Lower abs

[Kriminal]

At the moment my lower abs aren't particularly 'falling in line' with the rest of my abs.

They're what I'd describe as being a little....erm....forward ? ie. they aren't fat enough that I can particularly grab 'em, but they're there where I tend to have a finishing line where my abs meet my groin area, so they're not as free-flowing and flat as I'd like.

I hope you're following my description

So, at the moment my abs are split over three workout sessions per week, where I finish the workout by doing ab work and then 20-30mins cardio. At the end of one workout, I'll finish with upper ab work, the next workout would finish with obliques, and the next would finish with lower ab work.

My lower ab routine at the moment consists of the following :

3 sets, 15 reps, reverse crunches done on bench (where I'm able to curl right up - knees into chest)
3 sets, 10 reps, reverse crunches done on floor (where I'll aim to 'kick' the sky)
3 sets, 10-15 reps, frog-kicks (where I'll sit on the end of the bench, and bring my knees into my lower ab area)

I've began reducing my caloric intake, so that I can maybe shed a little more off that area, as my upper abs look fine.

Anybody got any other exercises you could recommend for lower ab work ?

My standard advice is to do ab plank holds.

Do a search for ab plank if you are not familiar with this static isometric contraction.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by pierini

My standard advice is to do ab plank holds.

Do a search for ab plank if you are not familiar with this static isometric contraction.

Heavy assed cable crunches, kneeling or standing. You can really make your transverse abdominus contract to finish this movement.

That and of course diet. The more abs you want, the more you gotta cut. It's all in the diet...oh yeah, and the cardio.

[westside24]

yup the lower abs are the hardest part of the abs to workout id say. everybody is so worried about crunches, and companys are so focused on seeling us workout items to work the upper torso... what I would try to do is stand with your arms behind your back and flex your abs, and let some one slap you with a 2x4 in the abs...... haha psyche!
no really, I like planks, and definately hanging leg raises, add some wieght to your feet, or get a spotter to force your legs down while you lift your legs.

[Kriminal]

Hmmm.....thanks for the ideas guys - much appreciated. Routines, can become...erm....'routine' after a while, and I do like to swap things around to prevent boredom.

How does this sound from your list above :

. Start with Rope Crunches (as they're weighted) 3 x 15 x (weight)
. Follow up with hanging leg raises 3 x (as many as possible)
. Finish with 3 sets of planks (I presume this is done more to a time scale...which leads me to a li'l question - how long would you aim for ?)

PS. The diet plan is already in place....I'm weighing in at 198 pounds at the moment, and want to drop to approximately 190....so no real major drop, but would like to shed excess, and tone up a bit more. I think I've spent sooo much time on the 'building' side of things, that I need a change, as I'm getting tooooo tired during the day where I think my metabolism is struggling a little to burn the calories I'm putting in. So, the carbs have been minimized, and the quantities have been reduced.

A single ab plank to failure is sufficient in my opinion.

How long to aim for? To failure. Holding for 2 minutes for the first time would be a decent effort in my opinion. My best is 4:32. Don't stick your butt up or allow it to sag.

[westside24]

its best to do them in a mirror if possible, and try doing lateral planks. I believe those are for the obliques and maybe some lats?

[Kriminal]

Originally Posted by westside24

its best to do them in a mirror if possible, and try doing lateral planks. I believe those are for the obliques and maybe some lats?

Okay, dumb question time - what are lateral planks ?

[westside24]

im not sure if thats what they are really called... but you lay completely sideways, and it would be like doing a push-up just like the plank, but instead you use your forearm to hold, keeping your whole body straight, only thing touching should be the one forearm lets say your left and foot. you can set yourself up to raise your self up and down like a push up also... ill see if i can find a link of a picture for them or something.