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

Sexy Abs

Let's face it - abs can be sexy. And they should. But, most of us can only dream of having the kind of sexy abs we might see on TV or the magazines. The fact, though, that ordinary people can do it (and, being in a magazine does not make them less ordinary than the rest of us) means that it can be done. And it can. With persistence, patience - and having the right knowledge - we can all benefit from having a pair of trim, well-defined, sculpted, sexy abs.

Really? Tell me more

Firstly, you've got to focus on diet. Yes, 'diet' may be an evil word in most of our vocabulary, but diet (according to professionals) can account for 80% of our physique. This means that by focusing on diet, you're 80% there in getting the abs you want.

Abs are not the same as the rest of the body, in the sense that you don't 'build' them or 'work' them as far as size is concerned. Rather, you work at getting rid of body fat, which in turn exposes your sexy abs that you actually already have underneath the fat and water which covers them. You need to work your body fat ratio down to just below 13% for women, or 10% for men. This can be done easily with the proper diet of carbs, proteins and good fats. Plus, cardio training is essential. You will not get rid of body fat through doing exercises that focus on strengthening or firming your stomach muscles. You will only get rid of fat through cardio training and dieting correctly.

Cardio training has many other benefits as well, and is essential to your overall health. For losing fat, you need to spend about 20-30 minutes doing cardio training about three times a week. People with a slower metabolism should consider cardio training for 45 minutes, six to seven times a week. Cardio training can be done through running (using treadmills) or using elliptical machines, as well as swimming and many other exercises. Combining cardio training with a proper diet, and you will be well on your way to losing fat and seeing your abs.

The Exercising You Can Do

The above doesn't rule out exercising altogether, but it's important to focus on the right kind of exercises to do. Mostly, crunches, sit-ups or leg lifts will do very well. The secret of exercising your abs is to keep your exercises varied and 'natural.' What this means is that you should work with your abs in your exercises, understand how they work, and train them functionally. They are responsible for bending your body forwards, backwards and to the sides. Exercises that do this are very effective. Your abs also strengthen very easily, becoming quite resistant to a particular exercise that you may be doing. By varying your exercises, you train your lower, middle and upper abs, rather than just a specific part - and this leads to the firm, sexy abs you're looking for.

Mark Bennet is a fitness enthusiast always looking for the easier and quicker ways to get fit and look your best. Mark has some of the best strategies for real people to get and keep great abs at http://www.RealEasyAbs.com

How to Get Hard Abs in a Month

Everyone wants to know how to get hard abs! In this hectic world, exercising in our lives is often a low priority. Often people assume that for exercise to benefit it must be done for hours a day and to see results will take years. This is far from the truth. Exercise is beneficial as soon as you do it and results can be had in just one month. To learn how to get hard abs in under a month keep reading!

Let's examine the role of the abdominals. The stomach muscles help us maintain good back health, but when not exercised, they begin to atrophy and we begin to rely on other more awkward muscles to perform movements, like the lower back. Eventually the lower back is left to maintain our posture. The lower back was never meant to support the body in this way, hence the aches and pains that follow. You also begin to communicate weak and awkward body language which has social ramifications, when your abdominals are atrophied.

The stomach muscles are huge and strong if healthy and can keep the rest of the body strong. Exercise can transform the stomach muscles in just days and become easily hard in less than a month.

So let's look at how to get hard abs in a month. First, remember that you must want to be healthy and want to strengthen your form with exercise. This is the key to success with any exercise routine or technique. Often people self sabotage themselves with negative thoughts, so getting your mind right about training your abs is crucial.

Lets go over a typical leg raise.
Lie down on the floor on your back and bend your legs slightly at the knees with your feet pointing outwards. You may put a pillow under your feet, not for support but to give you a stopping place for your leg raises. When we exercise we tend to forget about our form. The pillow will be a reminder to keep the legs in motion and not letting them rest to the floor after each rep. Then lift your legs smoothly, steadily and slowly, until you feel a pull. Breathe in and out and then release. Repeat this exercise 12 times, then rest. Do 3 sets.

As you do this exercise the stomach muscles will begin to respond to the pedestrian strain you are applying to them. Always pull the stomach in toward the back as you do these exercises. Do these exercises every day for a month and watch how amazingly hard your abs will be.

Also drink plenty of water during the day and with exercise. Once you have reached the desired effect usually less than a month, maintain this exercise 3 times a week.

If you would like to get a six pack in 23 days or less, buy The "Abs In 23 Days" training program. You can learn more about this award winning, abdominal pumping, fat stripping product by clicking HERE.

How To Get Eye Candy Abs

If you could sculpt one body part to perfection for next summer, what would it be? Let me guess - six pack abs! It's what we all want , eye candy abs. I don't know anybody who does not want to shrink their waistline, lose body fat, eliminate lowe'r back pain and develop a jaw-dropping set of rock-hard six-pack abs. Building eye-popping abdominals is not the hardest thing to achieve in the world but it's definitely not the easiest either.

Before you can start learning how to get eye candy abs and discover the truth about what it really takes to build a beach-worthy abdominal section, you must first expose the lies, myths and rumors. Before we talk about how to get six-pack abs, the right way, we must re-program your hard drive and empty the trash can of garbage you have been fed.

Because of all this hyped-up and misguided information - even among so-called 'fitness experts' - you should be skeptical of all abdominal training equimpment and programs. Let's first eliminate the top four ways not to get a six-pack:

Learning how to get a six-pack does not require expensive workout equipment promoted through obnoxious infomercials. You can't flick on the TV anymore without seeing two new abdominal exercise machines being promoted at once. There are so many of them that if you get suckered into these 'ab workout' gimmicks, you will be broke quicker than Ben Johnson sprints the 100 meter dash! And get this: Of the $520 million dollars a year spent on exercise equipment, abdominal machines get a $208 million dollar piece of the pie!

Learning how to get a six-pack does not require thousands or even hundreds of crunches a day. So much for the Brittany Spears ab workout! Crunches are decent but totally overused and associated with more being better. Crunches are a very general exercise, and general exercises get general results. Excessive floor crunches shorten the abdominal wall, pull your head forward and emphasize poor posture. They also involve a very low level of stimulation which neglects adequate muscle-fiber recruitment.

Learning how to get a six-pack does not involve starvation diets. Starvation diets starve the muscle when you should be feeding the muscle instead. Guess what happens when you starve your body? Your metabolism shuts down out of survival and causes your body to store fat. Your body must get energy from somewhere, so guess what gets sacrificed? That's right, your precious muscle which is, in fact, responsible for maintaining a high metabolism. Starve your muscle - great logic!

Learning how to get a six-pack does not require fat-burning pills. What did the last weight loss pill you bought do for you? The same thing the next one is going to do - nothing! Except give you a thinner wallet but not a thinner waist line. The entire concept of taking pills to 'burn fat' is built on a sandy foundation and misleading because diet pills only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. Without focusing on the root problems of a flabby mid-section, like poor nutrition, a crazy lifestyle and improper training, you will just end up where you started - farther away from having a six-pack for summer instead of closer.

Just Because You're Skinny Does Not Mean You Will Have A Six-Pack

The volume of interest I receive from skinny guys who wish to build their mid-sections is more than enough evidence to disprove the false reality of "I should be able to 'see' my abs if I have low body fat." I'm sure you know of a friend who is completely scrawny, yet, without a shirt on he, has zero abdominal definition! To me that would be salt on an open wound.

Abdominals Are A Muscle, Too!

You want your arms to be bigger, your shoulders to be broader and your chest to be fuller, correct? And what is the solution to making these muscle groups increase in size? High intensity weight training, overload, consistency and a healthy surplus of calories. Starting to sound familiar?

The same goes for your abdominals. Your abdominals are a muscle group that requires the same formula and attention and are not any different from other muscle groups. For some reason many consider abdominals to be a 'special' body part that requires a different set of rules and a completely different formula for training. Abdominals were not given a 'secret code' to crack. To get thick, dense abs - the ones that 'pop' out - you must train them with intensity and overload. Here are some practical tips you can apply to your program so that you can be the 'man' or 'gal' at your gym with a ripped and muscular six-pack. Then I will provide a sample program!

Prioritize By Sequence

If your abs are your worse body part, then why do you keep training them last, at the end of your workout? Which muscles group will receive the highest priority when you train? The ones done at the start of your workout or the ones done at the end of the workout? Of course, the exercises done at the start of the workout while you have the most energy and focus. If abdominals are the muscle group you wish to prioritize, then don't be afraid to disagree with the 'experts' who say "Never train your abdominals first because you'll weaken your core muscles for the rest of your workout...". I completely disagree with this and often reply, "Show me the evidence." The typical response is "Nobody does abdominals first...". That is pure BS. This just supports the notion that many people who work out don't ever question what they hear or do. They want to be spoon-fed answers and follow the trends of others without thinking for themselves. I ALWAYS train abdominals first in a workout if they need the highest attention.

Prioritize By Frequency

What's going to receive better results? A muscle group that is trained one time a week or two times a week (assuming you recovered prior to the second workout commencing)? Of course, the muscle that is trained 2x a week. The more stimulus on a muscle, the more growth. That is why professional athletes are professional athletes. They have conditioned their bodies to such a high amount of stress that they are able to train more frequently.

How often you train your abdominals is based on the inverse relationship of intensity and volume. The harder you train your abs, the more rest they need. The less intense you train your abs, the more frequently you can train them! If your goal is rehab or injury prevention, then you will be able to train them often with more frequent and lower loads. If your goal is to make your abs more muscular and dense, then a higher load and less frequency would be ideal. If your goal is maintenance, then a medium load and frequency would be ideal. Refer to this table:

Purpose

Frequency

Intensity

Volume

Reps

If building a sexy six-pack is on your 'to do' list for 2007, then start training abdominals 2-4x a week. I will teach you in a moment how to split your abdominals up into two different days based on movement.

Your Genetics and Abdominals

Right now some of you can see a perfectly set of staggered abs that are wide and thick and separated by a line down the middle. Some of you have the classic four-pack which is four big abs with a smooth lower section. Some of you have tiny cubicle boxes sitting high on your abdominal wall. Some of you have the picture perfect eight-pack that makes people's jaws drop.

Like every muscle group, all you can do is train them as heavy and hard as possible and hope your genetics take care of the rest. You can't change the shape or alignment or separation of your abs. You can't move them around and place them where you want them. Your genetics will affect to which degree they "pop" out and to which degree they stay smoother or flatter.

The good news is that abdominals are abdominals and when your body fat levels are around 5-7% you are guaranteed to impress people, including yourself, with a set of hot-looking abs. Even though genetics play a huge role in how they look, it's important to know how to train them to make them look their best.

Divide Your Abdominals into Two Separate Workouts for Best Results

To train your abdominals safely and effectively you must know the basic movement patterns of your abs and train them within all sub-categories:

• Truck Flexion (upper abs)
• Hip Flexion (lower abs)
• Rotation (obliques)
• Lateral Flexion (obliques)

The majority of books and articles you have read revolve the bulk of the ab exercises around the trunk flexion that is better known as 'upper ab' exercises. A full sit up is a perfect example of this.

Bill Starr in his 1976 classic 'The Strongest Shall Survive' wrote that the abdominals "...can be strengthened in a wide variety of ways. Sit-ups of all types, leg raises, truck rotation movements all involve the abdominal muscles to a different degree..."

Even though you are training each movement twice per week, you will perform different exercises for each workout.

Perform this workout at least two times a week separated by at least 48 hours rest. You should experience a deep muscle soreness after each one of these workouts. Focus on using a load that causes failure within 8-12 reps and then move to the next exercise. This is a non-stop circuit. Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat until you reach 4 sets total.

Exercise Sets Reps Tempo Rest
Hanging Leg Raises 1-4 8-12 311 -
Rope Crunch 1-4 8-12 311 -
Reverse Crunch 1-4 8-12 311 -
Weighted Ball Crunch 1-4 8-12 311 1-2 minutes

Trunk Rotation and Lateral Flexion

Perform this workout at least two times a week separated by at least 48 hours rest. You should experience a deep muscle soreness after each one of these workouts. Focus on using a load that causes failure within 8-12 reps and then move to the next exercise. This is a non-stop circuit. Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat until you reach 4 sets total.

Exercise Sets Reps Tempo Rest
Side Bends Dumbells Overhead 1-4 8-12 311 -
Oblique Crunch 1-4 8-12 311 -
Side Bends Dumbells Overhead 1-4 8-12 311 -
Lateral Raises on Back
Extension Machine

1-4 8-12 311 1-2 minutes

Conclusion

As said earlier, buiding eye candy abs is not the easiest task in the work but nor is it the hardest. The above abdominal exercises will help you build a deeply separated and evenly placed set of abs in little time. The truth is that if you can't see your abs, then the best exercise for your abs will be better diet.

Nic Roberts
Read More:
http://www.learnhowtobuildmuscle.com