If you want to thicken your abs and bolster your abdominal muscles, you need to work out on each muscle of the core, especially the lower abs.
I’ve shared the best lower ab workouts you can do at home with stepwise instructions and images.
Exposing the lower abs isn’t a piece of cake for everyone. It takes great effort, strength, and persistence. But you can accomplish that by lowering your body fat percentage and performing some of the best lower ab workouts.
List of best lower ab exercises
Here’s a complete list of exercises for lower ab. And below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for how to do them.
- Crunch Kicks
- Lying Leg Raises
- Reverse crunches
- Hanging Leg Raises
- Ab Wheel Roller
- Mountain Climbers
- Toe Tap Crunches
- Flutter kicks
- V-up crunches
- Knee to elbow touching plank
- Modified Reverse Crunches
- Static Leg Raise Hold
- Air plunge
- Russian twist
- Bicycle crunch
- Planks
Who can do these lower ab Workouts?
I’ve included lower abs workouts for all fitness levels, such as for beginners, intermediate, men, and women. You may not perform each exercise but you can try all of them.
Note: You can’t have 6 pack abs until you train for the lower abs. Exercising for the lower abs is the most essential part of the core that develops visibility for the six-pack abs.
The 16 Best Workouts for Lower Abs
1. Crunch kicks
Benefits of “Crunch Kicks” for lower abs:
Crunch Kicks are the best way to start your lower abs workout. This will activate your trunk muscles. It works for your back, pelvis, obliques, and transverse abdominis.
20 reps are recommended and the range of motion should be normal.
2. Leg Raises
How to do it:
- Lie on your back, keeping your body straight and your hand just under the butt.
- Start to raise both your legs and try to keep your head just above the floor if possible.
- Hold for a jiffy and then lower down both legs slowly.
- Hold your breath while the movement of your legs.
- 20 reps are recommended for better results.
3. Reverse crunches
How to do it:
- Lie down on your back and your hand straight up on the floor.
- Raise both your legs and bend them up, making a 90-degree angle to the floor.
- Bring both your legs as close as to your chest while ensuring that you feel the tension in your abs.
- Pause for a moment, then push your hips forward without touching your legs to the floor.
- Do this 20 reps and maintain your breathing.
4. Hanging Leg Raises
Pullup bar hanging leg raises are not easy to perform as it requires techniques and strength to pull your whole body up. To perform these exercises, your arms should be strong and your body should be balanced.
Improper and unbalanced movements can cause unwanted injuries or sores. To avoid injuries, seek your partner’s assistance.
Perform 10-15 reps of different types.
There are basically 4-5 hanging leg raise exercises for six-pack abs.
- Hanging straight leg raises
- Hanging raise Knees To Elbows
- Knee Tuck to Twist Raises
- The Hanging raises Toes to Bar
- The Hanging windshield wipers
Benefits of Hanging abs exercises:
- They work on every part of the trunk, such as the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse obliques.
- These exercises will strengthen the core and when you hang on the bars, it will also increase your arms power.
- Performing hanging leg raises also works on your back muscles.
5. Ab roller exercise
Ab roller exercise is an advanced and intense part of the abs workout. Multiple muscles work at once when you perform this exercise. To perform the ab roller workout, you should have good upper body strength and core strength. Because this movement engages different muscles apart from the abs, such as arms, shoulders, and chest.
If you feel any pain in your lower back when you perform an ab-roller, stop and increase your core strength with other exercises mentioned in this article.
This is one of the best exercises for the lower abs as it works on the whole part of the abdominal muscles. This requires a proper technique to perform this exercise. While doing this workout, you should focus on your abs muscles and tighten them.
This also works on your chest, triceps, lats, and deltoids. Additionally, it will stabilize the muscles that run along your spine.
6. Mountain Climbers
Benefits of Mountain climber’s abs exercise:
- This exercise strengthens your core and enhances your stamina.
- Mountain climbing is a great way to burn more calories. Hence, it is effective in weight loss plan.
- Mt. climber works on the whole body. Apparently, it increases your body mobility and improves body flexibility.
Mountain climber is a part of “High-Intensity Interval Training” (HIIT). Additionally, this exercise is a great way to warm up the body.
7. Toe tap crunches
Toe-touch crunches are an abs workout that best works on the rectus abdominis and obliques. This one is challenging as well as very effective. This one is very effective as it works on both upper and lower abs. Do as many reps as you can, and never skip this from your core workout routine.
Benefits of Toe-touch crunches:
- Build a stronger core
- Effective for lower abs
Different types of Toe-touch crunches:
- Single-leg toe-touch crunch is a bit easier than double-leg toe-touch because one leg is grounded, which makes it easier to perform.
- Medicine Ball Toe Touches
- Off-to-the-Side Toe Touches
8. flutter kicks
How to do it:
Lay down on your back with legs extended straight toward the ceiling and keep your hands down under the lower back for support.
Raise your leg alternately and maintain your breathing level. 15 reps will be good to start.
Benefits of scissors workout:
- This works for core muscles, glutes, quadriceps, and abductors.
- Strengthen the lower body.
- It helps to burn more calories.
- Reduce back pain and chances of injuries.
9. V-up crunches
V-ups crunches are better for targeting all your abs muscles, including your lower abs, obliques, and core. It is better than traditional crunches. It works on your core, obliques and rectus obdominis.
How to do it:
First, lay down on the floor on your back, keeping your hands and legs off the ground to a 90-degree angle.
Raise both your legs towards your chest and your hands towards the knees. Hold for a sec, then return to the initial position. That’s one rep. As this movement is difficult, so it is up to you how many reps you can do. The more reps you can do, the more effective it will be for your core.
10. Knee to elbow touching plank
To perform a knee-to-inside elbow touching, get into a high plank position with your arms straight underneath your shoulder. Now, brace your core and bring your right knee toward the left elbow, return, and then repeat on the other side. That would be your one crunch.
You can do it as many times as you can. It works well because it involves two exercises at the same time, plank and knee-to-elbow crunch. And both are effective for your lower abs.
11. Modified Reverse Crunches
Reverse crunches are more effective workouts than standard crunches for your abs. They work on your lower abs and reduce lower fats which is essential for six-pack muscles.
How to do it:
- First of all, lie on the mat on your back, and raise your leg together in the air (but not straight). Additionally, you can slightly lift your head two to three inches off the floor. That’s your starting position.
- Now, bring your knees toward your chest until your abs get fully engaged. That’s your one repetition. Do as many as possible.
12. Static Hold Abs Workout
According to an article published on the fitness website (Greatist), static holds are effective for strengthening your core. Because they keep your core engaged throughout the movement.
To perform the bodyweight static hold, sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Place your hands at your sides and lean backward. Now, brace your core and then lift your leg five to six inches off the floor and hold in the position for as long as you can stretch.
To add resistance and make more effective, use a weight plate and keep it on your shin. Then hold your feet in the air for the maximum time possible.
13. Air Plunge
Air plunge abdominal exercise is a part of an intense abs workout. It is very effective for building your lower abs.
Lay down on your back, keeping your hands straight on the ground for support; and your legs off the floor.
Pull your legs towards your stomach and then push against the ceiling and then return to the initial position. Complete 15 reps.
14. Russian twist
The Russian twist is the popular abs workout. This improves oblique strength and strengthens the core. Russian twist helps to reduce back pain and provides flexibility to the waist.
In addition, it also increases flexibility and improves overall body balance. You can do as many reps as you can.
It also burns calories and helps to reduce the excess fat at the side of your belly. Eventually, It assists in building lower abs faster.
15. Bicycle crunch
How to do it:
- Lay down on the back, legs extended on the ground, and place your hands behind your head with elbows bent out to the sides.
- Lift one of your legs toward your upper body and try to let your knee and deltoid as close as possible.
- Stretch the right leg as you bend the left knee approaching the chest and rotate the shoulder toward it. In the same way, complete 15-20 reps.
16. Planks
Planks are highly effective when it comes to abs workouts. It not only strengthens the core but also improves your body posture and helps you in weight loss.
Either you exercise for upper abs or lower abs, this one should be part of it. Planks have different types, such as forearm planks, side forearm planks, and planks. extended arm plank, knee to the opposite, and the same elbow planks and planks up-down.
How to perform:
First, make a position as you do a push-up and place your forearms on the ground to the width of your shoulder.
Tighten your abs muscles and core, and hold it for a minute. That’s complete.
Final Thoughts
Having six-pack abs and maintaining them is a difficult task. Firstly, You need to lower your body fat to reveal your six-pack abs. To achieve this, you should mainly focus on diets.
You can’t have visible lower abs if you have a high body fat percentage. But with a proper diet and the above exercises, you can forge your lower abs and build a sturdy core.
