Lower abs can be hard to isolate and tone. One can not separate the upper or lower abdominals, they both are one panel, as the whole core works together to complete any move with the midsection. You can target a range of motion that reach the lower potion more than the upper part. Some exercises are very effective than others.
The 15 minutes workout has best exercises for lower abs and you will perform the thing two times through. Different these are very advanced workouts that need the best deal of baseline core strength.
Best Strategy to Tone Your Lower Abs
Table of Contents
Before you start with the workout, you must keep the following points in mind:
Perform these workouts each alternate day.
Begin with fewer sets and reps.
Focus on the right posture and engage your core muscle while doing these workouts.
Eat healthily and skip all fried, high sodium foods, and sugary.
Do only stretching workouts on Sundays and Fridays
Stop worrying and begin doing.
Effective Lower Ab Workouts for Women
Warm-up
Do warm-up – do (clockwise and anticlockwise)
Shoulder rotations: 1 set &10 reps
Neck tilts: 1 set &10 reps
Wrist rotations:1 set & 10 reps
Jumping jacks – 1 set & 10 reps
Side lunges – 1 set & 10 reps- (right and left)
Waist rotations 1 set & 10 reps
Ankle rotation – 1 set & 10 reps
Plie squat – 30-second hold
Reverse Crunches
The reverse crunch is a challenging core workout that focuses on your rectus Abdominis, the muscles in the abdomen that create six-packs.
It is a simple workout that you can do in minutes, and it is best for beginners and fitness enthusiasts. As you feel stronger, you can boost the number of reps and sets to continue to make it extra challenging.
Reverse Crunch: Benefits
A reverse crunch provides different similar benefits as the traditional crunch. However, because your neck and back remain on the ground, it is thought to be very easy over your spine.
Here are some of the benefits of a reverse crunch:
Boosts your rectus abdominis
The reverse crunch works on the rectus Abdominis which is six-packs. The basic function of this muscle is to bend your spine and trunk.
Takes the strain off your neck
When performing crunches and sit-ups, people often pull their neck front with their hands. The reverse crunch keeps your head level over the ground and your neck out of a vulnerable pose.
Lower stressful back than crunches
Research has discovered that lowering how far your spine flexes forward during crunches lowers the force on the spinal discs. Since reverse crunches flex your spine lower than traditional crunches, they are thought to be easier for the back.
Focus on other core muscles
Reverse crunches also stimulate the Transverse Abdominis, the deep muscle under the abdominals, and external obliques.
Easy to set up
It needs your body weight for reverse crunches. That means you can perform them anywhere and anytime you wish.
Are There Any Disadvantages to This Exercise?
The reverse crunch does not focus your obliques as much as different core exercises. Your obliques are two layers of muscle over either side of the core that help you twist and flex your trunk.
Recently, there is a change from isolated core training to enhancing athletic performance. Instead, there is more focus on doing an integrated move that imitates the athletic movements.
If you are targeting strength training to increase your athletic performance, you may wish to also have a dynamic core workout in your program. These are a workout that more closely repeat the movements in your sport.
How To Do?
Lie down and keep your face upward. Keep your kneed bent at 90 degrees and your feet level on the floor. Keep your arms close to your sides with palms down.
Breath out and engage your core. Raise your feet above the ground and lift your thighs until they become vertical. Put your knees at 90 degrees during the whole movement.
Tuck your knees near your face as much as you feel comfortable without raising your mid-back from the mat. Your lower back and hips should elevate above the ground.
Hold for one moment and slowly drop your feet back near the floor till they reach the ground.
Repeat for 10-12 repetitions. Perform one set to begin, and increase the number and sets of the rep as you like.
Things to Remember
Try to do the exercise slowly.
Your lower back and hips should come above the mat when you fold the front, but your mid-back should remain in contact with the mat.
Push into the ground using your hands to manage the balance.
Safety Tips
If you feel discomfort or pain, stop in your back or anywhere. You should feel a burning in the abdominals, but not intense pain.
Toe Touch Sit-Ups
Toe touches also provide good hamstring stretch. If you are someone who does not get good hamstring flexibility, you find it hard to straighten your knees during this move. Doing too touches more often can help you improve your condition. It provides the main benefit of a stronger core.
How To Do?
Use a suitable yoga mat. Take something cushioned and comfortable to lay down.
Lie down with your back and keep your palm sides
Flex your knees and get them near the torso, then slowly begin to straighten your legs. They should ultimately end up perpendicular to the ground.
Lift your arms
While breathing out, slowly roll your shoulders upward on the mat, going toward your toes. Rotate your shoulders front but let them down to create a concave shape with the torso. Your lower back should remain on the ground but do not press it into the floor. That level the natural curve of the lower back and make it correct.
Breathing as you lower back down
When you reach the ground, keep it abs engaging. In other words, do not relax on the mat. That is one rep.
Repeat for 3-sets of 12-15 reps
Pro tip: Remember to move slowly and in a controlled manner as you lift up and as you drop back down.
Include Toe Touches in your workout routine
As for how you include toe touches into your wellness routine, it all depends on your aims. If you are trying to tone and sculpt your abs, the trainer recommends doing them 2-3 times each week.
Variation of Toe Touch for Beginners and Experts
There are different ways to complete a toe touch. If you are a beginner to toe touches and find those instructions difficult, then no shame, there are some things you can try to make a moving work for you:
If you are struggling with flexibility, you can keep your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and reach for knees in place of toes. Once you are feeling very comfortable with the workout, you try to advance and straighten your legs.
If your stability is unstable during this move, you can use a yoga block between thighs with straight or bent legs to stay ground. Think of squeezing your inner thighs. The trainer recommends straightening your legs against a wall for extra stability.
If gravity is making you down, then you might find it difficult to continually elevate yourself. You can also try isometric hold. To perform this, keep your knees bend and raise, reaching your palm near the knees and holding it at that point for 10 seconds more. Eventually, you will be able to work up toward the more dynamic move.
Exercise Ball Crunch
Exercise ball or physioball is also one of the 15-minute workouts for lower abs. It is a famous gym workout targeting the abdominals. Unlike crunches on the bench or floor, by using a ball you can raise the range of motion and both stretch and contract the abs on each rep. The ball crunch can be done for low reps with a slower tempo targeting higher reps or hard contraction.
Benefits
Focus on the rectus Abdominis or muscles of the six-pack
Balancing on the ball works on the whole core
More range of motion compared to the bench or floor
How to do it?
Lie over an exercise ball with lower back curvature pushed against the spherical surface of the ball. Your feet should be flexed at the knee and pushed firmly opposite the floor. The upper torso should be hanging over the top of the ball. The arms should either be kept side of the body or crossed over the top of your chest as these positions skipped neck strains as opposed to the hands back of behind the head position.
Lower your torso into a stretch position by keeping the neck motionless at all times. It will be the beginning position.
With the hip stationary, bend the waist by contracting the abdominal and curl the trunk and shoulders upward till you feel a nice contraction on your abdominals.
The arms should slide upward on the legs side if you get them at the side or only remain over top of the chest if you get them crossed. The lower back should always keep in contact with the ball. Breath as you do this move and hold the contraction for one second.
As you breathe in, go back to the beginning point
Repeat for the suggested amount of repetition
Caution:
Do this work out slowly and deliberately as it takes some time to get used to it. Also, do not be hurry to try using weight first time. You should practice several times to learn to balance it. If you find difficulty balancing, get a spotter next to you and keep each of your feet under a 100 lb dumbbell for more stability. As you get extra advanced you can hold a dumbbell or any weight plate on top of your chest. However, you have to be careful when including weight in this workout because if you include more instantly you could have a hernia.
Variations
You can do this work out with a low pulley back of you with a rope attached on its end. In this manner, you can go ahead and include resistance easier. For this variation, you will need to hold on toward the sides of the rope in the movement. Get arms front toward the point that the upper arms are almost parallel toward the torso and the lower arms are facing back holding the rope.
Hanging Knee Tuck
This exercise also works for 15 minutes for lower abs. It is a challenging move that works effectively work for lower abs.
In this exercise, you will use the abs to pull the knees to the chest and as drop the legs backward down. The abs work to stabilize the balance. Additionally, hanging from the bar works the arms and upper back very nicely.
How To Do?
Begin by hanging on a pull-up bar with palms facing out or use the hand grips on the cable pulley machine. Do use a box if you need help reaching toward the bar.
Bring your shoulder blades down your back to let your shoulders away from your ears. You will be working your lats to help your scapulae stable.
Breath out, pulling your abs to your spine as you raise your knees to your chest. Tuck pelvis under, rounding low back to assure the low abs are working extra than the mighty hip flexors.
Drop the legs down slowly and go back to the beginning point.
Engage your abs to stop your legs from swinging back you.
To stop the momentum from helping the leg lift, pause in the beginning point for one moment before starting the next rep.
Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Jack Knife Sit-Ups
Jack’s knife sit-ups are the best low-impact workout for abdominal muscles strengthening abdominal muscles. They are the best way to tighten the reduced abs and help to give challenging workout abs, but the basics are easy to become an expert.
How To Do?
Lie down on the mat with your legs and arms extended. Your arms should be raised so that they are over your head. Ensure your spine is in a relaxed position so your back is not arched or rounded.
If you will be working out on a hard floor, sleep down on a workout mat before your start.
Take a deep breath before you start
Breathing properly is an essential part of the workout. By remembering to breathe as you release and breathe out as you contract, you will assure that your muscles are having more oxygen as you raise weights. It is important to help to stop hernias and muscle cramping.
Exhale And Tighten Your Abs, Lifting Both Arms and Legs
Try to keep your feet straight and get them up so they are at around a 35–45-degree angle toward the floor. At the same time, get your arms upward and above your head so that they are level with your legs. Your upper body should be lifted lightly over the floor.
Get your head above the floor at a similar angle as your body.
Do not tuck your chin into your chest or let your head fall back, as this can lead to a neck injury.
Use slow, and controlled motions so you do not injure your back.
Leg Raises
How To Do?
Lie down over a mat, keep legs near to each other, palms flat on the ground, and hands under your hips.
Lift both your legs so that they form 90 degrees with your upper body. Engage core and it is starting position.
Breath in and drop both legs slowly
Begin when your heels are about to reach the floor, breathe out and raise them back to the beginning point.
Sets And Reps
2-sets of 7 reps
Variation:
You can flex your knees a little if keeping the legs straight keep more strain on the lower back or knees.
Alternate Heel Drops
How To Do?
Lie down on an exercise mat. Let both legs come close, and keep hands by sides, and palm level on the ground. Look upward at the ceiling and engage your core. It is the beginning position.
Raise both legs so that they are at 90 degrees with your upper body
Breath in and lower right leg down
Just before it reaches the floor, breathe out and raise it back toward the beginning point.
Breath in and drop left leg down
Breath out and raise left leg back
Sets And Reps
2-sets of 20-reps
Flutter Kicks
How To Do?
Lie down over a workout mat, and keep palm level on the floor, right beneath your hips or on top of your lower abdomen. Lift both your legs at 20-30 degrees from the floor. Engage core and it is your position.
Keep breathing in and out and one by one lower your legs down and get them back upward to the beginning point.
Sets And Reps
2-sets of the 15 reps
Variation:
You can let your head rest down over the mat if your neck feels strains on the floor.
In And Out Leg Lifts
How To Do?
These are the same as flutter kicks but in the flat direction.
Lie down over the floor, keep your hands by your side and palms flat on the ground.
Raise both legs so that they are at a 30-degree tilt. Engage your core and look upward to the ceiling. It is the beginning point.
Pull legs away from both and when you keep them wider than shoulder size, get them back toward the beginning point.
Sets And Reps
2-sets of 25-reps
Mountain Climbers
How To Do?
Kneel over a mat. Keep palms level on the mat, arms at shoulder distance, and elbows right under the shoulders.
Controlling your body over your palms and one knee, stretch your right leg back of you, and keep your right toes over the mat. Next, stretch your left leg back of you and control your body on the toes and palms. Let the core engaged and assure the spine is straight. Avoid straining your back by taking poses lower than your butts.
Bent your right knee, raise your right foot above the ground, and keep it on the ground, right under the pelvic bone. Breath out and get it back toward the beginning point.
Ben left knee, raise left foot over the floor, and keep it on the ground, right under your pelvic bone. Breath out and get it back to the beginning position.
Perform this at medium speed to experience the burn in your glutes, lower abs, shoulders, and hamstrings.
Sets And Reps
2-sets of the 15 reps
Slider Knee Tuck
How To Do?
Keep two square cloth pieces of cloth on the ground. Now, kneel and keep your toes on the square-shaped cloth.
Imagine the plank pose by keeping your palms level on the floor, every elbow under the shoulder, and reaching your legs back.
Ensure your toes are still on the cloth. Let your spine straight and core engaged. It is the beginning position.
Breath out and slide both your legs to your chest. Ensure your butt and spine are levels.
Breath in and push your legs back toward the beginning point.
Sets And Reps
2-sets of 7 reps
Elbow Plank
How To Do?
Begin by kneeling on a mat.
Bend elbows and keep forearms and elbows on the floor.
Each elbow should be right under the respective shoulder
Engage your core and stretch your right leg back and keep your right toes on the floor.
Stretch your left leg back, and balance your body over your palms and toes.
Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds.
Sets And Reps
3-sets of a 30-second hold
Cool Down
Cooling down is also important as a warm-up. Stretch your legs, arms, and neck and do some reps of side lunges and pile squats before heading over to the shower. A sedentary lifestyle, genetics, and improper diet cause extra fat accumulation in the lower belly. Doing the above-listed workout for lower abs on alternate days can help to reduce fat and tone the flat belly.
Try to focus on your posture and engage with your core muscles while doing these workouts. Also, limit junk food and sugary food. Besides flat belly, it also works on adductors, hamstrings, lower back, quads, obliques, and shoulder.