How To Workout Your Lower Stomach

Boat Pose To Toe Touch

How To SCULPT Your Lower Abs: 3 Key Exercises You Should Be Doing

This lower ab exercise looks deceptively easy but after a few reps, youll be feeling the burn. Boat pose, which is a modified yoga move, builds core strength and balance while also encouraging good posture and synergistic support and control from the lower abs and lower back.

Equipment Needed: NoneSets: 3Execution:

Sit on the floor with your knees bent, resting on your tailbone. Extend your arms in front of your body.

Gently lean back and lift your feet off of the ground, holding your body in a V position.

Hold this position for 3-5 seconds and then reach up towards your feet.

Return to boat pose.

Continue moving your upper body from the V position to the toe touch position.

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Keep In Mind That Hormones Play A Role

If you’re struggling to lose lower belly fat, underlying hormone imbalances could be playing a role, explains Maritza Worthington, a functional nutritionist who specializes in digestive and hormone health. “In my experience, the top two culprits behind stubborn belly fat have to do with either excess cortisol or estrogen dominance,” she says. “Typically hormone imbalance issues dont happen overnight, and are the result of insulin resistance, malnutrition, lack of exercise and a high stress lifestyle.”

Worthington shares a few pointers:

Eat regularly and skip the fastingthe body actually stores more belly fat when skipping meals. “This could be because the body experiences higher cortisol/stress from starvation, and as a coping mechanism stores more belly fat , not knowing when the next meal will come,” she says.
Focus on balanced meals and avoid eating protein or carbs alone. “Theres a reason why your body uses macronutrientsprotein, carbs, & fatsfor optimal fuel. And skipping one of these macronutrients can actually work against your metabolism.”

Using 6 Pack Shuffle For Unlimited Ab Workouts

To generate this lower abs workout, Im going to be using the 6 Pack Shuffle feature that comes with all of our ATHLEAN-X programs.

6 Pack Shuffle allows you to choose a region of the abs to emphasize, so were going to choose the lower abs.

Were going to choose the no equipment option and choose level 2, and it will deal up a 6 minute lower ab workout for us.

Now you might not need any equipment for this, but you WILL need a heavy dose of determination to try and resist the burn of these exercises as you do them.

Remember, the pain from ab training is usually only temporary. As soon as you finish the exercise and the lactic acid starts to clear the abdominal muscles, youll feel normal again.

See if you can follow the entire lower ab workout along with me, resting when I do.

If you need extra rest, dont be ashamed take it. Maybe you can only do 45 seconds of one of the 60 second exercises. Thats ok, do what you can and rest for the remainder of that exercise. As you get stronger on these you will be able to do the whole thing without extra rest.

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Straight Leg Bicycle Crunch

WeStrive / Design by Tiana Crispino

Lie on your back on the floor or a mat. Place your palms behind your head.
Keep your glutes pressed firmly against the ground as you raise one leg straight. Simultaneously, bring the opposite elbow to that knee.
Return to your starting position with your palms behind your head, and repeat.

Get 150 Minutes Of Heart

As we said above, if you want to lose belly fat, you have to lose weight all over. You have to shed your extra layer to see the muscles underneath. Cardio is a part of the weight-loss equation.

The CDC recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week, which can include anything from jogging, jumping rope, cycling, or a spin class. There is no one right way to raise your heart rate, so pick what you like to do.

The bottom line is: you need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight so doing some cardio will help with that math equation.

The bonus is you will strengthen your heart muscle and your stamina. Since heart disease is the number one killer of women in America, taking care of your heart should be high on your self-care list for overall health and calorie burning.

Lifestyle Changes For Weight Loss

Beyond diet and exercise, there are other lifestyle changes you can make to aid your weight loss.

Healthy habits tend to have a domino effect. If you can add one or two healthy changes to your routine, it will become easier to add more as time goes on.

Here are some to consider:

Drink plenty of water.

Lower Abs Exercises To Get A Beach Body In Just A Month

High knees: You cant really work on your lower abs without adding a cardio routine. Doing high knees is that one cardio exercise that not only pumps up your heart rate but it also warms those core muscles really fast. The result? Better fat loss around the lower abdomen area! Just remember that you need to do them really very fast to actually get that core really worked up. Beginners can do 50 reps from each leg and 4 sets, and those who are pros can do 100 from each leg and 5 sets. If you want to focus on your core then high knees could be your thing. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Reverse crunches: Just like normal crunches hit the upper core area, reverse crunches are tailor-made for your lower abs. Let us tell you one secret, if you do 100s of leg raises in your gym and your belly is just the same, ditch it right away because reverse crunches will give you faster weight loss and the repetitions will also be less. If you are unable to pull off reverse crunches initially then use this trick, hold something behind your head to balance the move and once you get the hang of it then you can place your hands on the mat and do it. Beginners can do 15 reps and 4 sets and others can do 25 reps and 4 sets. Not everything you do in reverse is bad. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

So ladies, keep it simple with these 5 lower abs moves and get back in shape.

You Can’t Have A Well

If you want to get an attractive-looking six-pack, you need to develop your lower abs. But if you’ve dedicated significant time to all kinds of abs workouts, you’d know that the lower abs region is one of the most challenging parts to reveal. So, how to work your lower abs?

Why so difficult, though? Well, it’s primarily because muscle definition, especially in the abdominal area, and excess body fat doesn’t go well together.

You’d have to lose quite a bit of body fat before your abs begin showing up. And that would be something that your diet will be mostly responsible for.

But even though nutrition plays a significant role in revealing the lower abs, you can still prioritize and develop the region, so it becomes more visible – even at a higher body fat percentage.

So, how to work lower abs? Well, you can do this by choosing the right lower abs exercises, performing, and then correctly progressing them.

But of course, if you’re not just looking to develop your lower abs, then you’d benefit from one of our programs. These go through, step-by-step, how you can develop a well-rounded physique. If you’re interested:

Diet To Get Rid Of Excess Belly Fat

4min Home LOWER ABS Workout (GET YOUR LOWER ABS TO SHOW!!)

Consuming more calories than you burn can make you more likely to develop visceral fat. It sometimes accumulates around the abdomen.

Eating the right foods may help aid weight loss. Avoid or limit foods that are highly processed and high in refined sugars and bleached grains. Theyve been linked to blood sugar instability and inflammation in the digestive tract.

Instead, focus on adding healthy protein and fiber sources to your diet. Cruciferous veggies may help keep you full for longer and contain many nutrients. These include:

broccoli
kale
cauliflower

Protein can boost your stamina and energy without adding a lot of calories to your daily calorie needs. Some protein sources include:

hard-boiled eggs
beans and legumes
nuts and seeds

Avoid or limit artificially sweetened drinks, including energy drinks and diet sodas. Stick to anti-inflammatory beverages, such as unsweetened green tea and water.

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Stability Ball Knee Tucks

Difficulty: Advanced

To begin, lay prone on a stability ball. Engage the core as you walk your hands forward on the floor your feet will leave the ground. Walk yourself out until your thighs are resting on the top of the stability ball, and your torso is parallel with the ground. With shoulder blades retracted, head in line with your spine, and your shoulders directly over your wrists, slowly exhale as you flex at the hips, bringing both knees toward your chest. The ball will roll underneath of you as well, rolling down your legs as you curl your knees in. Bring your knees in until you can get your them directly under your hip bones, if range of motion and mobility allows. Pause in this position, and then inhale as you press your knees away and extend your legs back out straight, allowing the ball to roll back to the starting position. The biggest thing to remember in this movement is to not let your lower back arch as you bring your legs in and out! Keep your core engaged, as well as your glutes, in order to maintain neutral alignment.

Best Lower Ab Exercises For Your Core Workouts

Let’s just put it out there, the lower abs are a trouble area for most. They are hard to hit properly and it’s never easy shaving off that lower belly pouch to get them to show. But, “hard” and “not easy” is just another way of saying “it can be done”…and we are here to show you how.

In this post, we are going to focus on the lower portion of your rectus abdominis , discussing the best tactics and exercises to target them.

First though, lets delve into the muscles that make up the core, and determine what exactly the lower abdominals are!

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Lower Ab Workouts To Seriously Engage Your Core

Briana Bain, DPT, PT, is a physical therapist based in Virginia Beach. She works as a Physical Therapist at Adler Therapy Group and a BodyPump Instructor at OneLife Fitness

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Upper abs may be what’s most prominently on our minds when we think of that six-pack ab look, but lower abs are just as important. Beyond needing to exercise them to sculpt our hips, lower stomach, and lower back, lower ab exercises can help with back pain, improve our balance, and give us better posture all of which matter far more than a six-pack.

Standard ab workouts tend to focus on our upper abs, and because of that, lower abs may be much less strong. Ahead, we have ten different workout moves to increase the strength of your lower abs, from reverse crunches to alternating bird dogs. They’re less known takes on common exercises, making them at once challenging and familiar. Read on for the full list.

Meet the Expert

, Mo Jam, and Tyler Ross are certified personal trainers for WeStrive.

The Best Lower Abdominal Exercises

Leave The House With Stronger & More Defined Abdominal Muscles!

1. Planks

The plank exercise will not only strengthen your lower abdominal muscles but also help stabilize your core. To perform this exercise, lie down on your stomach and position your hands directly under your shoulders. Point your toes in, toward your head and slowly straighten your arms as you raise your body off the floor. Your arms should be straight but slightly bent and abs pulled in toward your spine. Hold the position by balancing your weight equally between your hands and toes. Be sure to keep your head up and neck soft during the hold. Maintain this position for 15-30 seconds or as long as you can. Work up to holding the position for 60 seconds as your strength improves.

2. Cycling

To perform this exercise, begin by lying down on the floor with your knees bent to a 45-degree angle. Position your hands on the outside of your head for support. With a smooth, slow, pedaling motion, bring your right knee to your left elbow and left knee to your right elbow, for a total of 8-10 reps. Work up to 20 reps for optimal conditioning.

3. Scissors

4. Hip lifts

5. Double leg lifts

6. Double leg circles

7. Alternating leg walks

8. Double leg reverse crunches

Know Your Abdominal Muscles First

Your abdominal muscles are made up of four major muscles: rectus abdominis, external and internal obliques, and transverse abdominis. The rectus abdominis muscle, also known as a six-pack, makes up the upper, middle and lower abs, which gives you the ability to sit-up from a lying down position.

The transverse abdominis is a deep-seated muscle layer that supports your internal organs, while the external and internal oblique muscles give you the ability to bend from forward, backward, and side-to-side and rotate your torso.

Slow controlled movements, performed three times a week, will strengthen your abs more effectively than fast, jerky abdominal exercises performed every day. To fully engage your core and strengthen your abdomen, pull your abdominal muscles toward your spine as you perform the following exercises.

How To Do Stomach Vacuum Exercise

You can easily perform the Stomach Vacuum Exercise which primarily includes deep breathing and some isometric moves.

Initially, you may not be able to hold the vacuum for a while and there’s no issue with it. You just need to focus on your breath and then how much tummy vacuuming you can do, and how long you can hold it for.

During the entire procedure, you have to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

To get started, you’ll need to first stand straight and place your hands on your hips or waist.

Now, you’ll have to exhale in such a way that it feels like you’re emptying your lungs.

Then, you’ll have to suck in your stomach as much as possible and be feasible for you and hold. The more you suck your stomach, the higher your chances of hitting the transversus abdominis muscle.

Then, you’ll have to slowly relax the stomach and repeat. Don’t exceed 10 sets in your practice. You can include the stomach vacuum into your training at least thrice a week.

You can even try out the cat-cow pose or kapalbhati to ace stomach vacuuming. You may also try out different yoga poses like Vrikshasana, Tadasana, Samasthiti, Ek Padasana, etc. to create a stomach vacuum.

Let’s get ready for the best abs of your life with the stomach vacuum exercise!

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Reduce Your Intake Of Inflammatory Foods

The foods we consume can cause inflammation within our bodies, which can then contribute to lower belly fat. Some foods that promote inflammation include the saturated fats found in meat and dairy products, processed food, fast food, fried food, palm oil, and more.

“Saturated and trans fats damage blood vessel walls, which triggers the immune response associated with inflammation and encourages blood fats, like cholesterol, to stick and become imbedded in the artery wall leading to atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease, stroke, and even some forms of dementia,” explains Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietitian and Medical Advisory Board Member at Persona Nutrition.

But we have some good newsthere are many foods that can help inhibit inflammation, like the fats in fish oils, nuts and flaxseed , olive oil, many fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, soy, whole grains, tea, and spices like turmeric and ginger.

“Cutting back on calories and increasing exercise will shrink your waistline, including the dangerous visceral fat around the middle, especially if you’re overweight,” Somer says. To lower inflammation and reduce belly fat, “focus on unprocessed foods, such as colorful fruits and vegetables, 100% whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fatty fish such as salmon, and low-fat milk products. Then watch portions and exercise daily.”

How To Engage The Lower Abs

5 Best Exercises to Flatten your Lower Belly

Use the mind-muscle connection. Just focusing on your lower abs as you move through the below exercises can help you to better activate them, says Simone Tchouke, CPT, a Los Angeles-based certified functional strength coach. Stay in the moment and think about what you’re doing, like I’m trying to engage my core.
Slow down.When I have people do dead bugs, they often go really, really fast and they don’t feel it, says Tchouke. But when I have them do it slowly, after 10 reps, they’re definitely going to feel the core.
Just breathe. You want to exhale during the work part of the movementso when you sit up in a crunch, for example. Remembering to breathe instead of holding your breath is enough to help you get more out of each exercise.

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Seated Ab Circles Anti

Change the direction of your circles to work the fibers of your abs in the other direction. By now, you should be feeling these exercises working, which really goes to show an ab session doesnt need to be prolonged to hit hard.

Steps

Sit with your legs out in front of you, knees slightly bent. Lean back slightly, and support your upper body with your hands on the ground set wide, and just behind you.
Lift your feet off the ground and draw a circle in the air with your feet in an anti-clockwise direction.
Try not to pull up using your hip flexors focus on engaging your ab muscles.
Keep the motion going for 60 seconds.