6 Lower Ab Workouts That Will Strengthen Your Core — No Crunches Necessary
When it comes to lower ab workouts you want to think about two things: strength-building exercises and keeping a neutral pelvis.
When your pelvis is hyperextended, it prevents you from really targeting your lower abs, explains Ashleigh Kast, trainer at Drive Clubs in New York City and founder of Sophisticated Strength. When you train with a neutral pelvis, you're putting your body in the most optimal position for engaging your lower ab muscles.
To find this position, start by standing tall. Imagine that you have a rope running down your spine and it's being pulled on each end so you extend tall through the crown of your head and down through your feet. Now make sure your ribcage isn't popping out or caving in; exaggerations in your chest can also manifest by arching your spine and pelvis. You may need to tuck your pelvis forward slightly to find this neutral position, but you want to avoid curving your lower back.
Now that you've found your starting point, you want to keep this position while training with functional exercises that use anti-rotational movements and unstable surfaces, explains Kast. Bonus: You'll also score some oblique and upper-body work in the process.
A quick PSA about lower ab workouts: You can't work one part of your body and expect to see results just in that area. If your goal is lower abs definition, it takes a combination of total-body strength workouts, regular cardio sessions, and following a clean meal plan.
That said, when you're ready to give a little extra attention to your lower abs, here are Kast's top moves.
1. Banded Leg Reach
A. Start on you back with knees bent and a small looped resistance band around feet. Place hands behind head and keep lower back pressing against floor.
B. Straighten right leg away from body, hovering a few inches above ground. Return to start. Repeat. Do 2 sets of 6 reps on each side.
2. Half Kneeling Pallof Press
A. Start in half-kneeling position with right foot in front and left side of body facing a cable machine at a 90-degree angle. Grab cable handle with both hands and pull cable to belly.
B. Exhale and punch cable directly in front of torso. Pull hands and cable back to belly. Repeat. Do 2 sets of 10 punches on each side with a three-second hold on last rep.
3. Diagonal Reach
A. Start at the top of a push-up position with hands on a bench and feet wider than hip-width apart.
B. Keep body still and lift right arm next to right ear. Bring arm back to bench. Pause and repeat on opposite side. Do 2 sets of 10 reps on each side.
4. Single Leg Lower
A. Start on your back with lower back pressing against floor and hands behind head. Lift legs in air so feet are above hips.
B. Inhale and lower right leg down, to a count of four, until it's hovering above the ground. Exhale and reverse the movement. Do 2 sets of 10 reps on each side.
5. Swiss Ball Climbers
A. Wedge a Swiss exercise ball against a stable surface, like the floor or a wall. Start in the top of a push-up position with palms pressing against the top of the ball.
B. Bend right knee and drive right foot under torso to a count of 3. Return right foot and repeat on opposite side. Do 2 sets of 10 reps on each side.
6. Hanging Leg Raise
A. Hang from a pull-bar. Bring knees to belly button height to a count of 2, then straighten legs to a count of 2.
B. Do 2 sets of 10 reps. (This exercise can also be performed using a hanging leg raise machine at your gym.)
CREDITS: Trainer, Ashleigh Kast; Gym, Drive 495; Clothing, Lululemon; Hair, Jeffrey Jagling; Makeup, Satsuma Soma
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