What do you do for your lower abdominals?

renae161
renae161 Posts: 334 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What exercises do you do for your lower abdomen?
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Replies

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    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
    Reverse Crunches or Leg Raises
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    To reduce fat? Eating less.

    To build muscle? Hanging leg raises, dragon flag, V sits.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    GF Bangs
  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
    Hanging leg raises.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Hanging leg raises and inverted pike headstands.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    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: 5,208 Member
    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
    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
    @renae161 What app? I need all the help I can get!
  • renae161
    renae161 Posts: 334 Member
    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: 18,343 Member
    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
    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
    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: 5,208 Member
    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
    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
    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
    I have a yoga mat and do planks too, but I need to buy a new mat. Mine is wearing down and cracking now.
  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    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?

    makes it a lot easier. I like hanging because it also works your grip quite well. Plus hte stretch feels great after deadlifts/ohp.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Lizarking wrote: »
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    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?

    makes it a lot easier. I like hanging because it also works your grip quite well. Plus hte stretch feels great after deadlifts/ohp.

    I assume the instability makes it more difficult. Unfortunately current tendonitis won't allow ...h'oh well one day
  • mgalovic01
    mgalovic01 Posts: 388 Member
    Leg scissors
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    I do mostly planks and crunches. Hanging leg raises about 3x a week, but daily I do crunches and as many planks as I can stand.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    No-one mentioned that anatomically speaking "lower" abs aren't a thing. Your core/abdominals are engaged or they aren't. Most compound movements need you to engage the core for stability. In fact, anything that involves balance of any sort requires core engagement.

    I don't do a whole lot of core isolation work, it's dullsville to me but a few crunch and plank variations keep me in check!
  • mgalovic01
    mgalovic01 Posts: 388 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    No-one mentioned that anatomically speaking "lower" abs aren't a thing. Your core/abdominals are engaged or they aren't.

    I don't do a whole lot of core isolation work, it's dullsville to me but a few crunch and plank variations keep me in check!

    If that were true leg scissors would produce the same results as crunches. When you do them you can clearly feel that crunches are working the upper abs more, and leg scissors are working the lower abs much more. Planks work both since they lever your legs and upper body off the ground.
    I've been neglecting the abs too. I figure as long as they look alright, that's enough. I remember when I went to this boxing gym and sat in on a core class this pot- bellied guy was running. I had a six- pack. Anyways, I couldn't keep up with him, and if we got into the ring I'm sure he would have torn my body up, and not had much trouble dealing with my body shots. A strong core is probably better to have than strong arms.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    No-one mentioned that anatomically speaking "lower" abs aren't a thing.

    interesting, i just looked it up. seems like the sub-bellybutton area is mostly aponeurosis, whatever that is. now i have to go off and google that too.

    http://www.medicalook.com/human_anatomy/organs/Abdominal_muscles.html
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    renae161 wrote: »
    What exercises do you do for your lower abdomen?

    Not much.

    But when I do, hanging leg raises.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    Isometric ab exercises, weighted leg raises, reverse crunches and Nauli kriya (contractions).

  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i'm doing a lot of weighted walks right now with kettlebells.

    and deadbugs. i love me some deadbugs . . . in that 'not' kind of way.

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