How to Target Your Lower Abs (MAKE THEM VISIBLE!)

If you have lower belly fat or you are just soft in that area, you might be wondering how to target your lower abs and get visible lower abs. In this video, I am going to show you that not only yes, you can preferentially target the lower abdominal muscles, but how to do so in the most effective way possible. With three simple exercises (plus a bonus exercise) and some tips on how to do them, you will be well on your way to sculpting your lower abs.

You might have been told that there is no way to isolate one area of the abs over the other. In other words, you cannot work the lower abs without also working the rest of the abdominal muscles. This is true. However, based on where we initiate the movement from, we can preferentially influence the portion of the abs that we are looking for. To target the upper abs, you would perform top-down movements such as a standard crunch, but if you wanted to hit the lower ab muscles, you would perform bottom-up movements.

The lower abs are subject to another anatomical manipulation and that comes from the position of the pelvis and the low back. To most effectively influence the lower abs, you will want a flat back throughout every ab exercise that you do. To achieve this back position, you are going to need to be in a posterior pelvic tilt. By curling your pelvis in and under, you are also helping to reduce the activation of the hip flexors during these movements.

Next, you are going to want to set your hip angle. Ideally this will be at 90º for both your hips and your knees. However, to make the exercise easier, you will want to bring that angle closer towards your chest and to make it harder, open the angle so that your legs are farther away. Whatever angle you set, make sure to keep that angle throughout the entirety of the exercise.

So what exercises can we do and how do we do them in order to most effectively target your lower abs?

First up, we have swipers. The goal is to get your legs in the air by raising your pelvis completely off the ground and swiping your hands underneath where your butt was. This exercise is great because it has automatic feedback built into the movement. If you successfully curled your pelvis off the ground and towards your chest, you will be able to swipe your hands together no problem. If not, you need to focus on lifting that pelvis.

Next, we have reverse knee tucks, but they should really be called tailbone lifts. Why? Traditionally, most people usually allow their hip flexors to dominate the movement and simply bring their knees towards their abdomen. To really make the lower abs work in this exercise, think about lifting the tailbone off the ground and bringing your knees to about forehead level. This will ensure that you are limiting the amount of work the hip flexors are doing and maximizing the work that the lower abs are performing.

The next ab exercise is a more dynamic and tougher version of the standard plank called the plank knee slide. By incorporating the same principles that were introduced earlier, you will be effectively targeting the lower abs throughout this movement (if performed correctly, of course). Just make sure you are going slow and deliberate with each part of the movement.

A bonus exercise that is probably one of the most effective ab exercises of all time for hitting the lower abs is the hanging leg raise. Instead of simply raising your legs up, I like to give the cue of showing your butt to the person in front of you. This will disengage the hip flexors and allow the abs to take on the brunt of the work. Another reason this exercise is so great is because you are lifting the weight of your legs against the force of gravity.

To intensify each of these exercises, simply engage the adductors. On 3 of the 4 ab exercises I showed you, you can simply cross your legs and squeeze them together. On the plank knee slides, think about isometrically dragging the plant foot inwards.

Furthermore, you can also add rotation to the exercises as well since the fibers of the lower abs run at a slightly oblique angle.

None of this is going to matter if you have too much body fat covering the lower abs themselves. No exercise is going to spot reduce that fat. However, by getting your nutrition in check and being in a hypocaloric state, you will be start burning that fat off while still building and strengthening your lower abs,

If you are looking for a meal plan where everything is laid out for you step-by-step, we have them included with all of our ATHLEAN-X training programs via the link below.

For more videos on the best way to sculpt your six pack then you are going to want to subscribe to this channel here on YouTube using the link below. Remember to turn on your notifications so that you never miss a new video when it’s published.

[lukajakiel]

2:38 swiper
3:06 knee tucks
4:04 plank knee slide

[SahajTalwar]

13 years down the line.. still providing us with new information every week!
Hats off to you Jeff!

[papasmurf]

Jeff the type of guy to wipe with both hands to avoid muscle imbalances

[erenjaegerbomb]

That pelvic curl tip is huge, I imagine tens of thousands of viewers have been doing those wrong their whole life up to this point. Grateful for teachers that stress the keys to form instead of just listing exercise names and what they look like.

[californialove]

Not a single trainer who posts videos on youtube has ALL the answers, but Jeff's content has rarely ever let me down. I'm no physical specimen, but I'm in much better shape than I would be without the lessons I've learned from Jeff over the years.

Follow-up: I did just the basic versions of the three exercises posted in the video, and I'm sore today in my low abs in a way I've never felt before. I cannot wait to see what my progress is like in a couple months time.

[athleanx]

“FAST ACTION” Q&A* - Leave your most burning question about this video or any other training, PT or nutrition question within the first 2 hours of this video’s release (AS A SEPARATE COMMENT!!) and I will pick 8 to get a detailed reply from me right here in the comments. Answers will be posted within the first 24-48 hours of you leaving the question. Good luck!

[abhfunk]

OMG ! This video totally clears my doubt of why my lower abs have not started shaping up back again even though I have done all these ab exercises that were shown here as regular routine ones ! I will incorporate these simple modifications as shown by Jeff here ! Thanks a lot, Jeff ! 🙌

[DeanWinchesterSW]

I specifically look for your videos whenever I’m unsure about form or how to connect to the muscle I’m trying to hit.

The way you present the lesson and the science behind it all then jump into the exercise is masterful! Thank you so much! I gotta get a shirt now you’ve been helping me since I was a teen!

[nicolsmerchandominguez]

So many years watching Jeff's videos, I already new that he was going to mention the nutrition part. No exercise is good enough alone, nutrition always is key for a healthy lifestyle.

[ColbyCadwell]

Fave channel ever. Its the little tips with each vid that make a difference for me. In this one, it was “squeezing the knees together”. Last video it was “unshrugging the shoulders before each chest exercise”.

[MBUmucspring]

This guy is so real he has a hole in the knee and still pushes thru. Im a forever subbie!

[itstoasty]

I have been waiting for a good lower abdominal workout, let alone a complete breakdown for it. Thank you so much for the info Jeff

[dianacherry]

Thankful for your videos Jeff!! I've had major ab separation after two kids so I'm learning about training the TVA and lower abdominal muscles. Now knowing the direction and position in which you crunch/pull your body is super helpful. Keep up the great work! 🙌

[BLackCobraPictures]

The timing for this is so good. Have been asking this question to myself all week, been sitting at a decent body fat of sub 14% BF but I’ve only had the top 4 and toned obliques, so Im interested to see how this will go in the next couple weeks.

[bradydegrasse]

Hey Jeff, your new video pacing and editing is crushing it! Way to go! I recently finished my 3rd go of AthleanX Base Training Camp and I am in what I am calling the "final leaning phase." I will be 50 on this coming Tuesday, Aug 23rd, and at this point I appreciate all the fine tuning videos as I hit Mid Life in stride+++!!! 🙌 Thanks and Be Well All!

[deman]

Absolutely fitness gold information! Thanks for sharing!

[davidwu]

Jeff is the type of guy where the only problem he has at the gym is wearing Adidas workout pants with Puma training shoes. The caveat is that it matches and he makes it look good.

[lawrencemirampitas]

Im mostly impressed with the emfasis given in doing the exersises so correctly. Ive been bodybuilding for 28 years and recently started pilates on reformer. I just cant get around how all these years most of the exersises i had been shown from trainers were not correct. Another thing is that my body has changed and iam in control of all its muscles, not only the basic ones. My point is that you are the only trainer i have seen online that emfasizes on showing and explaining the correct flow of the muscle and its movements.
Very well done!! And thank you for sharing the knowledge!!

[antihypocrites]

I was searching for lower ab exercises and i didn't find what i was looking for and a few days later ATHLEAN-X uploads a video on lower abs, THANK YOU.

[Pjn]

Really useful. I have been doing all these workouts wrong way till now. Thanks for the information. ❤