Developing a good lower ab workout is critical to your success in developing killer six pack abs because the stomach muscles is one of the more difficult parts of the body to shape and tone. The stomach is often reffered to as the belly, abs, abdominals, tummy and midriff. Many people try to lose their extra belly fat just to look and feel good, however a good deal of people try to lose it for health reasons. Being overweight has been linked to cardiovascular disease and other serious health conditions.
Still many people both men and women alike are simply motivated to develop their ab muscles because they enjoy looking lean and sexy with “washboard abs”. Unfortunately many abdominal exercises neglect the lower abdomen. The lower abdomen is an extension of what is commonly known as the “six-pack” and is attached to the bones at the pelvis and hips. Regularly working the abdomials especially the lower ab muscles is important because they play a vital role in helping to stabalize the spine and prevent injuries, and especially your back.
Not all exercises designed to develop the stomach muscles effectively targets all of the muscles in your abdomen and you may need to use an abdominal machine to get the results you want. Some common exercises that are considered good workouts for the lower abdominals are pelvic tilts and reverse curls.
If you’re thinking of trying out other kinds of exercises for the stomach below are some things you’d want to keep in mind to make sure that you’re also getting a good workout.
Lower back – First of all you need to realize that no abdominal exercise should make your back hurt. Abdominal exercises are supposed to stress your stomach muscles and make them work, pain in your back means that your stomach muscles aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do. Either you’re doing the exercise incorrectly which means you have to check your form and execution, or your stomach muscles just aren’t strong enough to perform the exercise. If weak abdominals is the problem then the only solution is to try an easier ab workout first to strengthen them first.
Lower abdomen – When doing exercises that is targeted at developing your lower abs then they should be doing most of the work. Try to feel your muscles while doing the exercise, you should feel your lower abdomen working the most. If not, then it means that either you’re doing the exercise incorrectly or that your abdominal muscles are already tired which is a signal for you to stop and rest.
Execution – When executing any kind of workout to strengthen the stomach remember to perform it in a slow and controlled manner and to avoid jerky, uncontrolled movements. Also by performing the workout in a slow and controlled manner ensures that you use the correct muscles for the exercise. Also keep in mind that the quality of each repetition is more important than the number of repetitions that you make.
Breathing – Breathing properly is very important, not just when doing a lower ab workout, but all throughout the day as well. Proper breathing will help your muscles to work more efficiently.
Endurance – The lower abdominal muscles are for posture and stabilization. They aren’t meant for strength, so train them for endurance and not for strength.
