Best Lower Ab Workout

Before you Spend Time on the Best Lower Ab Workout Know This

Your lower abdominals are not an individual muscle. The lower abs are just the lower part of the rectus abdominis or abdominals. If you have not yet visited the best ab exercises page you should do so.

Many people search for the best lower ab workout because it is a common problem area. Even people who most others consider skinny often have the desire to tone up or reduce the circumference of their lower abs.

The 2 primary reasons which make reducing the bulge in your lower abs doubly difficult are:

Your body likes to store fat in the lower abdominal region. This makes it doubly difficult to reduce the bulge in that area.

The fact that if you have fat covering your abdominal region you need to perform cardio, weight training, and have a healthy diet cannot be mentioned enough. If you have all that covered, you are ready to begin the best lower ab workout.

Why does the Best Lower Ab Workout use Exercises for the Abdominals and Core ?

As mentioned before, your lower ab region is the continuation of your upper abs. Solely performing lower ab exercises which attempt to isolate your lower abs will most likely be more harmful than good.

If Performed Improperly you can Risk Injury and Most Certainly will Increase the Risk of Future Back Problems best lower ab workout

Back problems will arise from tight hip flexor muscles (muscles that lift your knee up). Tight hip flexors are a common problem among the sedentary adult, and causes multiple posture problems as well as lower back pain.

To worsen the issue, tight hip flexors will cause your lower abdomen to protrude even further. This causes your abs to look like they have more fat than they actually do.

While you are performing the best lower ab workout make sure you keep your core drawn in just it is explained in the best core exercises page.

What Does Your Body Type Have to do with the Best Lower Ab Workout ?

The answer is everything! While performing exercises with the goal of targeting your lower abdominals your body type will determine which exercises to use and how many reps to perform.

If you have Anterior Pelvic Tilt and Lumbar Lordosis (arched lower back) you Must Keep your Back from Arching

To do this, you have to keep your core drawn in tightly, which means your belly button must be drawn in as far as possible to your spine. You also should keep your glutes contracted the entire time. This will take the hip flexors out and cause you to isolate your lower abdominals.

Another common issue with lower ab exercises is people with longer, larger or heavier legs. The bigger and longer your legs are the more difficult it will be to isolate your lower abs.

Form for the Best lower Ab Workout Crucial

Never sacrifice form for extra repetitions. If you are not feeling the correct muscles fatiguing or burning, stop and rest. If your legs get tired, you are using your hip flexors too much, stretch them. If you just can't seem to isolate your lower abs check out the Best Abs Exercises.

Best Lower Ab Workout which Attempts to Isolate the Lower Abdominals

Important Note: Sets and Repetitions during the Best Lower Ab workout

Working out Should Not be a Counting Exercise

As mentioned before, quality is far more important than quantity. Abdominal exercise generally get best results when you perform sets in the 20-30+ rep range. Abdominal exercises differ slightly from other exercise in regards to sets and reps.

This is because your abdominals are a type I muscle fiber. This means they are highly resistant to fatigue and should require a higher number of reps compared to the muscles in most of your body.

Hanging Leg Raises

The hanging leg raise can be one of the most effective and highest intensity lower abdominals exercises if performed properly. Raising the thighs straight up is improperly performing the exercise. To properly perform a hanging leg raise you must crunch your abs. The motion is the same whether hanging from a bar, on an abs chair.

Start: Hang from the abs chair or bar with your legs slightly bent and your hips flexed at around a 20 degree angle.

Begin the Motion: From the starting point, bring your knees up as high as you can towards your chest or chin. Lower your legs slowly to the original position with your abs contracted tightly.

Modifications: You can perform the motion with your legs straight or slightly bent. If performed properly it will be difficult to do 20 repetitions.

You can also twist your legs at the bottom and raise your knees towards your chin.

Big 40s (Leg Rolls & Circles)

Start: Lie on the floor. Beginners should sit on your hands to assure your back is not arched.

Begin the motion: You want to kick both legs together out in a controlled motion until your feet are fully extended, and bring them up and back around. Perform 10 rolls in this direction with proper form and switch to the next direction without resting.

The next motion is going the opposite direction. From a bent knee position, push your feet as far away from yourself as you can at around a 45 degree angle lower to the floor without touching then back towards your body. After 10 more keep your feet at the 45 degree angle and begin the next motions.

Next hold your legs out at a 45 degree angle and perform 10 circles clockwise and counterclockwise. For this to truly be a lower abs exercise your core must be tight and back not arched for the duration of the exercise.

Modifications: If your advanced or have light legs, you can place your hands behind your head. If you are a dynamo, you can put a medicine ball in between your feet or use ankle weights.

Side Turns

Start: Lay on the floor with your feet up in the air above your hips. Keep your legs either straight or slightly bent. Make sure to keep your legs as close to hip level as possible. Have your arms out to the side with your palms touching the floor. Keep your lower back flat against the floor for the duration of the movement.

Begin the motion: Keep your core drawn in tight. Turn your legs with your feet together sideways towards the floor. Make sure your palms are still touching the floor. When you either reach the floor, or your hands begin to come off the floor, switch directions and turn your legs to the opposite side.

Modifications: You can use a form of resistance to increase the difficulty of the best lower ab workout. This can be a accomplished with a medicine ball between your feet, ankle weights, or you can hold a stability ball between your legs. An advanced method is to perform this while on a bench press while holding a barbell.

Leg Scissors

Start: Lie on your back lift both feet a few inches off the ground. You can sit on your hands to assure your lower back remains flat against the floor and is not arched.

Begin the motion: Keep your legs fully extended or slightly bent. The first motion to move your legs up and down, alternating in a nice tight motion. There should be no movement at the knees. Remember to always keep your lower back flush against the floor and your core drawn in.

The second motion you are going to abduct (away from body) both legs as far as you can. In one continuous motion, bring them all the way back in until one passes over the other and repeat. Alternate which foot passes over the other.

Modifications: You can use ankle weights to increase the difficulty. The lower the legs are towards the floor the more difficult this part of the best lower ab workout is.

For Best Results Perform the Best Lower Ab Workout as Part of a Complete Abs Exercise Program

You may have found that it is very difficult to do all the above exercises without sacrificing your perfect exercise form. That is why I recommend that you adopt a complete balanced lower abdominal program.

You can accomplish this by varying the types of abdominal exercises you do.

Six Pack Abs

Are you looking to totally reduce the body fat around your mid section as well as have washboard abdominals?

Best Ab Exercises

Learn how to totally isolate your abdominals. Achieve the best results by varying the angles and emphasis of your exercises. Work the entire abdominal muscle group in very little time.

Best Core Exercises

Learn how to isolate your core. Doing the best core exercises could also possibly translate into the best lower ab workout especially if you have not performed isolated core exercises before.

Stability Ball Exercises

Use one of the most effective training tools ever designed. Its simplicity makes it a tremendous exercise for your lower abdominals as well as the rest of your body.

BOSU Ball Exercises

What! You have never used a BOSU ball before? More and more people are discovering these dome shaped workout wonders. Not as common as stability balls but just as effective for working your lower abdominals and the rest of your body.

Best Abs Machine

Have you ever seen those commercials on the television for abdominal machines? Chances are you have. Are these products worth the price you will pay?

Best Ab Workout Video

If you were interested in the best abs machine, you most likely have been intrigued by the videos you have seen ads for on the television. Here are some of the highest rated and best ab workout videos.

Exercise Information

Click any body part on the anatomy chart and find information. If you want only videos, check out the exercise videos