What do you do for your lower abdominals?

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renae161
renae161 Posts: 334 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What exercises do you do for your lower abdomen?
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  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,990 Member
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    The best ab exercise from lower to upper is the hanging straight leg raise, where you hang from a bar and lift your legs w/o bending your knees to touch the bar w/your shins or toes.

    Very difficult to do but nothing really better to work your abs. Secondary benefit of this compound movement is the strengthening of your obliques and lower back (which together w/the abs make up your core), hip flexors, arms, shoulders and grip. Far superior to sit-ups and crunches which are isolation exercises of limited utility and greater potential for injury.

    If you can't do them, you can work up to them in a progression which is well documented on the Net. Hanging knee raises and the 1/2 leg raise (in the L position) are the 2 stages below doing a full hanging straight leg raise. Beyond that are the V position (where you hold your legs at the bar), the "windshield wiper" and other variations. Just Google "hanging leg raise progression" for further information.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Reverse Crunches or Leg Raises
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    To reduce fat? Eating less.

    To build muscle? Hanging leg raises, dragon flag, V sits.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    GF Bangs
  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
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    Hanging leg raises.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Hanging leg raises and inverted pike headstands.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
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    The exercises I currently notice a difference from are fork put-downs and Spanx squeezes. I also do front squats and deadlifts which I'm told work my abs along with a bunch of other muscles.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    I see that no one has made the annoying "can't spot reduce fat" remark yet, so i will. :+1:
  • renae161
    renae161 Posts: 334 Member
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    Um...I wasn't spot reducing. I am aware how exercising works. I was just making sure I included something that included that area as well. I'm told crunches are no good for the abdominal area, but squats, dead lifts, push ups and things like that are. I am doing push ups, planks, squats and things like that, but I didn't know what exercises target what. I downloaded an app to tell me what exercises they have listed do what.
  • joans1976
    joans1976 Posts: 2,201 Member
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    @renae161 What app? I need all the help I can get!
  • renae161
    renae161 Posts: 334 Member
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    I have a few more on my phone I got today, but the one I was mentioning is called fitness and body building idk if Iphones have it, but it's free in the app store for android user's.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Here's a great read on the abdominals and which exercises give you the most bang for your buck: https://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/muscles/abdominals/
    (Warning: Sales pitch at the top of the page, but you can scroll right past it)
  • renae161
    renae161 Posts: 334 Member
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    Ok, great thank you! I will read it tonight before I go workout. I'm half torn if I should go for a run this evening or not. Usually I just go workout for 30 min and the occasional walk every so often, but I wanted to go for a run this week. The only problem is people have sighted more of those "killer clowns" popping up around town the closer Halloween approaches.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Lizarking wrote: »
    Hanging leg raises.

    I do these but not in a straight hang, on that machine where you rest your forearms so you're more supported, I assume this doesn't impact on ab engagement but will minimise shoulder / back involvement?
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    renae161 wrote: »
    I was just making sure I included something that included that area as well.

    Self-designed programs usually end up imbalanced. For the best results, follow a strength program designed by a professional (NROL4W, Stronglifts, etc). :+1:
  • renae161
    renae161 Posts: 334 Member
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    There's only one gym in my town and it's fairly small and doesnt have much room, so I'd rather just workout at home and do my own thing. But, the workout routine I got going on is showing great results. And, I'm keeping up on top of it. Doing it everyday. Last night I actually took it up a notch and felt great afterwards.

    And, last time I saw a professional he tried to sell me on a pitch about how I need a personal trainer and then proceeded by showing me a body building fitness model that was super muscular everywhere and had her stomach pulled in way too much in the picture and just didn't look healthy to me. It was just really off putting and I told them no cause that's not what I'm looking for. Plus on here I can ask any questions I may have to help me.

    I will gradually buy more home equipment over time and take any advice or suggestion's into consideration if they're a possibility for me.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    I have a yoga mat at home and set a timer for 15 minutes of planks. 30 seconds on and 30 seconds rest.
  • renae161
    renae161 Posts: 334 Member
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    I have a yoga mat and do planks too, but I need to buy a new mat. Mine is wearing down and cracking now.

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