Exercises for lower abs

Hi Guys

I'm trying to tone up my lower abs. I'm using cardio (running/cross trainer) to help burn the fat. Just wanted to add some other toning exercises.

Any suggestions would be great:-)

Replies

  • JoanneKendrick
    JoanneKendrick Posts: 151 Member
    Bump
  • doctorregenerated
    doctorregenerated Posts: 188 Member
    Try some pilates :)
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    I figure it this way. You can't spot reduce, but weights, crunches, and push-ups will help me build up the muscles needed to suck it in better.
  • Whiskey2206
    Whiskey2206 Posts: 189 Member
    I do reverse sit-ups where you lay on your back then bring your legs up and lower them but don't touch the ground.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    You cannot spot reduce. Toning is just fat loss to reveal existing muscles. As for working abs, there are a lot of plank exercises that can work your abs fairly well.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Yup, can't choose where you lose. Follow the standard fat-loss plan of a calorie deficit, and full-body strength training.
  • JoanneKendrick
    JoanneKendrick Posts: 151 Member
    Thank you everyone :-)
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    can't spot reduce, but that's no reason to skip core conditioning.

    do the work now and you'll be that much closer to where you want to be when the bf% comes down.

    personally recommend hanging knee/leg raises. They are pretty advanced so you might not really be able to do them right away. and hanging from the bar is much better then using that apparatus at the gym.

    regardless of what lower ab exercise you do... i highly recommend doing them before any upper ab work. The upper abs are used a lot in lower ab work, so you will exhaust the upper abs faster when you go on to that. so if you typically do 200 crunches and then move on to leg raises, try doing leg raises first and you might reach failure on the cruches at 50 (or less)
  • Hi Joanna.

    Maybe this will help you since my girlfriend use this training exerciseon: http://onlinesmarketplace.com/free/abs. Hope this will help you.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 855 Member
    If you are toning abs, there is no distinction between upper and lower abs. The rectus abdominal muscle goes from the pubis to the sternum, from all the way down to all the way up to the ribs (search for any number of illustrations). Some type of crunch exercise is considered very good for strengthening the abdominal muscles. Crunches do not require any equipment or weights. They are simple. They are effective.

    My personal preference is the bicycle crunch because it works the legs and the abdomen. Other preferences are not wrong. Search youtube for visuals.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    If you are toning abs, there is no distinction between upper and lower abs. The rectus abdominal muscle goes from the pubis to the sternum, from all the way down to all the way up to the ribs (search for any number of illustrations). Some type of crunch exercise is considered very good for strengthening the abdominal muscles. Crunches do not require any equipment or weights. They are simple. They are effective.

    My personal preference is the bicycle crunch because it works the legs and the abdomen. Other preferences are not wrong. Search youtube for visuals.

    no disagreement, all one muscle.

    not sure why this needs to be pointed out. people often talk about working thier upper chest by doing incline bench press, and its understood that your not implying that the upper chest and chest are two different muscles

    that doesn't mean that you can't focus more on one aspect of the muscle (such as incline bench)... in fact, i'd say the difference in feel is far more dramtic when it comes to upper an lower abs. even if they were two different mucles it wouldn't really change much. upper ab muscle fibers are heavily recruited when doing lower ab work, so you will pre-exhaust them if you do lower focused work first
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    I've never had a better lower ab workout than when using an ab roller. Total lower ab scorcher in my experience.
  • wjelly
    wjelly Posts: 64 Member
    I'd recommend hasfit, search for the channel on youtube, a brilliant free resource for all sorts of workouts especially abs stuff.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    To strengthen abs, I really like hanging leg raises. They're the only targeted ab work I do.
  • lastchance2010
    lastchance2010 Posts: 494 Member
    Hi Guys

    I'm trying to tone up my lower abs. I'm using cardio (running/cross trainer) to help burn the fat. Just wanted to add some other toning exercises.

    Any suggestions would be great:-)

    I have done some free HASfit video's specifically the Warrior workout that has 3 parts. Part 2 was killer and the abs portion of it had my entire torso sore, which rarely happens! Check it out on youtube. You won't regret it. HASfit Warrior workout part 2. You may want to warm up before doing that video cuz it goes right into the super intense super physical work out.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I've never had a better lower ab workout than when using an ab roller. Total lower ab scorcher in my experience.

    even tho to many the ab roller probably looks as gimicie as the thigh master (if people even remember that), its supposed to be very effective.
  • CLM1227
    CLM1227 Posts: 61 Member
    Ace Fitness as some really great core exercises that strengthen the core without resorting to sit ups and crunches. If you want some variety in a core workout, its an excellent and effective program.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    There are no exercises that will reduce one particular spot on your body. An overall deficit coupled with resistance training and cardio is your best bet for seeing positive changes in your body composition.
  • There is no such thing as lower abs, it's just one big muscle

    For abs do deadlifts and weighted crunches.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "toning" in this context. But as long as you're only doing cardio and not adding in legitimate muscle building techniques, the only thing you can do is keep on burning the fat until you eventually start revealing the muscle that's underneath somewhere.

    Add some actual strength training to your regimen, and regardless of your goals or trouble spots you should be hitting your whole body.