I think most would agree with me, getting lower Ab definition is the hardest!
But for me, the best time to work out my Abs, is after a run. That way your body’s metabolic furnace has already been kick started and your body can burn fat more efficiently during this time. Your rectus abdominis muscle, or abdominal wall, actually covers your entire midsection and connects at your pelvis.
Try these exercises till muscle fatigue (i.e. till you cannot do any more). Most of these effective exercises target multiple abdominal muscles, so you’ll maximize your belly-burn with every rep.
U-Boat
Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the ground. Lean back to prop your upper body up on your elbows, palms facing down. Brace your abs in tight and lift your legs into a 90-degree angle (knees should be touching), toes pointed. Slowly bring your legs over to the left (both hips should remain on the ground). Then lower your legs and then lift them up to the right, as if you were tracing a letter ‘U’ with your knees. That’s one rep. Do 20 reps total, alternating sides each time.
If you want to make it harder, try straightening your legs more when you go down, but without touching the floor. Feel the burn!
V-ups
Those trying to engage the lower rectus abdominus muscles should focus on exercises that require you to lift your legs off the floor. In this case, lay on the ground with the legs stretched out and the feet together. Prop yourself up on the elbows, creating a 15-20 degree angle from the floor. Brace the core and extend your legs toward your feet, lifting the feet up toward the ceiling, creating a V-shape. Hold this position for 1-3 seconds and then lower the torso back onto your elbow and the feet back down to the floor.
Reverse Crunch
Lie on your mat and bring the legs up so they are straight above the hips. Bend the knees at a 90 degree angle, placing your hands beneath your lower back to add to the support. Contract the abs to bring your knees closer to your chest and hold in this position for around 3 seconds before returning to your starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
Leg Circle
Lie on your back with the arms out slightly away from your body with the palms down for balance. Lift the legs above the hips, locking the knees and squeezing the hips together. Draw a circle with the feet as large as you can, aiming to get as high above your body and as low to the ground as possible. You can reverse directions periodically to increase the difficulty. One circle is one repetition.
Inching Elbow Plank
Begin in an elbow plank position, hands clasped, with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Step your left foot towards your hands as you begin to lift your hips up slightly, quickly taking another step in with your right foot, lifting hips a little more. Step the left foot in again, lifting your hips higher and then again with the right, so that your hips end lifted high in a pike position. Slowly inch back out, reversing the way you walked in, until you return to the starting plank pose. That’s one rep. Do up to 3 sets of 10 reps.
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