Effective Lower Abdominal
Exercises That Put Abs On Fire
|
Lower abdominal exercises are a
must for any effective abdominal workouts. A lot of people just do
regular
crunches because it is easy and simple to feel the top part of the abs
burning.
But when it comes to lower abs, a lot people shy away. This is because
doing
lower abs exercises can give you lower back pain if not properly. You
will feel
a cold cramp down on the lower back.
The other
factor that drives
people away from doing lower abdominal workouts is that the belly is in
the way
and it does not feel comfortable. It should be stressed that doing
lower
abdominal exercises is very important because not only it gives you the
complete set of abs but also it can serve as a posture correction
method for
those who have what we call “flat back” posture. The “flat back”
posture is
when the hips are pushed a little forward than usual. Individuals who
have this
problem really need to do lower abdominal exercises to strengthen the
lower abs
and avoid doing crunches.
Back to the
workout, here are a
few awesome lower abdominal exercises that you can try. Most of them
you can do
it at home but some you need equipment. |
|
Reverse Crunch
Source:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050920/images/abs_crunch.jpg
This is a super
effective lower
abs exercise. Lie down flat on your back on an exercise mat. Put your
hands
with your palms facing up beside your body. Put your legs straight up
with a
slight bend in your knees so that your legs are perpendicular to your
body.
Then, raise your butt up vertically as if you are trying to touch the
ceiling
with your toes. With your butt off the floor, come down slowly. Do not
bring
your legs down, repeat the second repetition.
Captains Chair Leg Raises
Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050920/images/abs_chair.jpg
To perform this exercise, you need
gym equipment called Captain’s Chair. Place your elbows firmly and
strong
against the elbow pad. The firmer you place your elbows the smoother
the
exercise is going to be. Most people start this exercise with their leg
straight pointing down. That is wrong; you should start with your
thighs
slightly lower that perpendicular of your body with your knees slightly
bent.
Raise your legs so that your butt rolls off the pad behind you. Squeeze
it, and
slowly return to starting position. This is said to be the best among
the other
lower abdominal exercises.
Hanging Leg Raises
Source:
http://ultimatefitness.files.wordpress.com/2006/11/hanging_leg_raises.JPG
Here is another
mother of all
lower
abdominal exercises. This is an advance technique and it
requires
lower
abs strength and arm strength as well. Hang on a chin up bar and
stabilize your
body. Make sure there is no swaying. With your leg slightly bent, raise
them as
high as you can, squeezing the abs. The toes should be at slightly
lower than
chest level at the end of the rep and lower them slowly but not all the
way,
keep the tension in the lower abs so that it keeps burning! Repeat.
Reverse Crunches On Decline Bench
Source:
http://www.fitnessbyday.com/images/P7040041.jpg
|
|
This is similar
to reverse
crunches but the only thing is that it is done on a decline bench.
Grasp the
top of the decline bench firmly. With your legs vertically up,
perpendicular to
your body, raise your butt up as if you are trying to touch the ceiling
with
your toes. Come down slowly to keep the contraction and repeat.
Choose any two
out of these lower
abdominal exercises and add it in your abdominal workout.
|
Do not forget
about
oblique and upper abs exercise. Finish off your abs workout with a core
exercise like planks.
|
