Men's Health > Workouts > Lower Ab Workout Program

Working Out Your Abs

Getting a tight firm AB is easier than you think! Click Here to read more

Working out your lower abs takes commitment and sweat. Possessing a six-pack is fifty percent genetics and fifty percent sweat. Since there is nothing we can do about genetics, let’s work on the sweat part.

Abdominal crunches are the most basic and effective abdominal exercise. There is great controversy about whether or not you can isolate your lower abs. The abdominal muscle is one large muscle. Some believe that you cannot workout “just the lower abs” or “just the upper abs”. It is a total abdominal workout.

However, if you still want to isolate the lower abs, then these exercises should help.

Crunches

The most effective abdominal exercise is the old-fashion crunch. It is the most basic of ab exercises. For a proper crunch, you should lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor and put your hands behind your neck. Slowly lift your shoulders off the ground. Hold this for three seconds and slowly lower your shoulders. For beginners, complete this exercise until you feel the burn. Gradually work up to three sets of 25-30 reps each.

Leg Thrusts

Leg thrusts are great for working out the lower abs. Lie on your back, place your hands under your buttocks, and lift both legs towards the ceiling until they are vertical. Tighten and squeeze your lower abdominal muscles while lifting your legs and hips towards the ceiling. Hold and then lower your hips but not your legs. Repeat. The important thing to remember here is not how high you can lift your hips but how hard you squeeze those muscles.

Flat Bench Leg Tuck

Sit on the end of a bench and grasp the bench with your hands behind your buttocks. Lean back slightly and raise your feet about six inches off the floor. Bring your knees up while leaning forward slightly to touch your chest to your thighs. Return your knees and torso back to the starting position. Do not allow your feet to touch the floor until you have completed all of your reps.

Diet

Creating great abs requires a proper diet to help reduce fat. Great abs requires healthy, low-fat meals. Food provides nutrients which furnish energy for muscles to repair and grow.

Cardio

Aerobic or cardio exercises are needed in order to loose excess fat. Aerobic exercises require a sustained increase in the consumption of oxygen. A cardio exercise workout raises the metabolic rate and in turn burns more calories than when not exercising. Aerobic exercise raises blood levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Your cardio workout should last longer than 30 minutes with non-stop cardio activity to be most effective. The workout should consist of running, stair-climbing, walking, or other activity that increases your heart rate. For an effective cardio results, the 30 minute routine should be done 4-5 times weekly.

Great abs don’t just happen. It takes a combination of training, diet and cardio exercises.

Drew Voight