Performing lower ab exercises the wrong way will lead to nothing. Those who want to achieve flat and ripped abs will not achieve their goal by doing workouts the wrong way. Other muscles that are not provided to be used are often incorporated into the exercise, resulting in a wrong workout execution. If you really want to shape up that tummy, take note of the following pointers.
The number of reps a person can do will not determine the effectiveness of the exercises. What you must do is to target your muscles properly while doing the exercises. You should be able to feel your lower abs while targeting them. However, you must be careful as too much workout can make your lower abs feel a bit numb. Without you knowing it, you might overdo the workout and this will lead to muscle strain, which you will feel the next day. Always remember that good lower ab exercises must target the Transverse Abdominus. This group of ab muscles, also known as the transverse ab muscles, is the one responsible for pulling the belly button towards the spine. They are located horizontally under the Rectus Abdominus, which is the group of muscles that pulls the front pelvis up toward the belly button. Unlike the Transverse Abdominus, the Rectus Abdominus runs vertically.
Here's one simple exercise that targets the transverse ab muscles. First, kneel on the floor. Place your hands in front with palms flat on the floor. Once in this position, try to pull your belly button in and hold it for around 10 seconds. That's the ideal time for beginners. After holding it up, release it slowly and repeat the procedure. You must gradually increase the time to around two minutes or until other muscles start to contract. What's important in this exercise is to keep the other parts of the body relaxed. This is to make sure that your transverse ab muscles – and not other muscles – are being targeted.
You must be able to feel your lower abs working. If you are not sure how the lower ab muscles are supposed to feel in this exercise, you may first conduct a simple test. The process is the same except that you will lay face flat on the floor instead of kneeling. You will feel the lower ab muscles contracting better in this position. When you are used to the feeling, move to the regular position. You can also use your legs to target your lower abs. In this exercise, you must first lie flat on the floor, on your back. Bend one leg and keep the other on the ground. The bent leg's thigh muscle must be perpendicular to the ground. Once in this position, move the leg towards the ground, until your foot touches the floor. However, you must target your lower muscles while doing this. Do the same procedure for the other leg.
When you are able to do this easily, what you can do is to increase the tension. You can do this by doing the same procedure, but the leg must be straightened instead of bent. In this exercise, you will feel your lower ab muscles contract more. Once you've passed this stage, you can move to a more difficult exercise. Use the same process though this time, you will raise and lower both legs in straight position. These workouts may be performed from 2 to 3 sets. Each set must be composed of around 10 to 15 reps.