In fitness, lower abdominal exercises are considered less popular, and the main focus is on the upper abdominal area. The main reason for this shift in priorities is the formation of the coveted “packs,” which are the standard sign of fitness in sports. However, in terms of health, functionality and overall body aesthetics, lower abs are considered more significant. Therefore, athletes need to first pay attention to how to pump up the lower abs, instead of placing excessive stress on the upper areas of the rectus abdominis muscle.
Features of lower abdominal training
The first thing any athlete should start their training with is getting rid of the false stereotype about the six-pack. The saying “abs are forged in the kitchen” is fully justified. That is, the drawing of the cubes is determined not so much by the muscles, but by the percentage of fat in the body. However, the abs are a muscle that needs to be trained. Despite the fact that it hypertrophies very weakly and slowly, a lot will depend on its tone, from posture to the functioning of internal organs.
Regularly working out your lower abs will help you avoid many negative consequences, namely:
- Prolapse of the intestines and internal organs.
- Functioning of the genitourinary system.
- Prevention of inguinal hernias (weakness of the lower abdomen is the main risk factor).
- Prevention and prevention of pelvic rotation.
The latter is a very serious problem that occurs in more than 40% of people with a sedentary or sedentary lifestyle. If, due to the nature of your work, you have to sit for a long time, exercises for the lower abs will have to be done without fail. Otherwise, weakening of the abs and buttocks, as well as hypertonicity of the lower back and shortening of the quadriceps, will lead to a number of very serious consequences.
The second important point that needs to be monitored is the absence of stress on the lower back. If the technique is incorrect, even the most effective exercises for the lower abs will be harmful to the lower back. Moreover, their effectiveness for the target muscle will be significantly reduced. Therefore, in order to pump up the lower part of the press without complications for the spine (hernia, protrusion, pinched nerves, etc.), the lower back should always be excluded from work during movement .
The key to movement , especially when you are doing lower abdominal exercises at home without a trainer, is proper breathing . Regardless of the type of movement, exhalation must occur when muscles contract. Therefore, to eliminate the harmful consequences that straining during exercise can cause, you should fully understand how to pump the lower press. To do this, you should devote enough time to mastering the technique.
The last myth that should be dispelled before starting training is “special lower abdominal exercises for men or girls.” In reality there are no divisions or anatomical differences. Therefore, if an instructor recommends doing lower abdominal exercises for girls, it is better to find a more professional trainer. The only distinguishing criterion for lower abdominal exercises is the level of physical fitness. Depending on it, the athlete is recommended certain movements.
Is it possible to lose weight only in the abdominal area?
Spot weight loss is a type of targeted exercise designed to burn fat in specific areas of the body. Is this method effective? No, research shows that local weight loss is ineffective.
The fat burning process works on a different principle. Free fatty acids and glycerol, which the body uses as fuel, can come from anywhere in the body other than the area you are training.
In 2011, a 6-week study was conducted in which 24 people from 18 to 40 years old took part. They were randomly divided into two groups. The first performed 7 types of abdominal exercises (2 sets of 10 repetitions) 5 days a week, the second followed a low-calorie diet, but was not exposed to physical activity. The results showed that the first group had improved muscle endurance, but the amount of belly fat remained about the same as the second group.
The second clinical trial was conducted in 2015 and was of a similar nature. It was attended by 40 overweight women, who were similarly divided into 2 groups. The first followed a diet for 12 weeks, and the second combined a diet and exercise for the abs.
The results showed that weight decreased in both groups, but the difference between them in waist and hip circumference, the amount and percentage of subcutaneous fat, and body mass index was insignificant.
Thus, abdominal training leads to muscle strengthening, but it is difficult to notice visually while the total body weight remains above normal. To lose weight in the waist and abdomen for a long time, it is important to combine a balanced diet and physical activity, including fat-burning workouts and local abdominal exercises.
Abdominal training is effective when combined with fat-burning exercises
The best exercises for comprehensive fat loss include:
- Aerobic exercise. These include cardio, running, cycling, etc. They work large muscle groups and are proven to be effective in burning calories.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT). Include short periods of intense activity and a recovery period in a 1:2 ratio. Consist primarily of anaerobic exercise.
- Exercises for the whole body. Research has shown that full-body exercises like burpees burn more calories and lead to greater fat loss than isolated exercises.
- A combination of aerobic and strength exercises. Combining resistance training and cardio exercises is more effective for weight loss than doing either type of exercise alone.
If you lack the motivation to train on your own or are afraid of getting injured or distributing the load incorrectly, pay attention to FitCurves training. Specialists will help you choose the optimal 30-minute set of exercises, monitor the correct completion of tasks and give recommendations regarding nutrition.
Top 3 lower abdominal exercises for home and gym
To pump up the lower abs, movements are used in which the legs are brought towards the body. Bringing your torso toward your legs will engage your upper body more.
Exercise "book"
This is a universal lower abdominal exercise for men and women. It is incredibly effective and is considered complex, as it actively loads the lower and upper parts. To shift the emphasis of execution to the lower part, the “book” is performed while sitting on a bench or chair. To do this, the body leans back slightly, and the legs move from the floor to the body (you cannot put your feet on the floor between repetitions).
Lying leg raise
The most popular movement to pump up your lower abdominal muscles. However, very often the lift is performed incorrectly, this puts the lower back under stress and switches the load from the abs to other muscles. Important Features:
- The lower back and buttocks should not hang. If you do it in the gym, your buttocks are on the edge of the bench. When performing lower abdominal exercises at home, it is better to sit on the floor, this will allow you to place the correct emphasis on your back and buttocks.
- You cannot place your feet on the floor, this will weaken the load. Regardless of where the lower abdominal exercise is performed, it is important to maintain tension until the end of the set.
- The legs should be raised strictly to the level when a right angle is formed between the body and the hips.
Many athletes, in pursuit of pumping up their lower abs, try to raise their legs as high as possible, right up to forehead level. This will only reduce the load from the lower abs and switch it to the lower back.
More about the exercise →
Hanging Leg Raise
An incredibly useful movement if done correctly. If you have a horizontal bar, it’s perfect for pumping up your lower abs at home. When performing, you should pay attention to the technical features:
- Avoid swaying completely (from your arms to your buttocks, your body should hang motionless, only the lower part of the body moves).
- You should not raise your straightened legs forward. This does not provide any advantage, but it shifts almost all the load to the hips and buttocks. To properly pump your lower abs, optimally raise your bent legs at the knees.
- The movement is performed slowly and under control, with a delay of 1-2 seconds at the top point.
Cardio load
Cardio training is aimed at burning fat and developing the heart muscle. You can choose any direction: running, swimming, jumping, fast walking, as well as training on special simulators. It doesn't matter which of these directions you choose. The main thing is the right approach and regularity in training.
- Know the lower and upper range of your heart rate. And maintain it in these ranges
- Do cardio only at the end of your workout or on non-training days so as not to interfere with your muscle growth progress.
- The duration of the workout should be 30-40 minutes 3-5 times a week
- Only strength training combined with cardio effectively burns fat.
And remember a lot of cardio does not mean good. Everything should be in moderation. You are not a machine, so you approach everything wisely.
Exercises with leg raises in a lying position
There are a large number of effective exercises for the lower abs, such as:
- "bicycle";
- "scissors".
Despite the differences, they provide the same load on the muscles. Well suited for pumping up the lower abs, especially to complete a workout (performed to failure).
Choose an exercise that you can perform without errors in technique and at least 30 repetitions in one set.
Is it possible to pump up your abs to six-pack size?
Abdominal muscles are a relative term. We don't have them in our body. There are only abdominal muscles, which are worked with during training. And the same abs that people usually boast about are nothing more than the rectus muscle. It also forms the coveted cubes, so, strictly speaking, everyone has them, they’re just not noticeable in everyone.
To make them clearly distinguishable, you need:
- reduce the fat layer that covers the abdominal muscles;
- pump up and build muscle tissue, achieving greater definition from it.
But you won’t be able to reduce belly fat alone. Our body does not know how to get rid of fatty tissue in a specific area. You can only lose weight in general, and for this you need to change your diet, replace buns and soda with meat, vegetables and unsweetened tea. Increase physical activity - start running, swimming, or at least walking more and doing exercises in the morning. And at the same time perform a set of exercises for the abs, then the result will not be long in coming.
It is impossible to pump up your abdominal muscles in a week. Muscle tissue is such that it grows slowly. This requires regular exercise and proper protein-rich nutrition (meat, fish, dairy products, protein shakes). You will notice the first result in the form of a tightened tummy already in the first days of training, but the long-awaited six-pack will appear no earlier than in a month.
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Lesson mode
We discussed how to pump up the lower abdominal muscles above, but in order for the sport to bring results, consistency is necessary. You can limit yourself to 3-4 classes per week, which will last no more than half an hour. Fitness experts advise pumping your lower abs every 16 hours. But this can be difficult for beginners, so be guided by the state of your body, since frequent exercise can cause overtraining, which leads to injuries.
Following the recommendations, evaluate the result after a few months.
Lower back pain
The back muscles, like any other, require adequate exercise for maintenance, strength and tone. You use your legs almost constantly, but your back and abs remain inactive, i.e. they will weaken with age.
When the facet joints or anything else in the spine becomes inflamed, the back muscles can spasm, causing lower back pain and making it difficult to move.
Low back pain that lasts more than 2 weeks leads to weakening of the muscles. Muscle strength and flexibility are necessary to maintain a neutral spine. A weak upper and lower abdomen can cause curvature of the spine.
Unhealthy posture occurs when the spine is overstrained, and this is called lordosis or spinal curvature. Proper posture corrects muscle imbalances that could lead to lower back pain by distributing weight evenly throughout the spine.
Anatomy of the abdominal muscles
Everyone pumps their abs. And this is not an exaggeration. We download it at school during physical education lessons, and include it in the morning exercise routine at any age. In weight loss plans, it is recommended to pump up your abs so that fat does not have time to be deposited.
Why, as I said, does the lower section require more detailed work than the upper? In most cases, the press is pumped more often by lifting the body. This strengthens the upper muscles, while the lower muscles are pumped up when lifting the legs and lateral twisting.
The entire muscular frame will begin to form cubes and a waist with a comprehensive solution to the problem. Let's pay attention to three components: diet, exercise, technique.
How often should you exercise?
The press is a muscle group like any other. It’s extremely easy to focus on it in your training program. It is enough to add small sets of 4-5 exercises to your usual workouts for other parts of the body. You need to exercise 2-3 times a week. Doing this more often is pointless. Daily grueling loads do not allow the muscles to fully recover (they do not have enough time). Which, in turn, greatly reduces the effectiveness of classes.
If the training scheme and the corresponding nutrition plan are drawn up correctly, the result will be noticeable quite quickly. When there is no progress despite efforts, this indicates one of two reasons:
- slow burning of subcutaneous fat;
- insufficient load or incorrectly selected training program.
Another important point is the intensity of training. The abs are a small muscle group that doesn't take too much time to work. The best option for productive work is 20-30 minutes.
Exercise seven
Lie on your back, bend your knees at right angles, and place your heels on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and clasp them together. Raise your shoulder blades without changing the position of your legs. Hold your body in this position for about ten seconds, slightly lifting your buttocks off the floor. Return to the starting position. Photo: AlexGroundwater
Tags:
- Back
- Stomach
- Exercises
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Exercise one
Place a stability ball under your lower back. Join your hands behind your head, spread your elbows to the sides. Place your feet on the floor with your knees bent at right angles. Try to lean forward towards your knees while maintaining balance on the exercise ball. Then return to the starting position.
What is abs and why do you need to develop it?
In fact, in anatomy there is no such thing as abs. There are only four types of abdominal muscles:
- straight;
- transverse;
- oblique;
- internal oblique.
It is necessary to regularly work out these muscles not only to improve external appearance, but also to improve health. Since these muscles play an important role in the human body.
Exercises for the abs:
- contribute to improving the functioning of internal organs;
- normalize digestion;
- act as a preventive measure for back diseases;
- have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the genitourinary system.
Of course, the aesthetic aspect is no less important. A flat, toned stomach indicates that a person takes care of himself, trains his own body to be healthy and look good.
Exercise three
Kneel in front of the fitball and place the palms of your hands parallel to each other on it. Without lifting your feet off the floor, roll the fitball from your hands to your elbows. Try to keep your back straight - do not arch or strain it. Return to the starting position.
