ab workout

The Best Excerises for Lower Abs

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The best exercises for lower absdon’t require going to the gym, buying equipment, or hiring a trainer. The secret is so simple that you can do it right now, in your home.

You just need to do these 3 things to get great abs:

  1. Know your abs and what works them
  2. Follow a healthy diet
  3. Work your cardiovascular system

Before you begin, you should know that technically, there are no separate upper and lower abdominal muscles; they are a group of muscles that are all connected.

So, does targeting your upper and lower abs differently matter?

Experts disagree on the answer, but science has proven that some movements target the lower abs more effectively than others.

The best excerises for lower abs are:

  1. Curls
  2. Crunches
  3. Bicycles
  4. Knee to Chest Stretch

1. Curl

  • Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat.
  • Place your hands on your abdomen.
  • Tighten your abdominal muscles and press your lower back against the floor.
  • Slowly curl yourself up, raising your head and shoulders.
  • Uncurl back down, slowly lowering yourself back to the floor.

2. Crunches

  • Lie down on the floor.
  • Bend your knees and place your hands across your chest.
  • Contract your abdominal muscles.
  • Bring your shoulder blades up off of the floor several inches while bringing your knees up at the same time.
  • Hold this position for a few seconds and then lower yourself.

3. Bicycle

  • Lie flat on the floor.
  • Rest your hands up next to your head and bring your knees halfway up.
  • Begin a bicycling motion with your legs.
  • Alternate between touching your left elbow to your right knee and your right elbow to your left knee and repeat.

4. Knee to Chest Stretch

  • Lie on the floor with your knees bent and flat feet.
  • Bring one knee toward your chest. You can use your hands if you need to.
  • Hold your knee near your chest for ten seconds and lower your leg slowly.
  • Repeat with your other knee.
  • Hold the stretch for as long as you feel comfortable and then repeat.

Perform these 2-3 times per week with at least one day of rest between each workout session. Start with 5-10 repetitions for each exercise and move up to 3 sets of 20 repetitions with you feel stronger.

Also, remember that following a low fat diet and performing regular cardio workouts, such as walking or running is a significant part of any ab training routine.

By performing these excerises for lower abs as part of a healthy fitness routine, you will become stronger, fitter, and see your abs like you’ve never seen them before.

5 Tips for an Effective Abs Work Out Schedule

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Wanting to start an abs work out scheduleis one thing; actually STRUCTURING a six pack abs routine is another. The best part about this is that it’s not at all that complicated. Anyone can create an effective work out schedule with no trouble.

When I started my own regimen, I knew I needed to do some research about building lean muscle and properly toning my abs. The most valuable information I dug up would have to be this: You can’t expect just ONE exercise to do the trick.

Truth of the matter is, there are no miracle drugs, there is no one absolute best abdominal training equipment, and, most importantly, you cannot get ripped six pack abs by doing only one kind of exercise.

Chair of the Kinesiology Department at the Occidental College in Los Angeles Stuart Rugg, Ph.D. said, “Stop looking for the one best exercise for abs because it doesn’t exist.” The key to a well-rounded and effective abs work out schedule is the integration of a VARIETY of exercises that target the entire abdominal area. Only then will you achieve definition and core strength.

These 5 tips will surely help you jumpstart your abdominal exercise routine:

1. Complete sets in the 10-25 range. Begin at 10 reps and increase them as time goes on.

2. Start small and finish HARD. Gradually increasing reps and difficulty will put your ab muscles in great shape.

3. Perform each rep of every exercise consistently. Doing 3-4 abdominal exercises every other day should be sufficient. Keep in mind that the last rep has to be as spot-on as the first one. Slacking will only keep you further away from realizing your dream physique.

4. The duration of each rep has to be the same. When carrying out your abs work out schedule, you have to consider the timing of each rep performed. When you do a bicycle crunch, for example, it can’t take you 3 seconds to complete the 1st 10 reps and only 1 second for the rest. Again, consistency will get you the best results.

5. Perform ab-specific exercises 3-4 times a week. Don’t be afraid to include other forms of exercise in your routine. Allot 3-4 days for targeted core training and do them every other day so you won’t stress your ab muscles too much. Then, include cardio routines or sports activities during the days in between.

Read further on various abdominal muscle exercises and don’t forget to change up your routine from time to time. In the meantime, keep these 5 essential tips in mind when you create your own abs work out schedule. This will certainly give you the edge you need to get that rock-hard six-pack.

Excercise for Lower Abs – Yes or No

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Some experts debate the benefits of exercise for lower abs. Does everybody have lower abs? And can you really target them? These questions are simple and common enough, but the answers may surprise you.

  1. How many ab muscles do you have?
  2. Can you target them?
  3. Does it work?

Some people will tell you that there are separate upper and lower abdominal muscles. This is technically not correct. Your abdominal muscle, the rectis abdominis, is a group of muscles that are all connected to each other.

But that’s just one part of the whole story.

So, does targeting your upper and lower abs separately make a difference? Can you really exercise for lower abs?

Well, the jury’s still out on that one. But, scientific studies have shown that some workouts work your lower abs better than others, while some are better suited for developing the upper abs.

As far as exercise for lower abs goes, scientists at the University of Nebraska deduced that the reverse curl causes the greatest amount of activity in the lower abdominal region, while movements such as the trunk curl and twist curl seem to target the upper abdominals more effectively.

However, an interesting thing to note is that, according to recent physical therapy research, only some people actually have a distinctly separate lower abdominal muscle, called the pyramidalis. This means that lower abdominal targeting may only be effective for people who have this optional muscle – about 80% of people.

Most fitness experts do not recommend doing anything special to target the lower abdominals, but, instead, alternating between different types of movements that work the midsection. This should ensure a proper workout of all of the abdominal muscles that you DO have.

Great exercise for lower abs can be any of the following:

  • Curls
  • Crunches
  • Bicycles
  • Sit Ups

Of course, the discussion of upper and lower abs and who has them and whether they should be targeted obscures the advice that fitness specialists have been giving us for years.

Ab targeting is still an important consideration, but not quite as important as proper diet.

It doesn’t matter how much you work your abs if they’re covered in fat. Following a low fat diet and performing regular cardio workouts, such as walking or running is the most important part of any ab training routine. With this added to your fitness regimen, the fat will be melting right off of your belly.

So, eat right, stay fit, and perform a regular exercise for lower abs. Keep it up, and keep at it. Soon you’ll be stronger, healthier, and have abs that will make people stare, in a good way.

Which exercise do you find most effective for your lower abs? Share your opinion below.

The 10-Minute Home Workout to Flatten Abs

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At first glance, a full-proof 10-minute home workout to flatten absmight seem a bit unbelievable to you, especially if you’ve been so used to at least 45 minutes of intense exercising. But what if I told you it IS possible?

The first time I heard about it, I couldn’t believe it myself. “If I try it out, what is the worst that could happen,” I thought. I get to shorten my workout time and STILL get six pack abs – I don’t know about you, but that, right there, is a definite win-win.

After doing it for a while, I am pleased to announce that it did work for me. And I’m pretty sure you’d want to hear about how I managed to perform the home workout to flatten abs in just 10 minutes.

If you’re dead-serious about getting six pack abs, then you should be willing to try anything. I’m not suggesting you spend all your money on abs training equipment or ridiculously priced gym memberships. I’m not saying that at all.

This workout program may save you time, but it will require you to push harder. After all, no pain no gain, right?

First thing you need to remember is that you should perform your home workout to flatten abs directly before a meal. Why? Imagine yourself walking through the Sahara desert. After a period of time, you will have the urge to drink.

In like manner, your muscles crave for nourishment right after an intense workout. As you pacify your muscles’ “hunger” with food, you’re actually conditioning them to build more mass. That’s why it would be best if you incorporated a decent amount of protein into your post-workout meals.

For your actual workout, lie down on the floor and start off with about 50 basic crunches. Do them faster than you normally would, but try to maintain your form.

Your home workout to flatten abs doesn’t end there. Immediately after doing your crunches, perform about 25 leg raises before completing another set of 50 crunches. Midway through, I’m sure you’ll start to feel your muscles burning – and trust me, that’s a GOOD THING.

Don’t call it quits just yet because there’s still plenty of time left for 50 reps of bicycle exercises. That makes 25 for each side crunch and knee-bend combination. Finish off with 50 more crunches and you’re good to go.

It may seem hard, but just 10 MINUTES of that is definitely worth it. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, your home workout to flatten abs will soon become a breeze. Push yourself during that small amount of time and you’ll soon enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Top 4 Exercises for Abs

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When you hear the words “exercises for abs,” you probably have these two words in mind: sit ups. Let’s face it, they’re the most common form of abs exercise out there. I wouldn’t be surprised if my grandmother knew what they were.

You have to understand, however, that sit ups aren’t the only moves you can do to get six pack abs. You need to mix them up, add some variety, and do them regularly for you to get fast results.

Combining these abdominal muscle exercises with a total body workout and a well-balanced diet is practically full-proof. If you work hard at keeping these three elements alive in your daily routine, you simply can’t go wrong.

According to a recent study, bicycles, weighted sit ups, fully body crunches, and ball crunches are the 4 most effective exercises for abs. Here’s why:

1. Bicycles. Not only does it involve your obliques, upper abdominals, and lower abdominals, but it also works your legs, lower back, and arms. For this exercise, you need to lie on the floor and touch your fingers to your ears. Bend your knees and begin alternating cycling movements with your legs. When your left knee comes up, lift your torso off the floor, twist to the left, and touch it with your right elbow. Simply do the same on the other side.

2. Weighted Sit Ups. These exercises for abs add resistance to your workout, giving your abs a little extra to work with. They’re very similar to regular sit ups so they’re not complicated to do at all. You will need some small weights, like a pair of light dumbbells, and you must secure them on your chest with both hands. Now, lift your shoulders off the floor as you would with regular sit ups.

3. Full Body Crunches. Like bicycles, this exercise targets almost the entire abdominal area and works your limbs as well. All you have to do is lie on the floor, bend both knees, and cross your arms over your chest. As you raise your shoulders for that crunch, pull in your knees simultaneously. Go back down and start all over.

4. Ball Crunches. These exercises for abs are responsible for working your entire core while promoting balance. You’ll have a lot of fun with this one, I promise. First, take an exercise ball and sit on it. Roll the ball underneath until your back is resting on it and your thighs are parallel to the floor. Begin doing crunches as you would on a flat surface. The ball’s just there to provide lower back support and make it a little more challenging.

Work these 4 exercises for abs into your fitness program and you can bid farewell to excess belly fat for good.