What are the 6 best exercises for training lower abdominal muscles

The six best exercises for training lower abdominal muscles are supine leg lift, reverse abdominal roll, hanging leg lift, sitting leg retraction, flat support hip lift, and scissor kick.

1. Supine leg lift

Supine leg lift is a basic movement for targeted training of lower abdominal muscles. Lie flat on the ground, place your hands on either side of your body or below your hips, keep your legs together and straight, slowly lift to be perpendicular to the ground, and then control your speed to fall close to the ground. During the movement, keep your waist close to the ground and avoid using force. This movement activates the lower abdominal muscles through hip flexion, making it suitable for beginners to master the core power mode.

2. Reverse Abduction

Reverse Abduction strengthens the control of the lower abdominal muscles by tilting the pelvis backwards. Lie on your back, bend your knees, and lift your legs so that your thighs are perpendicular to the ground. Then, contract your abdomen to lift your hips off the ground and bring your knees closer to your chest. After the peak contraction, slowly return to normal. Be careful to avoid compensatory force on the neck, and adjust the height of the leg lift to control the difficulty. This action can effectively stimulate the muscle fibers in the lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle.

3. Suspended leg lift

Suspended leg lift requires the use of a horizontal bar to complete advanced lower abdominal training. Hold the bar with both hands and hang it, keep the body stable, bend the hips and lift the legs to a horizontal or higher position. Advanced learners can try to complete the task with straight legs, but they should be careful to avoid using body movements to gain strength. This movement utilizes self weight to provide resistance and has a significant exercise effect on the lower abdominal muscles and hip flexors.

4. Sitting posture leg retraction

Sitting posture leg retraction is suitable for completing on a yoga mat or training bench. Lie back with both hands on the ground while sitting, straighten your legs off the ground and bend your knees towards your chest, then slowly return to your initial position. Difficulty can be increased by adjusting the tilt angle, while maintaining continuous abdominal tension during the process. This movement can simultaneously exercise the lower abdominal muscles and deep core muscle groups.

5. Plate supported buttock lifting

Plate supported buttock lifting combines static and dynamic training modes. Starting from the elbow plank position, contract your lower abdomen and push your hips upwards to the peak, holding for 1-2 seconds before falling back. Pay attention to keeping the trunk stable and avoid collapsing the waist. This variant movement strengthens the centrifugal contraction ability of the lower abdominal muscles by tilting the pelvis backwards, while enhancing the overall stability of the core.

6. Scissor kick

Scissor kick activates the lower abdominal muscles through alternating movements. Lie on your back with your hands placed under your hips, and after lifting your legs off the ground, swing them up and down in a cross motion, with the amplitude controlled at around 30 degrees. Keeping the waist pressed to the ground and controlling the swing speed can increase the duration of muscle tension. This action can improve the endurance and coordination of the lower abdominal muscles.

When training the lower abdominal muscles, attention should be paid to the standardization of movements and coordination of breathing. Each movement should be completed 12-15 times as one group, and 3-4 movements should be selected for cyclic training each time. It is recommended to schedule 2-3 specialized training sessions per week, combined with aerobic exercise to reduce body fat percentage and expose abdominal muscle lines. In the early stages of training, there may be lumbar compensation, which can be relieved by reducing the amplitude or using towels to relieve pressure. In terms of diet, it is necessary to ensure high-quality protein intake, control the proportion of refined carbohydrates, and promote muscle recovery with sufficient sleep. If persistent lower back pain occurs, training should be suspended and professional coaches should be consulted to adjust the plan.