Top 6 exercises for lower abs: at home and in the gym

Working out your abs is a complex process, and exercises alone will not do the trick. To get the coveted six pack of cubes, you will have to start eating right. If you have a normal physique without excessive weight, cubes with regular training and normal diet will appear quite quickly. Together with a fitness trainer we have compiled a program for you to pump the lower abs in the gym and at home.

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“The lower abs are called the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle, which starts from the pubic bone. It, in turn, forms the well-known “cubes”.

Warm-up

This is the key to any workout, even if you are going to pump abs. Warming up will tone your muscles, help you warm up and raise your body temperature. Believe me, you will feel how it will be easier to perform the exercises. And although it’s much harder to injure your abs than any other muscles, we still recommend you do three exercises that will invigorate you and prepare you for the load.

Jumping jack

Techniek

Stand up straight, arms down along your body, feet together.

Make a small jump and during the jump spread your legs to shoulder width and raise your arms above your head.
Next jump back to the starting position.
Breathe evenly while performing the exercise.

Do 10-15 repetitions.

Squats

Techniek

Stand up, straighten your back, put your feet about shoulder width apart, hands on your waist.
Bend your legs at the knees, pulling your pelvis back and place your hands in front of you.
Then return to the starting position.
Keep your breathing even.

Do 10-15 repetitions.

Lunges

Techniek

Stand up straight, feet slightly below your shoulders, hands on your waist.
Do a lunge, put your left leg far forward and bend it at the knee, leave the other leg straight.
Your hands should still be at your waist.
In this position, perform several springing movements.
Keer terug naar de beginpositie.
Perform a lunge on the other leg.

Do 10-15 repetitions, alternating legs.

Why is it important to pump the lower abs?

The first benefit of pumping is that this type of exercise allows you to strengthen the muscles that support the lower body, including the hips and buttocks. Strong lower abs muscles help improve speed, flexibility, and coordination of movements.

In addition, posture can be improved and the risk of sports-related injuries can be reduced as normal pelvic positioning is maintained and lower back strain is reduced.

One of the main benefits of a well-trained lower abs is increased functionality, as these muscles play a key role in the overall stability and balance of the body. The body serves as a kind of stable element, strengthening these muscles helps to improve coordination of movements, as well as reduce the risk of injury and increase performance in exercise.

Overall, loading the lower abs is an important element of overall fitness, so give it attention at least once or twice a week.

Popular mistakes that beginners often make

Ekaterina Kravchenko: many people mistakenly think that you should separately pump the upper abs and separately pump the lower abs. But this is not the case. In normal twists, the load is distributed along the entire length of the rectus abdominis muscle. This means that any twists from different sides will activate the abs in the same way.

There is one solution to this problem. To make the activation even stronger, try performing twists on a Bosu or a regular fitball. This will give extra amplitude to the abs, and the longer it is, the more the muscle is engaged along its entire length.

Many people also face the problem of crooked or “misaligned” cubes and blame it on a poorly designed workout plan. In fact, this is genetically determined and there is nothing you can do about it. But this is no reason to get upset, because many famous athletes and stars have similar abs, and it does not prevent them from looking great. In your power to make the bark muscles as relief as possible, and about the rest and do not worry.

The best exercises for abs in the gym

If you are bored with the usual twisting at home on the mat, there is a way out. In the gym you can find a lot of sports equipment that will not only make your abs workout more effective, but also diversify it. There’s everything from a treadmill to an incline bench to various exercise machines. Feel free to try them all, and incorporate the exercises you like the most into your program.

Twists on a fitball

Techniek

Lie down on Bosu or fitball, feet on the floor, hands press your head so that it does not tilt back.
The pelvis and shoulder blades should be at the same level in relation to the floor.
Unfold, stretching the abs as much as possible.
As you exhale, simultaneously lift your shoulder blades and twist your pelvis forward, pushing your buttocks up.
In this way, you will reduce the distance between the hip joint and the ribs – that is, maximize the contraction of the abs.

Do 20-25 repetitions.

Hip flexion in hanging

Uitvoeringstechniek

Starting position: shoulder blades down, legs hanging.
As you exhale, pull your knees towards you, while pulling your lower back and twisting your pelvis forward and upwards.
Keer terug naar de beginpositie.

Do 20-25 repetitions.

Reverse twists on an incline bench

Techniek

Lie on your back on an incline bench.
As you exhale, push your straight legs up, pulling your pelvis away from the bench.
Arms should be along the body.

Do 15-20 repetitions.

Ekaterina Kravchenko: This exercise is more complicated than all the others, so if you find it difficult to perform, don’t worry, try to do the same, but on a straight bench.

Best abs exercises at home

The gym is a good solution, but not always convenient. Some people’s schedules don’t allow them to exercise there regularly, and there can be many reasons. But the abs are a muscle group that can be very effectively loaded even at home.

Ekaterina Kravchenko: All exercises for abs are universal, and there is no division into male and female, so you can safely perform any of them.

Reverse twists

Techniek

Lie on the floor, put your arms along the body, legs straight.
On exhalation, lift your legs and push them out, pulling the pelvis off the floor.
As you inhale, slowly lower them with resistance without touching the floor.

Do 20-25 repetitions.

Hip flexion with a rubber band

Techniek

Take a fitness rubber band.
Lie on the floor and lean back on your forearms, place the rubber band on your feet.
Pull your feet off the floor and alternately pull the rubber band with your feet towards you, so that your feet pull the rubber band in different directions.
Try to breathe evenly during the exercise.

Do 40-50 repetitions.

Breathing with diaphragm

Techniek

Lie on your back and tense your abs, twisting the spine.
In this position, inhale, opening the ribs and pushing the diaphragm to the sides and down.
On the exhale “gather” the ribs, as if closing them.
Inhale with your nose and exhale with your mouth.
Do not twist during the exercise.

Do 10 repetitions (inhalations and exhalations).

And remember: you can pump your abs in a relatively short period of time, but you can not do it very quickly, so the method of “killer” training every day will not work, do not even check. Your task is not only to exercise regularly, but also to give your muscles a rest. If you exercise wisely, you will not wait long for the result.