The routine below will target your entire abdominal area, leaving you with flat, firm muscles that not only look nice in fitted slacks and suits, but help you stand straighter and avoid back problems, too. Follow these tips to develop your hard-to-define lower abs.
Focus on your deep ab muscles, such as your transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis and internal/external obliques. Doing exercises that work your pelvic floor are a good place to start controlling the important abdominal muscles that most people skip during an ab workout.
V-Sit Lie on your back, legs extended, arms down at your sides, palms down. Keeping your arms parallel to the ground, raise your legs and torso up until you are balancing on your tailbone and your body forms a "V." Hold for a second, and then slowly lower. If you're having trouble, keep your legs slightly bent.
The Corkscrew Lie on your back, arms at your sides, palms down. Keeping your legs extended and your feet flexed, lift them off the floor so they form a 90-degree angle with your body. Keeping your upper body stable, contract your abs and lift your butt off the ground while twisting your hips to the right. Hold. Lower to start. Repeat to the other side.
Lie on your right side, legs stacked, right elbow under shoulder, fingers pointing forward, left hand on top hip. Lift hips into side plank; bring right knee toward chest.
Extend right foot; tap it in front of left. Do 15 reps; switch sides and repeat. Do 2-3 sets.
Choose standing ab exercises over laying down exercises. If you only have time to do a limited number of exercises, remember that standing or extended exercises work your entire core, instead of the top muscles.
Breathe properly. Inhale on the easiest part of the exercise, then breathe out when it is harder. This will also keep your ab muscles from popping out.
