How to get Taylor Lautner’s abs
His workout
In order to get Lautner ready for his role as ripped werewolf Jacob, Jordan Yuam, Lautner’s trainer throughout the entire “Twilight” series, used a combination of classic moves like hanging leg raises and reverse crunches to define his muscles and build up strength. Yuam also integrated yoga poses and a Power Plate machine to enhance results.
“Taylor’s always up for a challenge, he’s so focused and disciplined,” says Yuam. “We’d meet up four times a week to chisel away fat and build up his muscles.”
When he wasn’t filming, Lautner’s body fat varied between 10 to 12 percent, but for “Twilight,” Yuam would bring it down to 7 percent.
The (super) power
Yuam says he got Lautner using the Power Plate machine (www.powerplate.com) for a high-speed workout on a vibrating platform, which causes muscles to contract as a reflex, creating internal heat that increases circulation, oxygenates blood flow and flushes out toxins.
“It’s instrumental to my work,” says Yuam. “I use it to create muscle and for postworkout recovery. Working out is about recovery and the plate loosens up your stabilizers so you don’t get sore. The idea isn’t to do thousands of reps — 25 is enough (12 minutes on the plate). I don’t believe in workouts that last more than 50 minutes.”
Now do the workout
Here are three of the key abs moves Lautner did to prepare for “Breaking Dawn.” (Sorry, we drew him wearing a shirt.)
1: HANGING LEG RAISES
“This helped bring out and thicken Taylor’s upper torso,” says Yuam. “Hanging leg raises helped round out Taylor’s abs. It brings out the muscles around the upper corners of the rib cage and wraps around into his back muscles. I also use this exercise to lengthen the torso. He would do various positions moving from the rectal ab area to the oblique area. I had to make sure not to use too many oblique movements because I was weary about adding too much thickness to his waistline.”
How to do it: Grab a chin up bar overhand and hang with your feet together and your knees bent slightly. Bend your knees to lift your thighs up to your chest. When the front of your thighs reach your chest, hold the position and exhale fully. Then slowly lower your knees back to the starting position, consciously inhaling fully. Try widening your legs a little more each time to increase the effectiveness.
Aim for: 12-15 reps, holding for 10 counts each time
2: REVERSE CRUNCH
“This is Taylor’s least favorite move,” says Yuam.
How to do it: Lie like the picture. Then lift your feet off the floor so your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your legs parallel to the floor. Exhale on your way up, pulling your knees in toward your chest, and lift your hips off the floor. As you pull your legs in, twist your torso and angle both knees towards your left shoulder to work the obliques.
Aim for: Three sets of 12-15 reps
3: POWER PLATE CRUNCHES
“Taylor hated these — they made him feel like he was choking. Power plate crunches and bicycle crunches take time to get used to. It may feel uncomfortable and breathing must be adjusted. The direct stimulation helped tighten his whole back area.”
Aim for: Two sets of 60-second crunches and one or two sets of 60-second bicycle crunches
