10 Best Lower Abdominal Workouts For Chiseled Abs

A perfect six-pack is a big goal for many people because it’s the ultimate display of physical strength and athleticism. No physique can be deemed complete without chiseled abs. A shredded abdomen has become an aesthetic necessity every pro athlete needs. It has also become the primary head-turner worldwide.

However, chiseled abs are not easy to come by.

It takes a lot of hard work and effort to develop perfect abs, and even more suffering to maintain them. The abdominal area is typically divided into three areas, upper, middle, and lower abs.

As shown in the article  10 BEST MIDDLE ABDOMINAL WORKOUTS FOR CHISELED ABS,  training the core can also help to protect against lower back pain, back injuries, and even improve your  respiratory function—all key ingredients for a body that works like a well-oiled machine. This is in addition to the better balance you’ll develop, a better posture, and greater agility.

ABDOMINAL MUSCLE GROUPS

Although this article will focus on the lower abs, there is no  muscle group dedicated to the lower abs, so you can't isolate this area during your workout. The lower abs are serviced by the lower end of the rectus abdominis muscle, which is a muscular sheath between the bottom of the rib cage and the pubic symphysis.

Working on the lower abs will involve the entire rectus abdominis, along with the deep transverse abdominis and the internal and external obliques, building a stronger core.

Therefore, ab workouts will also benefit the hip flexors and the legs. Furthermore, some exercises focused on the lower abs will also feature in the workout routines for the middle and upper abs. Several of the best ab exercises can be done at home.

Note: The reps for each of the following exercises depend on your strength and level of fitness.

1. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

Mountain climbers are a superb lower ab exercise that can give you a quick cardio boost while simultaneously giving your abs, shoulders, legs, glutes, and shoulders a workout. At the same time, it will burn some calories.

This exercise is one of several plank exercises, also called a hover, front hold, or abdominal bridge. Plank position exercises engage the muscles in your abdominals, lower back, hips, and arms.

It is an isometric core strength exercise, that involves maintaining a push-up-like position for the maximum possible time without any actual muscle movement taking place.

After a few minutes of holding the position, you might find your hips dropping or your back arching. However, alignment is key in this exercise.

Your heels, legs, hips, shoulders, neck, and head must form a line. Hold your hips up, and keep your back straight — don’t arch it or lift your head to look forward.

How to perform mountain climbers:

Your starting position for the mountain climber is a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width, palms flat on the floor, and shoulders up and in line with your wrists. Extend your legs and engage your core.

1. Once aligned, bend your right knee and bring it forward toward your chest.
2. Bring your right knee back to the starting position, and bring your left leg forward.
3. Continue this movement for up to 1 minute.
4. Rest and repeat 1–2 times.

During the exercise, you'll likely feel you are running against the floor. This movement exercises almost every muscle group in the body while also giving you a cardio boost.

Alternative option: Do a cross-over climber by bringing your right knee to your left elbow and then your left knee to your right elbow.

Pro Tip: The faster you move (while holding your aligned form), the more calories you burn, so step up to turn your workout into a seriously sweaty one!

2. LOW PLANK WITH ALTERNATING LEG LIFTS

This is another plank exercise that is  excellent for a strong core, targeting the lower abs and obliques.

How to perform alternating leg lifts:

• Like the mountain climber, you start in a push-up position, but with your forearms flat and elbows bearing your weight. instead of your hands.
• Again, make sure your heels, hips, back, neck, and head are in a straight line.
• Breathe, pulling your belly button toward your spine by pulling your abdomen in.
• Lift your right foot slightly off the ground, bend the knee, and draw your knee up and out to the side in a frog-like maneuver.
• Take your right leg back to the start position and do the same movement with your left leg.

Do not rush this one, alternate the legs in slow movements, and work toward 25 reps in sets of 3.

3. ROLLING PLANK

Our third plank exercise for targeting your lower abs.

How to perform rolling plank exercises:

This time, you start in a low plank position propped up on your forearms like your position for the alternating leg lifts.

• Hold the starting position for 10 seconds.
• Roll onto your right elbow, stacking your feet.
• Hold the right-side plank for 10 seconds, engaging your obliques.
• Roll back through the center and onto your left elbow, stacking your feet.
• Hold that position for 10 seconds.
• Continue to alternate, keeping your core engaged and not letting your hips drop.

Rolling to both sides equals one rep. Work toward three sets of 10 reps.

4. FLAT BENCH RISES

Performing exercises like crunches works the upper abs. Yet, you need lower body exercises in your  exercise arsenal to target the lower abs. One such exercise is the leg raises, which you can perform on a flat bench or a decline bench.

How to perform flat bench leg raises:

• For your starting position, lie with your back flat on a bench and your legs extended in front of you off the end of the bench.
• Place your hands either under your glutes with your palms down or by the sides holding on to the bench. This will be your starting position.
• Keep your legs extended, as straight as possible with your thighs pushed together. Your knees may be slightly bent but locked.
• Raise your legs until they make a 90-degree angle with the floor. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction at the top for a second.
• Now, as you inhale, slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
• You can work up to three sets of 10 reps, or simply do as many raises as you can – keeping the pace steady – in a set time as part of a circuit.

Variations: You can also perform this exercise on the floor on an exercise mat. You can also add weight by holding a dumbbell in between your feet as you get more advanced.

5. HANGING LEG RAISES

Hanging leg raises are an isolation exercise that will likely leave your lower abdominal area completely exhausted. You could perform this exercise on parallel bars or a pull-up bar.

Using the pull-up bar variation could be challenging because the body is likely to start swinging as movement is generated around the hips and knees.

When that happens, there is a greater demand on the stabilizing musculature of the body and the core to hold the body in position and prevent excessive swinging. 

Similarly, swinging your upper body can eliminate the lower ab tension, limiting the benefits of the hanging leg raises. So, don’t make the mistake of using momentum to lift your legs.

How to perform hanging leg raises:

For the starting position, grab the bar using an overhand grip and improve stability by wrapping your thumbs around the bar.

• Your hands should be grasping the bar well above your head, even if your feet touch the ground.
• Exhale, and lift your feet off the ground. Keep your legs straight and raise them upward and stretched out in front of you.
• Tilting your pelvis slightly back and engaging your hip flexors and abdominals can assist with the movement.
• Raise your legs to a level that feels challenging. The aim to work toward is lifting your legs parallel to the ground, bent at the hips at 90 degrees. However, start with lifting your legs only as high as you can and still maintain good form. You can build up to meet the height in time.
• Next, inhale while slowly lowering your legs to the starting position. Maintain your posterior pelvic tilt, even at the bottom of the movement.

Work your way up to 3 sets of 15 reps. Rest for 1 minute between sets.

Modification

If you are new to the hanging leg raise,  you might want to try an easier version. Modify the hanging leg raise by bending your knees.

Start in the same position as for the straight-leg version.

Slowly, with knees bent, raise your thighs up toward your chest.

Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then complete the rep by slowly lowering your legs back down to the start position.

Work up to 3 sets of 15 reps.

Bending your knees should make it considerably easier to complete the hanging leg raises exercise.

6. REVERSE CRUNCHES

Reverse crunches are one of the most common ab exercises. Not only does it strengthen the core, but it also benefits the lower back and stabilizes the hips and spine.

Unlike the normal crunch, bringing the legs up to the chest in reverse crunches makes them less likely to cause back injuries.

The fact that  the abdominal muscles are fully engaged throughout the performance of reverse crunches makes them even more beneficial in the quest to obtain chiseled abs.

How to perform reverse crunches:

• For your starting position to do reverse crunches, lay on your back, arms next to your body with your palms down.
• Bend your knees up to 90 degrees.

• Stabilize your legs by putting one foot on top of the other.
• Using only your core muscles, bring your knees all the way toward your head without arching your back.
• Return your legs slowly to the starting position with your knees up, but don’t drop your feet to the ground.
• Repeat this routine in 25 seconds sets with 5-second rests in between.

7. WEIGHTED REVERSE CRUNCHES

Reverse crunches are  one of the most effective lower ab exercises, and adding weight can make them even more effective.

The key to the success of the weighted reverse crunches is your ability to maintain the tension from squeezing the lower abs and keeping your back flat and in full contact with the floor.

Beginners should focus on normal reverse crunches and add weights at a later stage when they are stronger.

How to perform weighted reverse crunches:

For this version of the reverse crunches, you should add either ankle weights or you can squeeze a small medicine ball between your knees for added difficulty.

• Lie on your back with your hips flexed and your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
• Bend your knees to 90 degrees, holding your shins parallel to the ground up in the air.
• Place your arms by your sides.
• Engage your abs, draw your belly button in, and maintain the tight abdomen while you slowly lower your bent legs toward the ground.
• Make a gentle heel tap on the floor and then lift your legs back up to the starting position using only your core muscles.
• With the medicine ball squeezed between your knees, pull them slightly upward toward your chest.
• You should be strong enough to complete 25 slow reps of the weighted reverse crunches.

8. SCISSOR KICKS

Your hip flexors and rectus abdominis are the primary muscles involved in scissor kicks.

Now, lift your right leg at about a 45-degree angle while your left leg is lowered until the heel is about 2-3 inches from the ground. Repeat on the other side by lifting the left leg and lowering the right leg.

How to perform weighted scissor kicks:

• Lie down on your back on the floor with slightly bent knees and your legs up, holding your heels about six inches above the floor.
• Your arms should be alongside your body.
• With your left leg in the raised position, slowly lower your right leg to the starting position.
• As you raise your right leg up again, slowly lower your left leg.
• Continue alternating raising and lowering your legs.
• Work up to do 1–3 sets of 10–16 repetitions.

PRO TIP: If you struggle to keep your lower back flat on the floor, don’t lower your leg quite so far down. Instead, aim for about 45 degrees.

For variation:

Extend your legs straight up toward the ceiling to do open scissor kicks.

Slowly lower your right leg and bring it back up again.

Then lower the left leg, and repeat lowering and lifting, alternating the legs.

9. BOAT POSE TO TOE TOUCH

This lower ab exercise is a whole lot more challenging than it appears. After only a few reps you’ll feel the burn.

The boat pose does not only build core strength and balance but also encourages good posture and synergistic control and support from the lower abs and lower back.

How to perform the boat pose to toe touch:

• Start by sitting on the floor with bent knees, resting on your tailbone. Extend your arms in front of your body.
• Lean back gently, lifting your feet off of the ground, forming a V-shape with your body.
• Reach with your hands toward your toes and hold this position for 3-5 seconds.
• Return to the starting boat pose.
• Continue moving your upper body from the “V” position to the toe touch position.

Try doing 10 reps in sets of three.

For variation:

You can do the boat pose exercise without the toe touch.

• For this version, place your hands flat on the floor beneath your hips.
• Lift your legs to form the V-shape boat position.
• Hold the position for 15 to 25 seconds.
• Slowly lower the legs and repeat the movement, ultimately aiming to hold the boat position for a full minute.

10. DEAD BUGS

Despite its unconventional name, the dead bug exercise is an extremely effective lower abs exercise.

You need no more than a mat on the floor for the dead bug exercise.

Throughout the execution, you’ll keep your abdominal muscles contracted and your torso still. You will likely find it challenging to make the required extending and retracting movements of opposite arms and legs without your body rocking back and forth.

How to perform the dead bugs:

• Start by lying flat on your mat with your arms extended straight above your chest, creating a perpendicular angle with your torso.
• Bend your knees and hips 90 degrees, bringing your feet up from the ground. Your torso and thighs, and your thighs and shins should now form right angles. This is the starting position for the dead bugs exercise.
• Tighten your core, keeping your lower back pressed into the mat, but make sure your spine is neutral throughout the movements, which should be done slowly.
• Slowly reach your left arm above your head toward the floor, while simultaneously extending your right leg by straightening your knee and hip, reaching toward the floor with your right heel. Stop just before touching the floor with your hand and heel. Inhale while doing these extensions. During all this, hold the right arm and left leg steady in the start position.

• Next, return this arm and leg to the start position while exhaling, and repeat the movement with the right arm and left leg. Switch the movement by returning your left arm and right leg to their starting positions. Move slowly on the exhale.
• Perform the same movements to the opposite sides, this time keeping your left arm and right leg steady as you extend your right arm and left leg.
• Aim for three sets of five to 10 reps on each side.

LOWER AB WORKOUT SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

Safety is crucial in any workout program, regardless of whether the routine involves equipment. Lower ab exercises are no different.

Before starting a lower abdominal workout, you may want to consider these safety tips:

• Speak with your doctor before starting a new workout program if you’re managing any health conditions.
• Warm up before starting a workout.
• Focus on form.
• Only do as many reps as you can while maintaining proper form.
• Stop if it hurts.

CONCLUSION

You should begin to see improvements in the strength and appearance of your lower abs by consistently practicing these exercises. Make sure your exercise plan includes strength training and aerobic activity. 

Stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, and try to do some type of physical activity each day, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

BOTTOM LINE

Chiseled abs require hard work and dedication. There are many different factors at play when it comes to building noteworthy six-pack abs.

While abs are built on the mat, the kitchen plays a significant role in chiseling those abs.

Eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet  can add another dimension to your results. Your body weight plays a role, and also the presence of belly fat.

No matter if you’re just getting started on your health and fitness journey, or you’ve been at it for a while, there are a few basics that we all rely on to fuel muscle growth, stimulate the body’s ability to burn fat, reduce muscle soreness, and keep metabolism running at its peak each and every day, and the  WHEY PRO SHREDDED STACK will cover it all.

However, fundamentally, as with all training goals, it ultimately comes down to motivation, dedication, and commitment to reaching your goal.