If there’s one part of the body that everyone would like to be more toned and chiselled, it’s the lower abs. Defined lower abdominal muscles surely elevate your physique’s appearance. But it’s also important from a functional viewpoint.
Strong lower abs improve core stability and prevent lower back pain. It also improves your body’s posture. You’ll be able to perform heavy lifts without straining your back.
Let’s look at the 12 most effective lower ab exercises for a defined, strong core.
Top 12 Lower Ab Exercises
1. Leg Drops
Leg drops are a core-boosting exercise for which you don’t need any equipment. You can do it anywhere in your home or the gym, building a strong trunk in the process. Follow the steps below.
- Lie flat on the floor. Ensure that your back is firmly pressed onto the floor.
- Squeeze your legs together, keeping your feet and toes relaxed.
- Inhale and slowly lift both of your legs together. Keep your legs as straight as possible.
- Exhale and slowly lower your legs till they are a few inches above the floor.
- Pause and do the next repetition.
PRO TIP: If you are an advanced exerciser, try reverse leg lifts. Lie on your stomach and stack your hands under your forehead. Now, raise one leg at a time, keeping the legs as straight as possible.
2. Reverse Crunch
Reverse crunch is a deep lower-core exercise that works your six-pack muscles. These muscles are hard to target with other ab exercises. Reverse crunch is an intermediate exercise. But it is still suitable for all exercisers of all levels. Follow the steps below.
- Lie flat on your back on a flat and comfortable surface.
- Bend your knees and raise your legs. Your thighs should be perpendicular to the floor. The shins must be parallel to the floor.
- Place your hands flat on the surface for stability.
- Engage your core muscles and raise your hips off the floor.
- Pause for a moment when you reach the top of the movement. Now, slowly lower your hips back down to the beginning position.
PRO TIP: Want to make reverse crunches more challenging? Crunch more quickly while maintaining proper form. Another option is to add ankle weights and perform the movement in the same way.
3. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a dynamic, full-body exercise that targets the entire core, including the lower abs. They improve core stability and strength. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to do them.
- Get yourself in a high plank position. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart. Your body should be in a straight line.
- Engage your core muscles. Bring your right knee towards your chest.
- Quickly switch legs, bringing your left knee inward towards your chest. Extend your right leg back.
- Alternate your legs in a running-like motion.
PRO TIP: To make the exercise more advanced, do cross-body mountain climbers. Instead of driving your knee toward your chest, bring it across your body toward the opposite elbow. This engages your oblique muscles and adds more core twists to the movement.
Must Read: Ab Workouts for Women
4. Hanging Leg Raises
Hanging leg raises are one of the most effective exercises that target and strengthen the lower abdominal muscles. They give focused contraction for the lower abs, making you raise your lower body against gravity. Below are the steps to perform this exercise.
- Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Hang on to it with your arms shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and raise your legs towards your chest.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your abs.
- Now, lower your knees back down to the initial position.
PRO TIP: To increase the difficulty of this exercise, continue lifting your legs up to shoulder level. This causes your six-pack muscles to work even harder. However, it’s critical to do this variation with proper form.
5. Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches are a variation of the ab crunch. You do a cycling motion with your legs and rotate the upper body to challenge the core. This exercise strengthens the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscle) and the internal and external obliques. Follow the steps below.
- Lie on your back on a mat.
- Lift your legs so they are extended straight and hover above the ground.
- Put your hands on your head behind your ears.
- Squeeze your belly button towards your spine. Begin the reps by bending one leg so that your knee comes towards you as you lift your shoulders and upper back off the mat.
- Rotate your torso so that the corresponding elbow goes towards your knee.
- Return the leg and elbow to the beginning position.
- Repeat the movement on the other side.
PRO TIP: To increase the difficulty level, hold a medicine ball between your hands as you do the bicycle crunch.
6. Scissor Kicks
In scissor kicks, you alternate leg movements, keeping your core engaged. The exercise is great for building strength and flexibility in the lower abs. Here’s how to perform it.
- Lie flat on the mat on your back. Keep your legs extended and your hands by your sides. If you need to support your lower back, keep your hands under your glutes.
- Raise both legs a few inches off the mat.
- Cross your right leg over your left leg. Now, cross the left leg over the right leg.
- Continue alternating this motion in a scissors-like movement.
PRO TIP: To make the exercise more challenging, raise your legs higher and make the scissoring movement bigger. Another option is to slow down the kicking movement and pause the top leg for 3 seconds before alternating legs. You can also add light ankle weights.
7. Toe Touches
The toe touches train the core through spinal flexion. It involves using the abdominals to raise the upper body off the ground and touch the toes as you lie down with your legs in the air. This exercise targets your lower abs and obliques. Below are the steps to do it.
- Lie flat on your back on a mat. Extend your legs above. Your arms should reach up as well.
- Engage your core and raise your upper body off the mat. Reach your hands towards your toes.
- Lower your upper body back down to the beginning position with control.
PRO TIP: If you have mastered the traditional toe touches, make them more challenging by holding a weight as you do the movement. You can also perform toe touches at a faster pace to increase the intensity.
8. Plank Hip Dips
The plank hip dips are a variation of the elbow plank with an added hip rotation. This additional rotation further engages your core. Plank hip dips strengthen your abs, obliques, and lower back. It is also good for trimming down your waist. Below are the instructions to do it.
- Get yourself in a low plank position. Your body should be in a straight line, and your elbows bent. Keep your feet hip-width apart.
- Rotate your hips to the right. Dip your body almost to the ground.
- Go back to the beginning position and repeat on the other side.
PRO TIP: Advanced exercisers can add side planks with hip dips. Perform plank hip dips as usual, but press onto one forearm on your fourth hip dip. Now, peel the opposite arm toward the ceiling as you come to a side plank. Hold for a moment and repeat on the other side.
9. Russian Twist
The Russian twist is characterized by a twisting motion of your torso. The exercise improves your stability and rotational strength. It also defines the sides of your waist. Follow the steps below.
- Sit on a mat with your knees bent. Your feet should be flat on the floor.
- Maintain a straight spine and lean back slightly.
- Raise your feet off the mat.
- Rotate your torso to the right as you bring your hands to touch the mat beside your right hip.
- Rotate your torso to the left, touching the mat beside your left hip.
- Each side-to-side movement is one rep.
PRO TIP: Add a weight like a dumbbell or a medicine ball to increase the intensity. You can also lift your feet off the mat with your knees bent before twisting. This lowers the stability and increases the challenge.
Must Read: 7 Exercises to Do Everyday
10. Rocking Plank
The rocking motion in a rocking plank fires up the transverse abdominis, the deepest abdominal muscles. This exercise increases core stability and engages the lower abs. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to do it.
- Get into a low plank position. Keep your elbows under your shoulders.
- Shift your body forward and backward. Rock back and forth on your toes.
- Continue this motion for 1 minute.
PRO TIP: Advanced exercisers can place a yoga block between their thighs while doing the rocking plank. It engages your leg muscles and makes the exercise more challenging.
11. Dead Bug
The dead bug position works the lower abdominal muscles more directly than many other ab exercises. The movement challenges your core, building its strength. It helps you perform other physical activities more effectively. Here’s how to do it.
- Lie flat on the mat on your back. Extend your arms above. Keep your legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Engage your core and straighten your left leg towards the mat.
- Go back to the initial position and repeat on the other side.
PRO TIP: To make the exercise more challenging, wrap a mini-band around your ankles and/or wrists. It adds resistance as you move your limbs. This challenges your core more.
12. Roll Up
Roll-up is a classic Pilates exercise. It is different from other exercises as it combines spinal mobility and controlled breathing with the strength move. Below are the steps to perform this exercise.
- Lie flat on your back. Extend your legs. Extend your arms overhead.
- Engage your core. Now, slowly roll your body up and reach your fingertips towards your toes.
- Roll back down to the beginning position with control.
PRO TIP: Holding a weight during the roll-up increases the intensity of the exercise. It makes it more challenging for your abs.
Summing up
For defined lower abs, you need to be consistent with your workout and diet. The exercises above will help you strengthen these muscles and increase your core stability. Incorporate a few of them daily, increasing their intensity as you progress. Slowly but steadily, you’ll surely be able to sculpt your lower abdominals, getting a strong core and a chiselled six-pack physique.
