Choosing Great Lower Abs Workouts

If you need some lower abs workouts that you can do in the privacy and comfort of your own home, here are some exercises that don’t take any expensive equipment or immense time investments.

If you want to get great lower abs, you just need to learn the answers to these three questions:

  • How do I work my abs?
  • How can I choose the right foods for exercising?
  • How can I ensure a good cardio workout?

One thing to know is that your abdominals are a connected group of muscles, not distinct muscles as commonly thought.

Some experts believe that, because of this, there isn’t much reason for training a specific part of the abs. This may be true, but there are some exercises that have been scientifically proven to target the lower abdominals effectively.

Which are they?

  • Curls
  • Crunches
  • Bicycles
  • Knee to Chest Stretch

Knowledge is half the battle, but being able to do them is the other half. All of these can be done in your own home, so here’s how to do them.

How to do a Curl

Lie flat on the floor, bend your knees and plant your feet. Put both of your hands on your abdomen. Push your lower back against the floor while you tense your abs. Curl your body, slowly raising your head and shoulders toward your knees. Gently uncurl yourself slowly back to the floor.

How to do a Crunch

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.

How to do a 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.

How to do the Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie down and bend your knees and keep your feet flat, just like a curl. Pull one of your knees as close to your chest as is comfortable, you can use your hands if you need to. Keep that position for about ten seconds. Slowly lower your knee, and put your foot back on the floor. Repeat with your other knee. Rest for a moment and then repeat the exercise.

Try each of these on alternating days of the week, and don’t worry if you miss a day here and there. Complete 5 to 10 of each, and when that’s a breeze, try a few more. Go as slowly as you need to – rushing could lead to injury.

A healthy, low fat diet is an important part of the fitness process. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins. Avoid fatty foods and processed grains.

A good cardio workout is just as important as lower abs workouts. Walking, bicycle riding, running, jogging, and aerobics are all great cardio exercises which will make your body respond better to the other, targeted, ab exercises.

A complete exercise program has many elements to it. Eat the right foods, do regular cardio workouts, and targeted lower abs workouts. Sooner than later, you will have the abs you want.

How about you? What is your personal preference to build your lower abs? Leave your choices below.

5 Tips for an Effective Abs Work Out Schedule

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.

The 10-Minute Home Workout to Flatten Abs

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.

3 Parts of a Complete Advanced Workout for Abdominals

Targeted abdominal exercises are great – they zone in on those “difficult-to-reach” abdominal muscles and work your muscles hard. However, if you’re really serious about getting six pack abs, you’ll need an advanced workout for abdominals.

I used to have this notion that if I just did an insane number of sit ups everyday, I’d get the rock-hard abs of my dreams. I later on discovered that no matter how many sit ups I did, it just simply wasn’t enough.

Doing sit ups like a mad man is clearly not the answer to getting six pack abs. I know this now, and YOU should be aware of it, too. What most fitness experts are saying might come as a surprise, but they’re actually right – abdominal exercises alone are not the sole solution for great chiseled abs.

To get the most out of your advanced workout for abdominals, you need to consider these 3 important aspects:

1. Full body workout. Think about it: what good can those six pack abs do if the rest of your body isn’t in sync? Have you ever seen athletes do nothing BUT abdominal muscles training? I don’t think I ever have.

Working your ENTIRE body as opposed to just one area is the best way to go. Why? Think of your muscles as a web of intricate power lines that store and produce energy. You can’t expect the rest of your body to function at its maximum potential if you only work out one part.

Your advanced workout for abdominals should be reinforced with a full body exercise routine. Here are some full body workouts that you can choose from:

  • Kick Boxing
  • Yoga
  • Tai Chi
  • Pilates

2. Healthy diet. Following a low-fat diet is the 2nd aspect to a complete and advanced workout for abdominals. Consuming less fat will help you get leaner, and a leaner body can easily get muscle definition.

While maintaining a balanced diet, you can include a variety of power foods like the following:

  • Lean meats
  • Tofu
  • Beans
  • Vegetables and Fruits

3. Midsection targeting. Targeted ab exercises is at the core of any successful advanced workout for abdominals. They not only tone your abdominal muscles, but also they define them. When done every other day, you’ll begin to see results in no time at all.

There are a variety of abdominal muscles exercises to choose from. Here are just a few examples to get you started:

  • Ball Crunches
  • Bicycles
  • Weighted Sit Ups
  • Full Body Crunches

So, eat well, get a full body workout often, and target your abdominals with core-specific exercises. Combining all three aspects will definitely ensure the best advanced workout for abdominals.

Did I miss out on anything? Add #4 to the list by entering your comments below.

Top 4 Exercises for Abs

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.