How to Do Lower Ab Exercises

The lower abs are one of the most frustrating areas of the body to work out. Coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, the lower abs are one of the first places people look when they want to check out someone's body. Fortunately, with a few good exercise routines, the lower abs can be sculpted into shape to complete the coveted abdominal six-pack.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Build lower ab workouts into your exercise routine so that you end up concentrating on the area about three times a week. One of the reasons that people have so much trouble with the lower abs is simply that they don't work them enough. Make sure you pay attention to the lower abs on a regular basis to start the process of getting them into shape.
2. Do a diverse range of exercises. The lower abs are made up of more than one muscle, so it's important to attack them from all different angles. Generally, any lower ab exercise has its standard form in which the range of motion is straight along the body. To strengthen all areas of the lower abs, exercises should be routinely modified by adding an "angle of attack" to both the right and left side. For instance, if you do leg raises, make sure you add a set where you bring your legs up to the right of your torso and then a set to the left of your torso to target all lower ab muscles.
3. Obey the general principle of muscle equality. This means that when you work one set of muscles, you should also work the set of muscles that is complementary to it. In the case of lower abs, be sure to do a set of back and lower back exercises to counter the pull that the tightens of your abs creates. This will help keep your body straight and in-line so you can continue to make progress.
4. Alternate between weighted exercise and endurance exercise. During one workout, that is, concentrate on doing leg raises while clenching a weight between your feet. This will help make the muscle bigger and stronger. The next time you do ab exercise, forget the weight and go for sheer number and speed to improve the efficiency and endurance of the lower ab muscles.
5. Persevere even if you don't see results immediately. It takes a little bit of time for results to become apparent, but trust that your lower ab exercises are making a huge difference in your fitness level. If you get really frustrated by the appearance of your abs, intensify cardio workouts and dieting to burn fat off the stomach to help uncover the killer abs hiding beneath the fat.