Train lower abdominal muscles

Are you looking for the most effective exercises to specifically train your lower abs? Your goal is well-defined and shaped abs, but your previous training results have not been satisfactory?

You probably know that there are no separate upper and lower abs. However, with your usual ab training, it can be challenging to bring out the lower part of your abs. The following exercises aim to change that. Especially if you have limited time for training, your ab workout should deliver what it promises: specifically targeting the lower ab area. With the following five exercises, you are certainly on the right track. We'll reveal the five most effective exercises for the lower abs.

1. Bicycle Crunch or Criss Cross

Bicycle crunch, also known as criss-cross or beetle, is one of the classic exercises in ab training. It focuses on your lower and side abs. Here's how it's done: Start by lying on your back on a workout mat. Lift your shoulders slightly, bend your arms, and touch your temples with your hands.

Keep your back firmly on the ground, making sure not to arch it, and lift your legs with your knees bent. From this position, move your right shoulder towards your left knee while extending your right leg. Then switch sides, moving your left shoulder towards your right knee while extending your left leg. Aim for three sets of one minute each for an effective training session in the beginning.

2. Negative Sit-Ups

Negative sit-ups on an incline bench should not be missing from your ab training. After a few repetitions, you will understand why. Your body is under complete tension, and your lower abs especially feel every muscle being worked.

This exercise will undoubtedly bring the desired training results if you perform it regularly and with proper form. Here's how it's done: Position yourself on the incline bench by securing your feet under the holding handles and staying upright. Your torso forms a straight angle with your thighs. Now tense your body and slowly and controlledly move backward. Maintain a slight arch in your lower back and ensure your neck is straight. Keep your gaze upwards or forwards.

Don't drop onto the bench; instead, briefly touch it before returning to the upright position. You can choose to cross your arms in front of your chest, keep them by your sides, position them on your temples, or stretch them upward. If you place them on your temples, make sure not to mistakenly push your neck upward or forward to achieve more repetitions. This can cause unnecessary neck strain or damage and significantly distort the execution. Start with 3 sets of 15 repetitions before increasing the intensity.

3. Plank or Forearm Plank

The plank, or forearm plank, may appear extremely simple at first glance. However, it is anything but. Holding the position for several seconds, supporting yourself on your forearms instead of your hands, quickly pushes you to your limits. Ensure that your body remains straight, meaning your back is straight, and your buttocks neither sink nor rise.

For your first attempt, aim to hold at least three sets of 45 seconds each before gradually increasing. Even a minute can feel like a half eternity if you have avoided this exercise so far. If you want to intensify the difficulty level, you can alternate lifting your legs.

4. Leg Drops or Leg Raises While Lying Down

Leg raises while lying down, also known as Leg Drops, may initially seem quite easy, similar to the plank exercise. After all, you lie on your back, lift your neck slightly, let your arms rest by your sides, and move your legs up and down only slightly bent.

That's how the exercise looks, but when you perform it slowly and with control, you quickly feel every single fiber of your lower abdominal muscles. After three sets of 15-20 repetitions each, you've completed an effective abdominal workout. Here's a small tip: to gain more stability when lifting and lowering your legs, cross your feet instead of keeping them together.

5. Hanging Leg Raises

If you feel that the previously mentioned exercises are not challenging enough for you, then try hanging leg raises. To do this, hang from a pull-up bar or a similar apparatus and let yourself hang freely. From this hanging position, raise your legs until they form a right angle with your upper body, and then slowly lower them again. Be careful, hanging leg raises are a highly intense exercise, and only proper execution will bring the desired training results.

Throughout the entire movement, keep your core stable, and only your lower abdominal muscles should move your legs up and down. They will be trained in the process. Swinging is not appropriate here. Three sets of 15-20 repetitions should be sufficient for an effective lower abdominal workout.

Conclusion

If you have been thinking that you could do more for your lower abdominal muscles, then these five exercises are ideal for catching up. They are easy to learn, can be performed almost anywhere, and promise optimal training results. Of course, a sensible and balanced diet is also important for successful abdominal training.

Because both the upper and lower abdominal muscles will only become visible when the layer of fat above them no longer exists. And you can achieve that through regular training and a sensible diet. Good luck!