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?

Join our news letter at http://2fit2quitonline.com to get more information about training your abs

Chris Bower
http://2fit2quitonline.com

Do You Know How To Get Six Pack Abs The Right Way?

Getting six pack abs is possible. This is not a goal that cannot be attained. The factor in making this happen is you. What are you prepared to do? The biggest challenge we face as human beings is the habits we have developed over time. Breaking these habits is not easy but it is definitely achievable.

Figuring out how many calories you need to burn per day in order to lose weight is not rocket science. There are many books and lots of information online to help you understand what is necessary in order to do this.

You can do all the crunches and workouts you want but as long as there is fat around your muscles you will not be able to achieve six pack abs. The key here is fat. You need to burn this fat. Otherwise the flab will remain covering your muscles. You will need to engage in frequent cardio workouts to exercise your muscles, lungs and heart as a whole..

Do not think that you can just work out on one area of your body. You cannot localize fat loss. You will need to work on fat as a whole. You will need to put together a diet that will help you achieve this. By the way this does not have to involve boring meals. Again research, research, and research some more. Educate yourself on the functioning of the human body.

Gaining six pack abs will not be achieved by abdominal exercises alone. So training your abs for hours on end will not help you to get the six pack abs you desire. If you only do abdominal exercises then you are not addressing the problem of fat as a whole.

There are few things that you need to do is reduce your body fat percentage. This brings us back to diet and exercise. Do not take your finger of the pulse when it comes to understanding the underlying fact which is "I have fat". You need to get rid of it the right way.

You can discover how to lose belly fat! starting with our Free Bonus ebook, Training & Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body!

Finally The Right Way To Lose Belly Fat. - starting today! You can also learn how to get Six Pack Abs. Do You Know The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat?

How to Get Abs of Iron - Fast

Powerful abs look hot. There is no two ways about it. A good looking set of abs is a marvelous center piece on a muscular body. Nice developed delts and big guns are somehow not legitimate if the tummy has some fat on it or a pouch. Somehow without those rock hard abs of steel, the muscular body is seen more "gross" (less refined) on a guy and simply fat on a girl, even if other body parts are well developed.

Everyone wants nice looking abs. The question is how to get those abs of steel fast. Then it's just a matter of maintenance.

The answer is simple. It's a two pronged approach.

Apply crunches and sit ups to increase the size and thickness of the abdominals. By enlarging this large muscle group we do something very important. It is well known that muscle burns more calories. A bigger muscle, burns a bigger amount of calories even at resting rate. An extra pound of raw lean muscle will on average burn 10 calories extra per day, so if you doubled the size of your abdominal muscles and added 10 pounds of raw lean ab muscle, you will be burning an extra 100 calories a day than you do now, at resting rate.

This, of course, makes the second part of the process easier. We restrict calorie intake, eating special foods. Proteins. Also we employ a cardio program in an effort to burn off fat and reduce our over all fat levels. (Spot weight loss just on your tummy is a myth)

You can easily start dropping 4 pounds a week this way simply because your body burns a lot more calories just functioning. Also any cardio you do, the calories burned are multiplied by the new raw lean muscle you have gained. Within a month, almost anybody can look like a fitness model and have those abs of steel.

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

Belly Fat - How To Lose It And Tone Those Abs

The key to losing belly fat lies in a combination of reducing calorific intake and aerobic exercise. The importance of losing belly fat cannot be over emphasized; a slimmer waistline not only looks and feels better, but has significant health benefits too.

Research has found that waist size rather than overall body weight is a key indicator of heart disease(1). Belly fat is much more dangerous than fat around the hips. So what can we do?

Consume fewer calories than you burn off and YOU WILL lose weight. Unfortunately where you lose it from first is largely dictated by your genes. This may be disheartening, especially if the weight comes off your face or bust first and you still have that belly fat to contend with. However it’s unlikely that you will continue to lose fat from areas that you are satisfied with without losing it from your belly.

There is little evidence to support the theory that eating certain foods will help you lose fat. A well balance diet is essential in any weight loss program. Quick fix diets often rely on cutting out certain food groups, depriving the body of essential nutrients. A diet low in fat is certainly preferable, but, for example a no fatdiet will cause the body to store any existing fat (natural defense mechanism)making any fat loss extremely difficult. Alternatively a diet high in fat and low in carbs( fuel) such as the Atkins Dietmay have serious health implications and leave you feeling exhausted. Plan your meals according to your lifestyle: if you work days, make breakfast the main meal of the day. Night workers are best making their evening meal their main one. Whenever possible avoid eating a main meal 4 hours before you go to bed.

Eat wisely and incorporate healthy eating into your lifestyle; that way the weight will not only come off but more importantly, stay off.

Aerobic Exercises are great for burning fat and are therefore imperative for any weight loss program. If you prefer not to exercise alone but don’t have the time, means or inclination to join a fitness class, why not organize a game of rounders/baseball or a kick-about in the local park. Your kids will love it-especially if they can beat you!

Running, cycling, swimming and brisk walking are great ways to burn fat . These activities may be easier to build into your program because you can do them on your own. Be sure not to overdo things, particularly if you are grossly overweight, of advancing years or simply haven’t exercised for some time. Don’t take any unnecessary risks-if in doubt consult your doctor.

Toning is important at all stages of your weight loss program. Toning exercises unlike aerobic exercises can be performed by those of us with a low tolerance to exercise.. Toning is site specific. leaving you firmly in control. Strengthening the abdominal muscles will help you to hold your belly in. This will automatically make you look slimmer. Lose the fat and show off those well toned muscles.

Try out the following toning exercises and enjoy the instant gratification.

Stomach Crunches

Lie on your back with your feet as close as possible to your bum.

Place hands on chest and lift your shoulders off the floor whilst keeping lower back on the floor and the neck still to avoid straining. Hold for 5 seconds then relax. Gradually increase reps and length of holds.

Aim for tolerable discomfort

Sit-Ups

Great for the abdominals. Follow my simple guide to avoid putting pressure on the lower back.

Sitting on the floor with knees bent hook your toes (soles down) under a secure fixture such as a wall rail, ideally no more than 3inches high because you’ll need to keep your bum and heels firmly on the floor.

Clasp hands behind the back of the head and lean back keeping the back straight, until you can feel the abdominal muscles working, hold for 10 seconds then using the toes as a lever (this will put any pressure on the legs rather than the back) return to position 1.

Aim to increase repetitions and length of hold.

Leg Raises

I have found this exercise really affective over the years because it works on all the abdominal muscles from the stomach right down to the pelvic region. Be warned, its not for the feint hearted. You will need a watch that shows the seconds.

Lie flat on the floor or a hard surface, feet together with toes pointed.

Raise both legs together till you feel your heels are roughly 7 inches (18cm) off the floor - hold for 5 seconds.

From position 2 raise legs a further 7inches (18cm) so that the heels are roughly 14inches (36cm) off the floor – hold for 5 seconds.

From position 3 raise the legs so that they are at right angles to the torso – hold for 5 seconds (this will give some relief so best not to omit this stage).

Use the same stages as 2 and 3 above (omit stage 1) lowering the legs to 14 inches then 7inches holding for 5 seconds at each position.

Hold the left leg 7 inches from the floor whilst raising the right leg to 14 inches – hold for 5 seconds. Hold the left leg at 7 inches from the floor and raise the right leg to right angles to the torso – hold for 5 seconds.

Use the same stages as 6 and 7 above to lower the right leg to 14 inches then 7 inches from the floor holding for 5 seconds at each position ( at this stage both legs should be 7 inches from the floor) Repeat stages 6, 7 and 8 this time raising then lowering the left leg whilst keeping the right leg at 7 inches from the floor.

Both legs should now be 7 inches from the floor, hold this position for 20 seconds before returning both legs to the floor.

This exercise is particularly strenuous so don’t be put off if you cant hold positions for the time suggested above. For each different position you will feel different muscles being worked on so try not to miss any stages out, if you find it to exhausting reduce the length of the holds instead.

Plan your weight loss program so that it includes plenty of exercise and healthy eating, tailored specifically to your needs. Remember that losing a few inches off your waistline may add that vital few years to your life.

Visit http://www.oph-good-housekeeping.com for more exercise, dieting, homemaking and good housekeeping tips