class of ‘13.

Erin WolterRock ‘n’ Roll Enthusiast. Musician –plays bass guitar.

Marissa RitterI’m full of wisdom and stuff. I also seem to be pantsless most of the time.

Magazine Info

May 2013 atownmagazine.com 1

Maggie GouldCreative Writing ContributorSenior at Northern State University, aiming to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. Hobbies include writing poetry and short stories and engaging in other fine arts such as painting and drawing.

Video Game Review: Bioshock Infinite

pg. 11

Music Review:Volbeat

Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladiespg. 11

Drink of the Month: Fixed Gear

pg. 12

Musician Spotlight: Matty FX and Ish The Stomach

p. 4

Feature:Aaron KernMartial Artist

pg. 8

Events Calendarpg. 3

May Fashionpg. 6

The Hemline: Festival Fashionpg. 10

Bad Advice for Horrible People pg. 10

Creative Writing: The Revival of Civilizationpg. 12

Health and Fitness: Sit-Ups? Just Say “No.”pg. 13

Features

Regulars

Reviews

Table of Contents

ActivitiesMay 2Fallout Art & Music NightRed Rooster. 2 p.m. Free.

Get Creative with Free Art Supplies, Free Food, and more.

May 9“Taste of Home” Cooking School ShowDakota Event Center. All day. $12/ person.Hub City Radio is sponsoring the “tasteofhome” cooking school show at the DEC. Tickets can be purchased at Kessler’s. Booths are open from 4-7 p.m. and the cooking demonstration will begin at 7 p.m.

May 11-12 | 18-19 | 26-27Northeast Area Horse RacingBrown County Fairgrounds. 1-5 p.m. Free.

Enjoy 3 weekends of horse racing in Aberdeen!

May 18Custom Cruisers “Back to the Basics” Show and ShineParking lot next to The Pub. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

“Back to the Basics” Show and Shine to kick-off the third season

of the Custom Cruisers.

Car, Truck, Bike, Vehicles of all kinds.

May 31Final FridayDowntown. 6 p.m. Free.Final Friday features a full range of local and regional talent providing live music in Downtown Aberdeen.

May 312013 Brown County Speedway Car Races - Season OpenerBrown County Fairgrounds. 7:30 -11 p.m.

Season passes are $155 or you may purchase your ticket at the

entrance.

Track promoter again this season will be former track champion

Nick Guthmiller of Aberdeen.

SportsMay 4Walk MS: AberdeenPlymouth Congregational Church. 10 a.m.-12 p.m.Registration begins at 9:00 a.mMoney raised at Walk MS speeds new treatments for those people with MS, ensures financial support for people dealing with the havoc MS causes, and supports local programs.

May 11thA-Town Roller Girlz vs BisMan BombshellzBrown Country Fairgrounds. 6 p.m.$12 at the door, $10 in advance. If you are cancer survivor and wear your shirt or sash, admission is $5. Children 10 and under are free.

Support your local sports teams!

May EventsIn and Around Aberdeen

Have an upcoming event you want added to our Events Calendar? Email us: staff@atownmagazine.com

Art and MusicMay 5Aberdeen Area Men’s Chorus “Spring Concert”First Presbyterian Church. 3 p.m.

Adults: $10, Students and children 18 and under: free.

ickets are available at Engel Music, Kessler’s and Ken’s Super Fair

Foods. You may also purchase tickets from any chorus member.

May 24The March DivideRed Rooster. 8 p.m. Free.

This will be a solo show on the first night of the annual Art & Bicycle

Spectacle- 3-day fest of bicycles, art and live music! Outdoor stage!

May 26Anja McCloskeyRed Rooster. 5 p.m. Free.

UK alternative musician.

Events Calendar

May 2013 atownmagazine.com 3

4

Matty FX and Ish The StomachMatty FX and Ish The Stomach

By Bryce MillsMusician Spotlight

Who are you?Matty: Matty FXIsh: Ish The StomachWhat do you do?Matty: Play Music?Ish: I rap. I write lyrics.Matty: I sing songs. I try to entertain. I like

to think life is fun.Ish: Life is fun. I don’t know. I rap and

a I carve stone. I like to write words and images, poetry, and sh*t. I try to be pseudo-intellectual and hate myself for it.

What kind of rapper are you?Ish: I don’t write gangster stuff; I don’t

write battle stuff. Most of the time I write about girls who have screwed me over. To be honest, I just write about sh*tty relationships. When I look at the body of work, I like to think of all the broads that I write about as my relationship with Aberdeen. There is a certain story that I don’t know how to tell but every time I’m bitter and every time I’m happy I feel the same about this town.

Matty: Project your feelings on to your surroundings…or maybe they just work together.

Ish: Yeah they work together. Maybe it’s just a good excuse. I like this play as much as I don’t like it. That ambiguity, that being torn, helps with the process.

Matty, what kind of musician are you?

Matty: I started out playing bass. I played with a couple playing guitar and singing and writing songs. Mostly singer/songwriter stuff now. I play acoustic guitar and sing songs about whatever I’m feeling. Experiences I’ve had or experiences I’ve had added in with a bit of fiction to make them more exciting. I guess I’ve always been a punk kid, but people tell me I’ve always been a hippie kid. Just a person in general, I like to push the envelope and see if I can make people uncomfortable and I feel like a bit of that comes through in my music. Just my expression of myself.

Ish: I would like to call you folk punk. How do you feel about that label?

Matty: It’s probably generally correct.What inspires you as musicians?Ish: Sometimes I approach words without

any specific intent. I like to feel the texture of a word. When I’m coming off verses or rhyme schemes, when I’m putting them together, I like to feel the texture of a word. When I try and connect it to some kind of content, I gravitate to the most easily accessible sh*t I’ve been going through lately, be it conspiracy theories or broads I don’t feel good about. I like words. I like language. The fluidity of it. It’s fun.

Matty: Couple things from me. Quite a bit of it is from inspiration from circumstances and wanting to express feeling I have from circumstances, as well as just a general cure for boredom. It’s just an expression of what I’m feeling and a cure for boredom.

How did you get started in music?Matty: My parents are pastors and I got

started playing music for church. I got piano lessons when I was really young. My older brother Marshall plays guitar and I always wanted to start that so I needed to learn the bass because he already played guitar. So I learned the bass and I played with him some and with the church bands. When I was 14 or 15 I started writing my own songs.

Ish: I can say that to a certain extent that church and religion allowed me to get some of my first performances. I was like 6 the first time I was on stage in front of people. I played an Archangel in some Christmas Carol thing.

The first time I did my own original material happened at the Red Rooster Coffee House. It was smaller then; it was about half the size it is now. There was a stage tucked in the back. I was influenced by slam poetry. It was just a mode of expression that I wanted to use as a tool. Back then Adam Hooks was making music. He still does. It’s great.

Matty: Adam Hooks’ stuff’s awesome.Ish: So many people come out of this town.Matty: It’s true. Aberdeen’s very blessed to

have a lot of gifted musicians.Ish: I love the way people are expressing

themselves here. That amount of freedom. You can fear judgment but it really doesn’t happen. Artists are given a stage; given a voice. That’s important. We all get a chance to have our voice. I love it.

Matty: That’s one aspect of Aberdeen that’s very beautiful.

Ish: Yeah. I started at the Red Rooster and then performed in Albuquerque. Then I performed as an actor. Then I started making music here. This town has been the best, just letting me make music.

Why should people come see you perform?

Matty: We’re performing together on May 31 for the Final Friday at Slackers. We are releasing two split EPs that are going to be both my music and Ishmael’s music.

Ish: One of them is free!Matty: One of them is free, that is me doing

covers and Ish doing covers or doing songs he can not legally sell.

Ish: Yeah, I’m rhyming over beats other people made.

Matty: We are calling it our Free Trade EP. Do something cool and that seems fair for whatever we invested in it. The second one is original material of both Ishmael’s and mine. We’re calling it, “Eat, Snort, Smoke” and it’s a split of songs I’ve been working for the past three years to a week ago.

Ish: I’m going to have two beats that are produced by local musicians. Rad Jackson produced one of them. Fat Cat recorded and engineered it. Fat Cat OGC. Plus acoustic tracks with me and Michael, Matty’s little brother.

Matty: Also May 31st is going to be our tour kick off, as well as a CD release party. After that show, the next day we are playing in Mankota, then the next week we’re playing in Sioux Falls, Omaha, Kansas City. We’re going to be traveling, playing out music. So May 31st is going to be the last chance that you will get to see us for awhile. That’s why I think people should come and see us. If they haven’t heard us, it’s their chance to check us out.

Anything else you want to say?Matty: Check out our tour site:

travelingandbroke.com. It has our tour dates on it, it has bios, and music of Ishmael’s and mine. And yeah, stay safe and more important than that, have fun. Don’t get busted.

Ish: Keep supporting local music. I started here and I always want to see local artists making moves, doing something, making some news. We’re adding the pulse. Everyone who comes and supports us, you’re a big part of it. I want to go out there and hit the road. Thank you for giving me the confidence to do so.

May 2013 atownmagazine.com 5

6

MayFashion

Feel like looking sharp for class or work? Try bright colored or pastel skinny jeans with a nice low heel for comfort and style! Match the heels with a nice shirt; this is a “cowl-necked”, 3/4 shirt. Add a belt for extra pizzazz! You can never go wrong with a bow in your hair and this headband helps it sit just right so you don’t have to worry about it moving around on you during your busy schedule.

Fashion

7

Going out on the town? Wear a classic “little black dress” and you are sure to turn heads. But remember, where we live you can go from cold to hot and back again in one day! So to keep it versatile, wear a cropped jacket that, of course, matches those nice long heels you keep in the back of your closet for this exact occasion!

Modeled by Alli Heidrich

Under the direction of 5th Degree Master Nathan Schutz, Strongheart Martial Arts academy offers training in several martial arts: Hapkido (the Korean art of street self-defense), Kumdo (the Korean art of the sword), and Taekwondo. Classes are geared towards training the student as a whole. Strongheart is also a proud member of Greenquist Academy of Taekwondo in Breckenridge, Minn., the United States Changmookwan Taekwondo Union, World Chang Moo Kwan, and the World Taekwondo Federation.

What do you enjoy most about Martial Arts?

I really enjoy the camaraderie. Most of my friends and people I hang out with participate in TKD or I have trained with them at some point.

Do you have any favorite moves?

I really enjoy the Hapkido part of my training.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

Besides obtaining a 2nd degree black belt? Just this last year I took 2nd place in sparing at the United States Changmookwan Taekwondo Federation National Championships.

What is it like teaching others?

It has its pros and cons. Most often I teach or help teach kids ages 5-15. It’s a very rewarding feeling as you watch them test and progress towards their next rank, and yet sometimes you just

Tell me about yourself.I was born in Germany but

moved to the United States before I was old enough to remember. My family moved to the Groton area when I was entering the 4th Grade and I have been in the area ever since. I am “currently” a 5th year senior at Northern State University with a double major in Biology and Chemistry and a minor in Psychology

When and why did you get into Martial Arts?

I started Martial arts in 2008 (my freshman year in college) after seeing a booth for the NSU Taekwondo Club at the Fall Activity Fair.

How far have you progressed since then?

Since I started training I have reached 2nd Dan (AKA second degree black belt)

What level belt are you? What did you have to do to earn it?

I am a second degree. All of our belt advancement is determined by testing. These tests consist of several different aspects: Patterns, kicking and other technique/action based combinations, some oral subject, and board breaking. Of course, it’s hard to excel at anything without a great attitude and dedication for what you do.

What is Strongheart Martial Arts Academy?

Strongheart Martial Arts Academy is the headquarters and Main Gym for several gyms and numerous Taekwondo students in Northeastern South Dakota. Strongheart has gyms located in Groton, Ipswich, Bowdle, NSU, Ortonville, and Rapid City.

By Bryce Mills

Aaron KernMartial Artist

have to wonder if they just live on sugar.What are your goals and aspirations?I am currently looking at graduate school

where I’d either pursue a Ph.D. or perhaps go to medical school to become a Doctor (MD).

Who do you look up to in Martial Arts?

I really look up to all the teachers I’ve had. I’ve trained with a lot of great people including 8th degree Grandmaster Eric Greenquist and I even had the chance to train under 10th degree Great Grandmaster Moo Yong Yoon.

What would you say to someone interested in Martial Arts?

Just try it. It’s as simple as that. You don’t know if you’ll enjoy it until you come into the gym and kick around a little bit.

Feature

8

The sun is starting to burn through the clouds of winter and that

means music festival season is upon us. Whether you are attending any of the Music on Main events, Rock Fest, or even the Brown County Fair, festival fashion is one of the best things about summer. So bring out that sunscreen and let’s rock!

If you don’t follow any other trend this summer, you must try the high waist denim trend. Denim is so big for

summer this year. Don’t be afraid to even pull a Macklemore and head to the thrift shop, obtain some beat up Levi’s, and cut ‘em off.

The HemlineBy Haley Zerr

The Long & Short of A-Town FashionAdding studs to one side, if you’re feeling crafty, makes your pair even more unique.

Pair your denim shorts with a screen tee or tank. I prefer throwback

MTV, back when they played music (you know, good MTV). Shove on your statement sunglasses; dust off your Dr. Martin’s, add a vest for a layered look. You’ll be the envy of all.If you are more of the girly-

girl festival flair, go with the high-low skirt. Floral prints are perfect for

any summer day. A lace tank and a denim vest, also on-trend for the season, with lace-up sandals will be a stunning fit to any festival. Float-y, airy dresses are an ideal fashion choice for those humid South Dakota days and nights. Plus, when you’re rocking, you don’t want to be fussing with your look so go with a simple dress and sandal look.

Finally, don’t forget to bring along the Hemline’s festival necessities. Comfort is key; no matter what

you wear you must be comfortable and stay true to your style. Always have a water bottle on hand and sunscreen with at least 30 SPF because no one likes sunburn. Bring along extra layers like a cardigan, a jacket or a zip-up hoodie for breezy S.D. evenings. What’s a better way to tote all essentials than a backpack? Printed

or striped exudes summer ease. And the number one

necessity: a camera. Because you are going to make this summer one you’ll never want to forget.

For more fashion tips, check out Haley’s blog:

hemlinelongandshort.blogspot.com! All outfits

created on Polyvore.

Fashion Advice

10 May 2013 atownmagazine.com

Dear Rissa,I think my boyfriend is cheating on me. We’ve been together for

almost three years and up until recently, have been really happy. Lately he’s been texting someone all the time and when I’ve asked him who, he just says that it’s one of his guy friends. The other day I snooped through his phone and all his texts had been deleted. – Suspicious but Hopeful

Dear Suspicious,Is your boyfriend a drug dealer? Cause drug dealers and cheating

boyfriends are the only ones who take the time to delete their texts. If your man is, in fact, employed legally then I’m sorry but your man is spending time with someone that isn’t you, and probably doing it naked. You could break up with him or if you’re feeling more adventurous, invite his other “lady” to join in your bedroom activities. Do some research on polygamy. Polygamy sounds like something your boyfriend would like. Good luck. – Riss

Bad Advice for Horrible PeopleDear Rissa,My best friend has dropped out of college, got engaged to

her new boyfriend of five months, and just told me that she’s pregnant. I want to be supportive and be her friend, but I don’t agree with what she’s doing with her life. How do I support her as my friend when I can’t support her choices? – Conflicted

Dear Conflicted,Well, your friend is an idiot. She’s screwing up her life,

and you can’t do anything but watch her downward spiral. I recommend lots of alcohol, for you, not for your friend – she’s prego, no booze for her. If you’re going to be around to watch her train wreck of a life, you’re going to need something to help you get through it. Bonus, if you become an alcoholic, you both will be train wrecks! Twinzies! - Riss

(If you want good advice, go somewhere else)

Bad Advice

Having problems with work, money, family, school, or relationships? Send your sob story (preferably as a question) to staff@atownmagine.com to have all your problems judged!

In Bioshock Infinite, the player takes the role of Booker Dewitt, a man tasked with rescuing

the mysterious Elizabeth from a floating city. Elizabeth’s captive home, Columbia, is an early American paradise whose citizens worship the founders of our country as much as they do their prophet Comstock, the leader of this impossible city. Once you rescue Elizabeth from her tower, you discover she has the ability to rip tears into reality to alternate worlds. Her abilities aren’t the only secrets Columbia is hiding behind all the shine of patriotism and paradise.

Bioshock’s story is a beautifully crafted masterpiece that may only be possible to be told through a video game. The game balances a story filled with deep mystery, not just of Columbia or it’s unique citizens but of Booker’s troubled past and how he found himself on this mission, with

Bioshock Infinite Available on PC, Xbox 360, PS3

By Bryce Mills

deep commentary on the extreme paradise of Columbia and those who are forced into slavery so that people may live in bliss. Experiences of carefree singing and parades are contrasted with those killing for food and the chance to work. Taking in this world with the unspoiled princess that is Elizabeth only adds to the experience. Bioshock Infinite is worth playing for just the story alone.

Which is good, because the combat does have some issues. Players are able to fight with a small selection of guns and unique powers called “Vigors” which can shock enemies, call forth a swarm of birds, or hypnotize the enemy. Though even with these options, the combat seems

rather boring at times when you are simply left to pour bullets into enemies one after another, especially when certain enemies seem to only absorb your attacks. While the combat is quite fun early on, by the end of the game it starts to become a chore. The fights start to be an unreasonable pain before the next section of story.

To put it bluntly, Bioshock Infinite is a masterpiece. It is a game with flaws, but it is still an experience that will leave you awe-inspired long after the credits roll. Bioshock Infinite will be remembered and spoke of by gamers for a very long time to come and should not be missed.

May 2013 atownmagazine.com 11

Video Game Review

To my adoring fans who have been reading my column, I have a

confession to make: I’m not quite the rock+roll guru that my super-awesome editor-in-chief makes me out to be (thanks for the flattery though, Brycey Wycey!) Why, you ask? For many of the albums I’ve reviewed, I haven’t heard much of the artists’ previous works—sometimes, my reviews are my method of getting acquainted with the artists themselves.

Volbeat Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

By Erin Wolter

Volbeat happens to be one of those bands. Their name first appeared across my musical radar about a year or two ago, but it wasn’t until after their single “A Warrior’s Call” gained radio airplay at the end of 2012 that I actually started paying attention to them. Upon further research (read: scanning their Wikipedia article and obsessing with their YouTube channel for a week), I’ve come to the conclusion that I dig their sound. And just in time for me to write another review, they’ve released a new album. Thanks, guys!

Volbeat, hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, gave me an initial impression of a heavier Social Distortion—sharing the same influences of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, and a rockabilly-cowpunk sound with metallic aggression.

Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies stays true to form, delivering anthems of their

signature hard rock + country style, invoking Old West imagery with track titles like “Let’s Shake Some Dust” (the album’s acoustic-heavy, harmonica- and Vibraslap-infused instrumental introduction), “The Hangman’s Body Count”, “Black Bart”, and “Doc Holliday”— you can get a good idea of what Volbeat’s favorite subject matter is.

The album also includes collaborations with fellow Dane King Diamond (“Room 24”) and English singer Sarah Blackwood (“Lonesome Rider”).

For a person who’s not much into twangy music, I’m impressed with Volbeat’s ability to incorporate it flawlessly into their style and still be a fairly heavy band. For this, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies earns a four-star rating from yours truly and Volbeat has officially gained a new fan.

Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, released April 9, is available everywhere music is sold.

Music Review

12 May 2013 atownmagazine.com

What happened to original thought?Is civilization no more than battles between copyrights and copy-cats?Has every eloquent phrase already been said Every stroke of the pencil or paintbrush already drawn?

I refuse to believe that our creativity diedwith the thoughts of Socratesor the works of Shakespeare.I refuse to believe that imagination suffered extinctionwith the last of Dr. Seuss’struffula trees.

Have we lost the distinction between inspiration and plagiarism?Have we lost sight of imagination and what it means to truly create somethingOut of the very depths of ourselves?

And here we have our answer: Civilization today has lost the desire to be great. We’ve succumbed to the idea that everything worth noting has already been noted. Every great monument built. Every wonder of the world already written into history.

Now, thinking for ourselves is inconvenient. We have forgotten the gift of our humanity.

And here we have our solution: Do something great – construct a monument to rival the Empire State Building. Do something magical – be the mind behind the next Hogwarts. Do something heroic – be your own Stan Lee. Do something simple – draw a stickman. Doodle in the margins of your business proposals and your term papers.

Just think.And think for yourself.

The Revival of CivilizationBy Margaret Gould

Creative Writing

Fixed GearLakefront Brewery

By Jon Hepola, Co-owner Slacker Bar

Style: In my experience, when you open an American Red Ale you can generally expect a balanced beer. It will have a good amount of malt flavor along side a fruity hop taste.

Appearance: Some noticeable sediment comes out along with the orangey red beer. Pours just a touch over one finger of creamy head that dissipates within a minute.

Smell: Citrus hops hit the nose first with a little bit of malt sweetness at the end.

Taste and Mouthfeel: A sweet caramel taste. There are some sweet fruit flavors as well, but not an aggressive hop flavor. It has a medium-light body and almost no carbonation.

Overall, it’s a good beer. I like all of Fixed Gears flavors in a red ale, but they’re just not as strong as I would like them to be.

I would like to give this beer 79/100. I like it and I’ll always be happy to drink one, but it may not be the first beer I buy every night.

IBU: 54ABV: 6.8%

Drink of the Month

By Kieran Sinclair

Sit-ups and all their variants have long been established in the exercise community

as a measure of abdominal strength and the key to some seriously ripped abs. However, even overlooking things like spot-reduction of fat (non-existent) and practical application of strength, (unless you are a competitive grappler, how frequently are you engaged in an activity that requires you to lay flat and wrest upwards against resistance?) sit-ups are a cornerstone in everything from back pain to poor posture.

Essentially, whenever you perform a sit-up, you are pulling your sternum and ribcage closer to your hips dozens, if not hundreds, of times and in doing so are promoting a rounded spine, hunched shoulders, tight hips and protruded

Sit-Ups? Just Say “No.”

1) Lay face up, take a deep breath, and compress your abdominal muscles like someone is going to punch you in the guts.2) Resume breathing, but maintain the tension in your abs. From here, pull your knees to your chest.

3) Maintain the 90-degree angle at your knees and lower your heels to the ground. Tap, then constrict your abs more to pull your hips up and return to start.4) Repeat.

Name Sets Reps Rest TargetsReverse Crunch or Dragon Flag

1-6 12 30-60 seconds Rectus abdominus, Obliques

PROGRAMMING CLIFFS

neck – the same postural deformities garnered from sitting slumped at a work desk all day – and the same traits that identified Paleolithic man!

Without going into great detail, all the above listed postural changes are what cause you to experience aching backs, sore necks and wonky hips at the end of a workday. So why are you coming into the gym and repeating those same motions?

Just to drive the point home, in Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation, Dr. Stuart McGill noted that the traditional sit-up places about 3300 N of compression on the spine which, incidentally, was rated as the action limit by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health!

What does that all mean? Well, simply put, an “action limit” is the point (limit) in a force-curve where additional movement (action) at the specified load will cause damage to the supporting structures (the discs in your spine). NIOSH discovered that repetitive loading at 3300 N of compression has been linked with higher injury rates in workers, yet you hit this limit every time you do a sit-up!

But I’m not all Bad-News Bear. There are alternative activities that strengthen and shape your abdominal muscles in a much safer and practical fashion. The great thing about abs is you can train them every day! Start with one set of twelve and work up to as many as you feel like.

May 2013 atownmagazine.com 13

Health and Fitness

Reverse Crunch

You want to ensure that you compress your abs as much as possible throughout and that your lower back is pressed firmly into the floor. If you can’t feel the floor, the rep doesn’t count.

Dragon FlagFor those that find Reverse Crunches too easy, try it with straight legs.Remember: Lower back pressed hard into the floor. If you feel effort in the top of your thighs, you haven’t activated your abs properly. Stop and reset.