Looking for shredded abs? Plenty of workout programs promise to “blast away belly fat” by targeting your core, but that’s not how it works.
Along with nutrition and lifestyle changes, you can get stronger lower abs that also look toned and well-trained. Still, this muscle group is responsible for more than you might think, from reducing back pain to stabilizing your spine.
Learn about the anatomy of your lower abs, the best lower ab workouts to target them, and the tangible benefits of sticking with a lower ab program.
Muscles in the Lower Abs
Your lower abs are a major muscle group that runs from your pubic bone to your rib cage. They handle a lot, from stabilizing your lower back to keeping your spine straight. Let’s pop the hood to see how proper training strengthens these crucial muscles.
Rectus Abdominis
When you think about a six-pack, you’re actually focusing on the rectus abdominis. This long muscle runs down the front of your belly. The lower part of the muscle is especially important because it helps your spine move and your pelvis rotate. Exercises like leg drops or bicycle crunches activate this lower area.
Transverse Abdominis
Your transverse abdominis is your deepest abdominal muscle. It wraps around your entire abdomen, connecting your pelvis and spine. Think of it as an internal corset or belt.
The transverse abdominis stabilizes your spine and the rest of your core muscles. Training this muscle with moves like planks, boat crunches, or ab wheel rollouts improves overall stability and helps prevent lower back strain.
Internal and External Obliques
Your obliques are on the side of your abdomen. Your external obliques are on the surface of your side body, while your internal obliques are deeper. Both muscles work together to help you rotate and bend to the side. Movements like bicycle crunches and mountain climbers are great lower ab workouts targeting the obliques.
Hip Flexors
Hip flexors aren’t technically part of your abs. These are the muscles at the front of your hips. Still, we included them here because they work so closely with your lower abs that they deserve a mention.
Hip flexors stabilize your pelvis and legs during core workouts, so if you don’t work them, your core won’t have the foundation it needs to get stronger. If you sit all day for work, you likely have tight hip flexors because sitting keeps them in a weaker, lengthened position. Over time, that can lead to lower back instability and pain.
The 8 Best Lower Ab Exercises
With the right plan, you can strengthen your core at home. Try these lower ab exercises to get stronger from the comfort of your living room.
1. Leg Drops
Leg drops work the lower part of your rectus abdominis. The key is to lower and lift your legs without letting your lower back arch. If your back is arching, place your hands underneath your pelvis for stability.
How to do this exercise:
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Lie on your back and lift your legs to the ceiling. Keep your arms at your sides.
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Slowly lower your legs to an inch above the floor. Make sure your lower back is firmly rooted to the floor.
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Engage your core to lift your legs back up before they touch the floor.
2. Side Plank
This powerful isometric lower ab workout targets your obliques, glutes, and shoulder stabilizers. You can also try a modified side plank, where your knee is on the ground for support.
How to do this exercise:
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Lie on your side and stack your legs. Prop yourself up with your forearm.
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Engage your core to lift your hips. Your body should form a straight line.
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Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
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Release and repeat on the other side.
3. Boat Crunches
Boat crunches combine Boat pose with crunches, working out your rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and hip flexors.
How to do this exercise:
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Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place your hands behind your head for support.
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Lean back onto your sit bones and extend your legs until they’re at a 90-degree angle.
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Lean back slightly, engage your core, and pull forward to do a church.
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Return to your starting position to repeat.
4. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a safe way to improve your spinal stability. This lower ab exercise challenges your lower abs, shoulders, and chest for a full-body workout that gets the heart pumping.
How to do this exercise:
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Start in a high plank position. Spread your fingers out wide to distribute weight evenly.
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Bring one knee to your chest. Quickly return it to the plank position and switch sides.
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Alternate between legs quickly, moving from side to side for 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Scissor Kicks
Like mountain climbers, scissor kicks help you build strength in a controlled movement. You’ll feel some activation in the legs and hip flexors and a good burn in the lower abs.
How to do this exercise:
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Lying on your back, lift your legs straight up to the ceiling. Make sure your lower back is flat on the ground.
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Slowly lower your right leg to the floor, keeping your left leg raised.
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Next, raise your right leg back up and lower your left leg at the same time.
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Alternate your legs in a “scissor” motion for 30 to 60 seconds.
6. Bicycle Crunches
Did you know that bicycle crunches lead to 116% more activity in the obliques than standard crunches? This twisting version of a crunch is one of the best calisthenics ab workouts because it combines rotations with leg extensions, giving you a complete ab workout in a single movement.
How to do this exercise:
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Lie flat on your back. Make sure your lower back is flush with the floor. Place your hands behind your head for support.
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Lift your legs and bend them at a 90-degree angle.
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Extend your right leg straight while twisting your right elbow to your bent left knee.
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Alternate by switching sides in a controlled, smooth motion.
7. Swiss Ball Crunch
Swiss ball crunches increase the range of motion during the crunch, along with the added challenge of stability.
How to do this exercise:
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Sitting on a Swiss ball, walk your feet forward until the ball is comfortably under your lower back. Place your hands behind your head for support.
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Activate your core to lift your torso into a crunch. Drive into your heels to keep yourself from falling off the ball.
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Slowly return to the starting position.
8. Ab Wheel
Love them or hate them, ab wheels are a full-body stabilization exercise. They work your rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis, helping you improve both strength and control. If you have back pain, try this movement on your knees.
How to do this exercise:
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Kneel on the floor and grip the handles on the ab wheel.
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Engage your core and slowly roll forward until your body is in a plank position.
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Slowly move back to your starting position.
The Benefits of Training Lower Abs
The most obvious benefit of lower ab workouts is getting a six-pack, but that’s not the only perk to training this vital muscle group. Even a short 12-minute ab workout can help you stay upright without pain, protect your spine, and prevent injuries.
Improve Posture
Strong lower abs are the foundation for your pelvis, spine, and other upper-body muscles. A recent study found that increasing the thickness of your transversus abdominis through exercise can stabilize your posture. If you struggle with slouching at your desk or arching your back while standing, lower ab strengthening can make a noticeable difference.
Prevent Injury
Lower ab workouts improve your trunk and lumbar stability. Your lower abs work like shock absorbers for your body, and the stronger they are, the better you’ll be able to avoid injury. In day-to-day life, resilient core muscles reduce your risk of falls, helping you avoid painful and time-consuming injury recovery.
Boost Balance, Stability, and Control
Stronger abs improve your resilience. Whether you’re unloading groceries or trying a new workout at the gym, strong core muscles will help you be more stable and in control of your movements. With more control, you’ll notice better balance in single-leg movements, smoother transitions in yoga or Pilates, and stronger performance in running, cycling, and lifting.
Reduce Pain
If you suffer from low-back pain, you certainly aren’t alone. It’s the number-one source of pain and disability for many adults, especially for people who work at a desk.
Clinical studies show that abdominal strength can improve dramatically in just four weeks. Participants not only got stronger, but they also overwhelmingly reported less lower back pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Exercise Is Best for Lower Abs?
There’s no single best exercise for strengthening your lower abs. You need a variety of movements to target all of the muscles in your lower abdomen. The best mix includes leg drops, side planks, boat crunches, and bicycle crunches.
Are Lower Abs Hard To Get?
You already have lower abs. However, achieving visible, defined lower abs can be challenging because fat naturally tends to cover up these muscles for protection.
Proper exercise is crucial to growing the size of these muscles, but nutrition, lifestyle, and genetics play a big role in how visible your abs are.
Lower Ab Training Improves Posture and Stability
Chiseled lower abs look great at the beach, but these lower ab workouts aren’t about aesthetics. A strong core improves posture, reduces pain, and helps you avoid injury.
These eight lower ab workouts will create a sturdy foundation for strength and performance, but only if you show up consistently. Take your core workouts to the next level with an at-home system designed to help you progress, get stronger, and score a visible six-pack. The Speediance Gym Monster 2 is a smarter way to strengthen all of your muscles at home, no need for a gym membership.
