How To Train Your Lower Abs - Is This Even Possible?

I've been involved with exercise and fitness training in some form or another for 22 years. It has become a passion and a way of life for me. So it's no wonder that I get so miffed when I read an article or hear people giving bad information about it.

I understand that some people are only trying to help, but others are doing it to sound important or who knows why. There is one in particular that bothers me the most, exercising your lower abs to get rid of belly fat.

According to the American Council on Exercise, the American Fitness and Aerobics Association and countless others, there is no such thing as lower abdomina's or abs in terms of exercise and muscle grouping. Therefore, it would be impossible to work your lower abs.

Let's look at this scientifically. The abdominals consist of six muscles. The transverse abdominal muscle, which is closest to the spine and responsible for correct spinal posture.

The internal and external obliques (one each on each side of the torso) running from the rib cage down to the pelvis. These are involved in rotation and lateral flexion of the spine or bending from side to side.

And lastly, the rectus abdominus muscle or the six pack muscle which runs from the bottom of the sternum to the middle of the pelvis. This muscle also helps with maintaining, among other things, correct posture.

As you can see, there was no mention of lower abs. I believe the term comes from the fact that belly fat accumulates on the lower portion of our abdominal area and that it has long been thought by many unknowing people that you could reduce body fat in certain areas of the body by working that area.

The muscle everybody is talking about when they refer to upper and lower abs is the rectus abdominus. This muscle is responsible for the six pack that everyone is after.

Something I need to point out, when a skeletal muscle contracts, it does so using the whole muscle. This is important because this explains why we can not work one part of a muscle and not the other. It's as simple as all or nothing.

The second reason for the misinformation besides lack of scientific knowledge, is that many people have the understanding that the abdominals are responsible for hip flexion, or bending at the hip. This however, is not the case. The abs are for spinal flexion and the hip flexors are for hip flexion.

One common exercise people use for targeting the so called "lower abs" is some form of supine leg lift. The muscles that cause the legs to lift or flex are the group of muscles called the hip flexors. You can also feel the muscles in the stomach tighten because of the pelvic tilt. This is a stabilization contraction for the hip flexors.

The muscles that are worked the most during hip flexion are the hip flexors which attach to the spine directly under the abdominal muscles. This is why you may feel sore in the area that would be you lower abdominals after exercising the hip flexors. Exercising these muscles will have no effect on the abs accept possibly help make you stand straight, with good posture.

So now that I have dispelled the myth about spot reducing fat, and the mystery muscles called the lower abs, what can you do to get a stronger, leaner, sculpted set of abdominal muscles?

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Chris Bower
http://2fit2quitonline.com