Lower abdominal exercise....

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I've been losing weight since Jan 1st. To date, I have lost 35 pounds. I've noticed things with my body shifting. I went from no exercise at all to walking about 2 miles a day and doing light weights with my arms. The one thing I haven't focused on yet is my stomach.

I'm short and I have the defined '2 rolls'. I know crunches can help with the 'top roll'. The bottom roll is what I'm looking to get rid of. There are clothes that I have that fit at my waist, but they are super tight across the lower abdomen. I've tightened up quiet a bit just from the walking because I do hills, but I got on youtube to look at lower abdominal exercises and I saw where you lay on the floor and lift your legs parallel and bring them to your chest.

That is almost impossible for me to do more than 1 or 2 just because my muscles are so week. Any suggestions on what I can do to help strengthen them before I try to do those? Will just regular crunches help that?
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Replies

  • christinekojack
    christinekojack Posts: 96 Member
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    Bump,,, i have the exact same question!!!
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 910 Member
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    while EVERYBODY will come screaming to this post saying you cant target reduce your body, i think its important to focus on things that make you FEEL good abt yourself, or as tho you are working the area you want to reduce.

    if i were you i would invest in a DVD for yourself. target the abs if you want.. but i always say this bc i love it so much, get a kettlebell and work it baby! it works your entire body, and blows the abs up!
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    while EVERYBODY will come screaming to this post saying you cant target reduce your body, i think its important to focus on things that make you FEEL good abt yourself, or as tho you are working the area you want to reduce.

    Pinching my nipples makes me feel good about myself, is it good for fat loss?
  • marmitegirly2
    marmitegirly2 Posts: 35 Member
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    On the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD she says the reverse crunch (I think that's the name) is for the lower tummy pouch. It's the one where you do a crunch with your back flat but bring up your hips so your bottom is off of the floor. Hope this makes sense!
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 910 Member
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    while EVERYBODY will come screaming to this post saying you cant target reduce your body, i think its important to focus on things that make you FEEL good abt yourself, or as tho you are working the area you want to reduce.

    Pinching my nipples makes me feel good about myself, is it good for fat loss?

    whatever floats your boat
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,634 Member
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    Find a support you can hold on to. Starting with just one leg while standing and holding onto the support, lift your leg up with a bent knee as high as you can. Do this for 20 reps if you can then do the other side.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kjensen15
    kjensen15 Posts: 398 Member
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    I think a lot of people would admit that working your lower abs is one of the toughest areas to work. I know it is for me rignt now b/c I just had c-section a little over 3 months ago! I kind of feel like I"m starting for scratch right now. In reality to lose your "rolls" you will have to continue to lose fat, but strengthing your core will help with your posture. Having better posture can make you appear leaner, which is always a plus!

    Any ab excercise where you raise your legs is going to work that lower ab area. You can modify legs raises until you get stronger, instead of lying on your back with your legs straight and lifting them up and down do it with your legs bent at a 90 degree angle. Most ab excercises there are ways to modify them until you can do the full version. If you can only do 1 or 2 of an excercise do that, then the next week do 5, then the next week do 10, then the next week try 2 of the unmodified version and 8 modified, and so on, and so on.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    while EVERYBODY will come screaming to this post saying you cant target reduce your body, i think its important to focus on things that make you FEEL good abt yourself, or as tho you are working the area you want to reduce.

    Pinching my nipples makes me feel good about myself, is it good for fat loss?

    LOL!!
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Find a support you can hold on to. Starting with just one leg while standing and holding onto the support, lift your leg up with a bent knee as high as you can. Do this for 20 reps if you can then do the other side.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Love to do these but with both knees on the Captain's chair at the gym. The one where you prop up on your elbows and let your feet hang. You can do straight leg lifts or bring both knees up high while keeping your abs tight, you can definitely feel it!
  • Behl9
    Behl9 Posts: 95 Member
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    while EVERYBODY will come screaming to this post saying you cant target reduce your body, i think its important to focus on things that make you FEEL good abt yourself, or as tho you are working the area you want to reduce.

    Pinching my nipples makes me feel good about myself, is it good for fat loss?


    LMAO!! If only...
  • mbajrami
    mbajrami Posts: 636 Member
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    Lay on the ground with your legs straight out and bring them up at the same time to form as much of a 90-degree angle with your body as you can...further if possible.

    My sister and I do those, and we also modify it to where she stands behind me with my head between her feet, I hold on to the backs of her shoes/heels and I bring my feet up to her, and she pushes them down while I try to control the rate that my feet move back toward the floor. When I started doing those I could barely do 20 total. Now I can do at least 4 sets of 25 or so.

    I still have fat to lose in the stomach area (I also have the divot across the bellybutton), but there is actually muscle under there, and my stomach HAS become a little more flat.

    Reverse crunches are also good from what I hear.
  • momof2winsplus
    momof2winsplus Posts: 137 Member
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    Try laying on your back and trying to lift just one leg up at a time.

    And...even if you can only do 1 or 2 of an exercise, that's no reason not to try. Next week you will be able to do 3. Then 5, then 10,
    Just keep trying!
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
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    On the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD she says the reverse crunch (I think that's the name) is for the lower tummy pouch. It's the one where you do a crunch with your back flat but bring up your hips so your bottom is off of the floor. Hope this makes sense!


    ^^^^^ THIS is exactly what I was going to say... Jillian Michaels reverse crunch
  • Pauline3290
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    Pilates will help with all of your core muscles and you can go at a pace that's right for you. If you can't get to a class Dvds are available and you don't need any special equipment. Good luck.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
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    Stand with your feet shoulder width apart on the floor and your fingers locked behind your head, elbows flaring out to the side.

    Slowly start to bend your right knee and bring it up towards your chest. At the same, take your left elbow and draw it in towards your knee. Lower your leg down and stand straight up. Switch sides, bringing your left leg up to try and meet your right elbow. As you do this, your back should arch slightly into a C-shape. Repeat 25-50 times. Concentrate on feeling the lower abs work as you do the movement. This will work your upper abdominals as well, but the leg movement will really help the lower.

    Also look up youtube videos for lumberjack swings- this will really help build your core. Start with no weight and eventually you might even be able to swing 10 or even 25 pounds.
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
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    If you have access to weights, squats and deadlifts strengthen the core like no other excersize. A reasonable calorie deficit will lessen your fuel reserve mass.
  • Lissakaye81
    Lissakaye81 Posts: 224 Member
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    You can lay on your back with both legs straight and lift them just a bit off the floor and hold them there. You only need a few inches. It is harder than you would think to hold them just a little bit off the floor. You can also hold your arms out straight overhead too. your whole body should be pretty much parallel with the floor. To make it just a little bit harder, pulse your arms and legs up and down just a touch, or do very small circles. You can work up lifting your legs higher and higher eventually
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    Although you "can't spot reduce" as the old adage says, building strength in your lower abs is really helpful with balance and overall fitness. You'll want to work on your corresponding low back muscles too. You should definitely add some standing exercises to your repertoire:

    wood chops, kettle bell swings, anything where you balance on one leg will also help, planks, pushups, superman

    Here is a good link to start with: http://www.fitsugar.com/Minka-Kelly-Workout-Routine-Gunnar-Peterson-19089151

    Good luck!
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
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    I was going to suggest something like JM six week six pack, not necessary to follow the exact program, but to do a few days a week or mix it in with whatever other stuff you do (I use her 30 shed for my cardio/strenght 2 days a week just for fitness and endurance) She does cardio as well as strength, with focus on abs in this one obviously, so you'll still be working other parts and burning fat, but also targeting the areas you most want to target as well. There are some good suggestions here to work in with my reg stuff too, so thanks people!.

    @mbajrami, I love that exercise too!

    Meg
  • askme12
    askme12 Posts: 155 Member
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    while EVERYBODY will come screaming to this post saying you cant target reduce your body, i think its important to focus on things that make you FEEL good abt yourself, or as tho you are working the area you want to reduce.

    Pinching my nipples makes me feel good about myself, is it good for fat loss?

    Depends how hard you pinch 'em,