# Lower abdominal exercises



## NoSword (Nov 8, 2004)

Hi. I just recently added an abdominal routine to my daily workout. After doing it for a little while now I've decided that I wanted to add a 3rd exercise to the small routine I do on the days I work my lower abdominals. Currently my lower ab routine looks like this:

Hip Raises: 30 seconds of as many quality reps I can do
Reverse Crunches :30 seconds of as many quality reps I can do

3 sets of each exercise alternating between the two with no rest time. It takes about 3 minutes total. However, though I would like to add a 3rd and possibly a 4th exercise for the sake of variety and a chance to alternate them that way I don't get bored   I'm looking for exercies that work only the lower abs because on day 2 I work obliques and on day 3 I work on upper abs. Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## Jade Tigress (Nov 8, 2004)

This is a little difficult to explain but I'll try to be clear.

Sit and pull your knees close to your chest, hold your arms in forward on the outsides of your legs, lift one leg keeping the knee bent and the the foot up (level from foot to knee as much as you can) and pull the knee to your shoulder, bounce/crunch the knee to shoulder, you should feel it in the lower stomach. Then do the other side, then do both legs at the same time so you're balancing on your butt, nothing else touching the floor and crunching your bent knees to your shoulders. Hope this makes sense. It's a good lower ab workout.


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## Vadim (Nov 8, 2004)

Hi NoSword. I know your looking for only lower body ab exrcises, but you have to try "dead bugs". You lay on your back hands behind your head and knees bent with feet in the air so your laying like a "dead bug". You then scoot yourself in a clockwise direction for one revolution and then you go counter clockwise for the next revolution. Continue to do as many reps as you can alternating between clockwise and counter-clockwise. Trust me you will feel the burn through out your entire abs. 

-Vadim


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## Blooming Lotus (Nov 8, 2004)

To be frank there are no such thing as "lower abs".  THere are however different heads on your abs and I highly recommend you take a look at an anatomy chart for human musculature.

I am huge on ab routines and I think that breathing correctly into and through your lower diaphragm while playing with spine alignment during your abs is a big factor of a more effective workout.

At the moment, I'm only doing 600 or so a day of various ab exercises as opposed to some ludicrous number normally, but I'm packed _just_ enough to believe it ample / sufficient.

For "lower abs", after my 120 army set crunches , I usually, lay on my back, arms palms flat and down cirlcular to directly over head to end palms down , plant heels ( archilles facing floor ) to as longer stretch as I can manage .  This is for spine anlignment and to assist in engaging that lower diaphragm.  From there, navel to the spine, I begin with reverse cruches straight on.  Then I take my kness to the side , then opposite side, while trying to keep my outter butt cheek on the floor .  Sometimes, I find by placing your hands fisted and cylnder like under my lower spine, at the tupper most extremety of pre-gluet, it helps keep your entire torso engaged.  From there, I remove my hands to the side or crossed over my chest and do a set of alternate sides, repeat and raise back off floor as my knee hits it's farthest point on eache.  Just keep an eye on the outside of your legs that they remain parrelell to the ground as you lower you legs for each rep and that the bottom of your feet are face square onto to the opposite wall as your knees.

Enjoy 

BL


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## TigerWoman (Nov 8, 2004)

Another one:  lay on your back with your hands under your pelvis, cradling your spine to protect it. Press your back into the floor. Head, neck up. (this might be hard for beginners as neck muscles are weak) Lift your legs to a 35° angle to the floor, keeping your legs straight, then down to hover over the floor, never to touch the floor, do 6 times up and down.  Then spread your legs apart and do mini circles, about ten then reverse direction and do another ten. All kinds of variations on these. But the leg/foot has to be low to the floor to engage the lower abs. TW


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