Working out, eating healthy, and having strong abs might not be enough to get definition in your lower abs. If you want a chiseled look, you might need to focus on some specific lower ab exercises.
The benefits of lower ab exercises are more than just making your abs look good. They also help with posture, balance, injury prevention, and functional strength.
If you're trying to get eight-pack abs or just want a stronger core, lower ab workouts are probably what you're missing. There's only one abdominal muscle, the rectus abdominis, but most abs exercises only work the upper part of it. This can leave your abdominal area looking impressive from the top but not so much from the sides or bottom.
It is difficult to target the lower abs and even more difficult to make them noticeable. Your body is designed to store excess fat in that area. From an evolutionary standpoint, belly fat is part of your body’s energy stockpiling system. So, it takes a lot of hard work (primarily through diet) to make those muscles pop. However, there is more at stake than just having a flat stomach.
Low Plank With Alternating Leg Lifts
This move targets the lower abs and obliques by having you do a plank.
Equipment: None Reps: 25 Sets: 3
Execution:
- Get in a push-up position except place your forearms on the ground with your elbows under your shoulders instead of weight-bearing through your hands. Make sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Breathe, drawing your abdomen in and pulling your belly button toward your spine.
- Lift one foot slightly off the ground, bend the knee, and draw your knee up and out to the side like a frog.
- Alternate legs, moving slowly.
Weighted Reverse Crunches
Performing reverse crunches is an effective way to work your lower abs. Be sure to squeeze your lower abs and keep your lower back pressed against the ground (do not arch up). If you are a beginner, you can skip the weight, but as you get stronger, add ankle weights or a small medicine ball between your knees to increase the difficulty.
You will need either ankle weights or a small medicine ball for this exercise. You will be doing 3 sets of 25 reps.
- Lie on your back with your hips flexed so that your thighs are perpendicular to the floor, your knees are up in the air bent to 90 degrees, and your shins are parallel to the ground up in the air.
- Place your arms by your sides and squeeze a small medicine ball between your knees.
- Draw your belly button in and engage your abs while you slowly lower both legs in tandem toward the ground, maintaining the bend in your knees and a tight abdomen.
- Gently tap your heels on the floor and then lift your leg back up to the starting position using only your core muscles and slightly upward beyond that toward your chest, keeping the medicine ball between your knees.
- Complete 25 slow reps.
Double Crunches
Double crunches are a type of crunch that is done by first performing a regular crunch, and then following it up with a reverse crunch. This makes them one of the best lower ab exercises when it comes to efficiency and effectiveness.
Equipment Needed: None
Reps: 15
Sets: 3
Execution:
- Lie on your back with your knees and hips flexed to 90 degrees so that your shins are parallel to the floor up in the air.
- Place your fingertips at your temples or just behind your ears with your elbows out to the sides.
- Inhale, drawing your belly button to your spine.
- Crunch up to raise your shoulder blades off the floor while simultaneously bringing your knees up to your elbows by squeezing your lower abs.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
Alternating Toe Touch
The alternating toe touch is a variation of the double crunch that offers even more benefits. This move works the entire abdominal wall at once by engaging the lower abs, transverse abdominals, external obliques, and internal obliques. This is a great exercise for the core because it trains the abs to work together in multiple directions.
Equipment Needed: None
Reps: 12 per leg
Sets: 3
Execution:
- Lie on your back with your legs straight up in the air and arms straight overhead on the floor above your head.
- Engage your core to crunch up and toward one side, reaching across your body to touch the opposite foot. Make sure you keep your shoulders pulled down away from your ears.
- Return to the starting position without fully touching your arms back down to the floor (just hover for added difficulty).
- Alternate sides with each rep.
Stability Ball Push-Ups and Tucks
This exercise works your whole body, with an emphasis on the lower abs. To do it, put your feet on a stability ball, in a push-up position. This will force your abs to engage, in order to keep you from falling off the ball. To make the exercise more challenging, do a tuck between push-ups. As you get stronger, you can move from a tuck to a pike, by keeping your legs straight.
Equipment Needed: Stability ball
Reps: 15 per leg
Sets: 3
Execution:
- Get in a push-up position with your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet behind you on a stability ball with the laces part of the shoe in contact with the ball.
- Keeping your glutes and abs engaged, perform a push-up, being sure to use good form and to bring your chest as low as you can go without touching the floor.
- When you’re back in the starting position, before moving into the second rep, engage your glutes, hip flexors, and abs to pull your knees forward toward your chest, rolling the ball forward toward your hands.
- Untuck your legs and straighten them back out to the starting position.
- Complete another push-up.
- Alternate between push-ups and tucks. Progress to pikes (knees straight) as you get stronger.
Mountain Climbers on a Medicine Ball
Doing mountain climbers is a good way for men to work their lower abs while also getting a cardio workout and burning calories. You can make the exercise more difficult by doing push-ups with a narrow grip on top of a medicine ball. This challenges your core and shoulders more. Remember to keep your hips in line with your body while you do this.
Equipment Needed: None
Reps: 60 seconds
Sets: 3
Execution:
- Get into a push-up position with your core and glutes engaged and your hands placed on either side of top of the medicine ball, which should be centered under your chest, or you can put them on the floor if you are less confident in your core strength.
- Pressing your weight into your hands, alternate bending each knee and bringing the leg up under your chest between your arms and then returning it to the starting position.
- Move as fast and hard as you can for 60 seconds.
Medicine Ball Jackknife
This exercise is challenging because it works your upper and lower abs, as well as your shoulders and rhomboids. The medicine ball makes the exercise even more difficult.
Equipment Needed: None
Reps: 25
Sets: 3
Execution:
- Lie on your back with your legs extended straight out in front of you and your arms extended straight back above your head holding a moderately heavy medicine ball.
- Keeping your knees straight, engage your abs to simultaneously lift your entire lower body and your entire upper body to meet upright in a folded “V” position. Your knees should be straight and your arms should remain straight, holding the medicine ball above your head.
- Lower your body back down, using control by engaging your abs and shoulders.
- Do not allow your feet or upper body to come to a full rest on the floor; rather, hover just above the floor in the extended position and then lift back up into a “V.”
- Complete 15 reps.
Boat Pose to Toe Touch
This exercise, which looks easy but is actually quite difficult, comes from yoga. It helps build strength in your core muscles while also encouraging good posture. The muscles in your lower back and stomach work together to support and control your body.
Equipment Needed: None
Reps: 10
Sets: 3
Execution:
- 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.
Heel Tap Crunch
How:
– Bring your knees in toward your chest and place your hands on your shins. – Lie down on your back with your heels close to your buttocks. – Bring your knees up towards your chest and put your hands on your shins.
– Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. – Next, brace your core and lift your shoulders off the floor. – Finally, reach down and touch your right heel with your right hand, then your left heel with your other hand. This is one repetition.
This exercise is good for targeting the lower abs, obliques, and hip flexors, according to Juniper. It can be made more difficult or easier by adjusting the distance between your heels and glutes. You don't need to worry about going fast. Controlling the movement is more effective than speed.
Mountain Climbers
How:
– Bend your front leg, keeping your back leg straight, and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. – Keeping your body upright, press through your front leg to return to the starting position. Start by setting up on the floor in a sprinter's stance, with one foot positioned beneath your waist and one back, with your leg straight. Bend your front leg, keeping your back leg straight, and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Keeping your body upright, press through your front leg to return to the starting position.
Your shoulders should be in line with your hands, which are placed on the floor. Your body should stay in a neutral plank position the whole time. Alternate which foot is in front.
Doing the movement slowly and controlled will help you work your lower abs more effectively, according to Donaldson. He suggests imagining you have a glass of water balanced on your lower back to keep your hips and spine level throughout the movement.
Side Plank
How:
– Place your right hand on your right hip. – Brace your abs and raise your hips off the floor until your thighs and torso are in line with each other. – Lower your hips and repeat. Place your left hand on your left hip and raise your hips off the floor until your thighs and torso are in line with each other, then lower your hips and repeat.
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then, brace your core and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line. Hold this position while breathing deeply. Finally, roll over and repeat on the other side.
Juniper says that a side plank not only works the transverse abdominal muscles and obliques, but also the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. To make the exercise more challenging, try raising your upper leg or arm.
Reverse Crunch
How:
– Place your feet on the floor with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. – Slowly raise your hips off the floor and lift your butt until your thighs and back are in line with each other. – contracting your abs, hold for two seconds. – Return to the starting position. – Do two sets of 12 reps. Lie on your back on the floor with your arms at your sides and your palms facing down. Place your feet on the floor with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Slowly raise your hips off the floor until your thighs and back are in line with each other, contracting your abs. Hold for two seconds, then return to the starting position. Do two sets of 12 reps.
Bend your knees and bring them up to your chest by tightening your abs. As they rise, roll your pelvis to lift your hips off the floor.
To do a squat, first squeeze your muscles at the top, then slowly lower yourself until your thighs are perpendicular to the floor.
This exercise is especially good at working your rectus abdominis, says Juniper. To really get your six-pack muscles burning, try using resistance bands or a cable machine.
Oblique Crunch
How:
– To do this exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then, put your right hand behind your head, elbow flared out. Lastly, put your left palm down perpendicular to your torso.
To do this exercise, start by lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on the floor beside you. Contract your abs and lift your shoulders off the floor. Then rotate your body so your right elbow moves towards your left knee. Slowly lower back to the starting position and repeat. Do the same number of reps on the other side.
This exercise is a great way to strengthen your obliques and the muscles around your core. To make it more challenging, lift your legs a few centimeters off the ground while you do the exercise, and then switch sides.
How:
– Sit on the bench with your legs extended in front of you and your hands gripping the bench to steady yourself.
– Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your heels hanging off the edge of the bench. Put your hands underneath your butt on the bench, with your palms facing downwards, or hold onto the sides of the bench with your feet shoulder-width apart and your heels hanging off the edge.
Keeping your legs as straight as possible, exhale and raise them until they make a 90-degree angle with the floor. Slowly lower back to the starting position.
To reduce the strain on your lower back while still working your lower abs, go one leg at a time, keeping the other at a 90-degree angle, according to Donaldson. To add more resistance, lift your glutes off the floor at the top of the motion each time or hold a Swiss ball between your ankles, adds Juniper.
Medicine Ball Jackknife
How:
-Lie down on your back with a medicine ball above your head, your arms and legs outstretched, and your hands and feet lifted just above the floor.
– To start the exercise, raise your torso and legs up at the same time until the medicine ball touches your feet. Then lower your body back down towards the floor slowly. That counts as one repetition.
Juniper says that this exercise is great because it works many muscles in the body and is immediately effective. She suggests trying to keep your feet off the ground between repetitions for a more challenging workout.
Bonus Move: TRX Rollout
Donaldson says that TRX straps are an effective way to work your core muscles, and can be adapted to any level of fitness or experience. To do the move, stand with your shoulders relaxed and your stomach pulled in, holding the TRX straps in front of you at shoulder height. Lean forward, keeping your abs engaged, then lower your arms to reset. The more perpendicular your body is to the floor, the more challenging the move will be.
Bonus Move: Dead Bug
Donaldson explains that to do this move, you should start by lying on your back on the floor with your feet up and your knees bent to a 90 degree angle. Then, extend your arms directly in front of your shoulders, suck your belly button into your spine, brace your core, and slowly drop one leg and the opposite arm to the floor. Return to the start position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
