lower abs

hey when i do lower ab exercises i dont feel the burn and i think that im not doing them right because my lower back always archs can some give me any advice on how to do lower ab exercises? thank you
 
zah_zah said:
hey when i do lower ab exercises i dont feel the burn and i think that im not doing them right because my lower back always archs can some give me any advice on how to do lower ab exercises? thank you


I'm new here but I can explain something to you that might help how you go about working on your abs.

The abdominals are one muscle - you can't isolate just the lower part without also working the upper part of the muscle simultaneously. Read this:

The phrase "lower abdominal" implies one abdominal wall muscle, rectus abdominus, is lower than the others. This is not true. Each has attachment sites on the pubic bones. No one of them is any lower than the others. If the words lower abdominals refer to the lower half of the rectus abdominus, it implies the lower half of a muscle can contract without its upper half being affected. This is impossible due to the structural construction of muscles.


So that said, I have a crunch variation I like alot - I think of it as a compression. As you raise your shoulder blades off the floor for a standard crunch, think about pulling your ribcage down toward your hipbones - compress your midsection, pull your stomach in (think navel to spine). Try a few sets of 20 with a minute rest in between. These work wonders for me. :)

good luck!
 
C3d is correct.

Try adding leg raises and/or v-ups to your routine... This may help some.

Make sure you hit the obliques too.
 
Benelson101... not sure what you are currently doing, but there are tons of oblique exercises. I just wanted to add that most of the time... getting good abs is all about eating correctly.
 
Trainer Lynn said:
Benelson101... not sure what you are currently doing, but there are tons of oblique exercises. I just wanted to add that most of the time... getting good abs is all about eating correctly.
This is a fact. your abs are there... Just covered by fat.

'bliques... Try:

side bridge (my personal favorite), side crunches, boxer's crunch, windshield wipers (advanced and TOUGH), standing dumbbell oblique side bends, etc.
 
anybody here do dragon flags? definitely not for the faint of heart (or weak of ab).

watching them is about as close as I get.
 
Curious3d said:
anybody here do dragon flags? definitely not for the faint of heart (or weak of ab).

watching them is about as close as I get.
Like Rocky IV? Yeah... Those rock. I think Bruce Lee did those too. NASTY and ADVANCED. Do not attempt those or windshield wipers without already having a nicely developed and STRONG core.

(-:
 
They were supposedly Bruce Lee's favorite excercise. I first saw them in a boxing gym - I couldn't quite get my mind around what I was seeing.
 
yeah leg raises really work well, i do those and crunches daily. if you focus on doing them correctly - each and every one - you'll really strengthen your abdomen. looks good too, of course. :)
 
Can someone show me or link me to see how dragon flags work, and windshield wipers lol. I was searching for flags but all i got was reverse crunches?
 
this is a beginner version.



scroll down for the dragon flag pics. This version is is a supposedly pavel's. I couldn't say if the guy's form in the photos is correct or safe, but I bet one of the trainers here could.

the guy I saw doing them had only his upper back/shoulders on the bench. it was like he was levitating.
:eek:
 
Last edited:
Curious3d said:
this is a beginner version.



scroll down for the dragon flag pics. This version is is a supposedly pavel's. I couldn't say if the guy's form in the photos is correct or safe, but I bet one of the trainers here could.

the guy I saw doing them had only his upper back/shoulders on the bench. it was like he was levitating.
:eek:
Yeah... When done right, at the finish, you will ONLY have your shoulders, neck, and head touching the bench (besides your hands).

They are tough and will work your whole body a little bit.

Like I said... Do not attempt these (unless you want to injure yourself) until your core is rockin' strong.
 
Haha, those are crzy!! I will attempt them later in life.
 
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