Lower abs

**Nismo** · 10-25-2007, 05:50 AM

Are there any specific workouts that are for the lower abs?? I tried the search button but I found nothing.

The top of my abs are going good but I have nothing on the bottom. Any advice??

**Mike S.** · 10-25-2007, 09:51 AM

bump kinda curious myself

**swol_je** · 10-25-2007, 10:18 AM

leg raises I put a 15-25lb dumbbell and hold it between your legs 3x15 3x aweek also work your obliques while hanging in the same position this also will help bring out your lower abs

**RANA** · 10-25-2007, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by swol_je

leg raises I put a 15-25lb dumbbell and hold it between your legs 3x15 3x aweek also work your obliques while hanging in the same position this also will help bring out your lower abs

I agree, also flutter kicks

**nofear** · 10-25-2007, 12:05 PM

Hanging leg raises are the best. Ive been doing them for three months and have seen great results!

**Nismo** · 10-25-2007, 02:45 PM

good sh!t thanks

**WelshWarrior** · 10-26-2007, 04:11 PM

Hanging leg raises
Twisting hanging leg raises
Hook a weights belt to the cable and put your feet in it. Lie on your back and bring your legs toward you like a knee raise. Just started doing these and find they are harder/better than hanging raises.

Most of ab appearance is bodyfat related, not a**ominal strength, though.

**dedic8ed1** · 10-26-2007, 04:40 PM

hanging leg lifts or lay at the bottom of a bench and lift your legs to the ceiling and lower to the floor without touching,these are really good.

**sonnygll** · 10-27-2007, 12:41 AM

There is no such thing as lower abs. The rectus a**ominus has 1 neural connection. The "lower ab" exercises actually target the internal hip flexors which are underneath the lower part of the rectus a**ominus.

You can work the entire a**ominal area (excluding the transverse a**ominus) with a full situp, which should be done on a decline while holding a weight plate. And yes this includes obliques. No need to isolate those. Besides that twisting motions are bad for your spine.

Of course if you squat and deadlift that shouldn't be needed.

The only thing left out of this is the transverse a**ominus, which is the internal part, which holds in your internal organs. It can only be strengthened with stomach vacuums. This is good for flattening the a**ominal area.

With all that said, I have a feeling you don't really need your abs bigger, so much as you need less fat on your belly. Abs are obtained in the kitchen, not the gym.

**eddy tye** · 10-27-2007, 03:39 AM

yes diet is key on abs,but i know what you want...for your lower part of the ab section to burn after a workout...lol

what gets me is,going on a decline bench with a rope and doing leg raise's like that,with your legs well below your waist...go to failer (3 sets) they will burn!!!

**Nismo** · 10-28-2007, 12:35 AM

Originally Posted by sonnygll

There is no such thing as lower abs. The rectus a**ominus has 1 neural connection. The "lower ab" exercises actually target the internal hip flexors which are underneath the lower part of the rectus a**ominus.

You can work the entire a**ominal area (excluding the transverse a**ominus) with a full situp, which should be done on a decline while holding a weight plate. And yes this includes obliques. No need to isolate those. Besides that twisting motions are bad for your spine.

Of course if you squat and deadlift that shouldn't be needed.

The only thing left out of this is the transverse a**ominus, which is the internal part, which holds in your internal organs. It can only be strengthened with stomach vacuums. This is good for flattening the a**ominal area.

With all that said, I have a feeling you don't really need your abs bigger, so much as you need less fat on your belly. Abs are obtained in the kitchen, not the gym.

Amen to that!!! I know that to see abs has a lot to do with BF, but having your abs a bit does help a bit. Thanks for the info

**Ronnie Rowland** · 10-29-2007, 06:33 PM

Targeting the lower or upper abs is similar to trying to target the lower and upper chest. In general reverse crunches and leg raises hit the lower sections a bit more than standard crunches and vise versa.

**sonnygll** · 10-30-2007, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by SLINGSHOT TRAINING GURU

Targeting the lower or upper abs is similar to trying to target the lower and upper chest. In general reverse crunches and leg raises hit the lower sections a bit more than standard crunches and vise versa.

Totally wrong on this. At lest with chest there are multiple neural connections, so you can put more emphasis on one head or the other. With abs, upper and lower is all the same, there is *ONE* neural connection. It is IMPOSSIBLE to work one part and not the other. Reverse crunches and leg raises target internal hip flexors under the abs. THAT is what you feel. NOT lower abs, because there is no such thing.

**WelshWarrior** · 10-30-2007, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by sonnygll

Totally wrong on this. At lest with chest there are multiple neural connections, so you can put more emphasis on one head or the other. With abs, upper and lower is all the same, there is *ONE* neural connection. It is IMPOSSIBLE to work one part and not the other. Reverse crunches and leg raises target internal hip flexors under the abs. THAT is what you feel. NOT lower abs, because there is no such thing.

So how come if I do crunches till I shake like **** my upper abs just below my chest are sore after, yet if I do leg raises to failure my abs just above my bladder/below my belly button are sore?

**Ronnie Rowland** · 10-30-2007, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by WelshWarrior

So how come if I do crunches till I shake like **** my upper abs just below my chest are sore after, yet if I do leg raises to failure my abs just above my bladder/below my belly button are sore?

Sonny, I understand where you are coming from but WelshWarrior would be correct. Go do 10 sets of leg raises one week and see where your abs get sore. The following week perform 10 sets of standard crunches and you'll notive the upper abs are mostly sore.

It's kind of like comparing standing calve raises to seated calve raises. The seated version do work the Gastrocs but they hit the soleus more friend.

**sonnygll** · 10-30-2007, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by WelshWarrior

So how come if I do crunches till I shake like **** my upper abs just below my chest are sore after, yet if I do leg raises to failure my abs just above my bladder/below my belly button are sore?

As for the first part, I'm not sure. Maybe you notice it more because that is what you are expecting. As for the second part, that is your internal hip flexors which are the weak link and primary muscle used in the leg raises. Keep in mind where you feel sore can be misleading. Why not consolidate those with a full situp where you get them at the same time? Easy to ad weight too.

See myth number 2 for more details.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html

See the all or nothing section here. It explains how a muscle fiber can't contract at just 1 end. And the fibers go down the entire length of the rectus.
http://www.exercisexpress.com/LOWERABS.htm

**sonnygll** · 10-30-2007, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by SLINGSHOT TRAINING GURU

Sonny, I understand where you are coming from but WelshWarrior would be correct. Go do 10 sets of leg raises one week and see where your abs get sore. The following week perform 10 sets of standard crunches and you'll notive the upper abs are mostly sore.

It's kind of like comparing standing calve raises to seated calve raises. The seated version do work the Gastrocs but they hit the soleus more friend.

Soreness can be misleading. See the links above.

The calf analogy is a lot like the chest one earlier. These are 2 different muscles, with different neural connections. One is dominant when the knee is bent, the other when it is straight. The rectus a**ominus on the other hand has 1 neural connection and is made of fibers that go down the entire length of the muscle.

How about some real world proof.
Stand and let your entire a**ominal area relax so it is soft when you push on it. Now try to flex part of it. See if one half can be relaxed while the other is flexed?

Proof is in the pushing so to speak.

**WelshWarrior** · 10-31-2007, 05:40 PM

Okay, cheers sonnygll

**YouAintKnow330** · 11-01-2007, 11:45 PM

Very Helpful, I struggle in the low ab area as well

**soss ick** · 11-09-2007, 08:34 PM

can i bump this?

**sonnygll** · 11-10-2007, 02:01 AM

It looks like you just did. What is your question?

**soss ick** · 11-11-2007, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by sonnygll

It looks like you just did. What is your question?

lol, i'd like more lower ab excercises

**xlxBigSexyxlx** · 11-11-2007, 12:10 PM

hahaha "can I bump this?"

on another note, nice little convo/debate sonny and sling shot.

**sonnygll** · 11-12-2007, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by soss ick

lol, i'd like more lower ab excercises

Well try this. See if you can flex just your upper or lower abs. Whle the other part is totally relaxed. Try to flex 1 and then push on the other.

If you can do it, then I need the following information. What kind of laser was used to slice your abs apart at the waist?
Then did you harvest a rib, or forge a metal rod? You know across your waist and fused to the hip bone on either side. Then how did you attach each piece of severed abs to your new waist bone?
Then the nerve that is there, did that go with the upper part or the lower part?
How did the brain surgery go so the part with the nerve wouldn't feel like the entire ab area?
What did you use to run another nerve from the other part of the abs? How did you connect it to your spine and get it to run up to your brain stem?
How was that part of the brain surgery, you know, where you got it to control the other part of your abs?

Now if you want to isolate your internal hip flexors, that would be pretty silly but you could do straight knee hanging leg raises with a dumbbell between your feet.

Or you could do weighted decline situps and work the entire ab_dominal area and the internal hip flexors all in 1 go.

Or better yet, you can forget the whole thing and just squat and deadlift, which works your abs the best and a whole bunch of other muscles too.