Q. I've always had a problem with my lower abs and can never seem to show my lower abs. They improved when I started to exercise my abs with weights. I am now at 14% body fat, but still cannot see my lower abs.. I used to be very fat, but this was 7-8 years ago. What can I do to help show them better?
The lower abs is one of the hardest places to shed fat and show detail, as this is where men mostly deposit fat. I found that when I dieted for a show my lower abdominals would not show until I was around 10% body fat. At the end of the day you need to lose more fat to show greater detail, so an increase in calorie expenditure and you may also need to lower your calorie intake. A good rule of thumb I've found for dieting is to consumer 20-25 calories per kilo of lean muscle mass. Therefore if a man weighed 70kg and had a body fat percentage of 18% he would need to consume between 1148 - 1435 calories each day (Body weight - body fat: (70-(70*0.18)) *0.20 (or 0.25)). Doesn't sound much right, but if you consume lean protein, complex carbohydrates, good fats, and include plenty of fiber in your diet, then it will be enough to preserve muscle while you burn that unwanted fat. (Note. If you have an active lifestyle and exercise more than 4 times a week you may need to adjust your minimum intake by adding increments of 500 calories each week until you find you lose 1 or 2 pounds of fat a week)
The exercises that I've found work the lower abdominals best are a combination of hanging knee lifts, Lower leg raises and squats!
Try the routine below in a circuit style 2 or 3 times after a cardio warm up and stretches.
Hanging knee lifts:
Aim for 10-15 reps of bringing your knees up to your chest, whilst keeping your upper torso still. Pause at the top of movement and then slowly lower your legs back until they are hanging straight. Pull your belly button in tight as your breath in the upwards lift (Ideally use elbow straps on a pull-up bar, or hold with a wide overhand grip - as if you're about to do a wide chin up)
Swiss Ball Crunch: 15-20 reps.
Make sure you first select the right size ball for your height. With the ball supporting the small of your back, allow your shoulders to follow the curve of the ball to fully stretch the abdominals. Then, pull your abdominals in tight as your breath out and curl your shoulders towards your hips. Pause at the top before repeating. Once you can complete 20 reps with relative ease, try placing a small dumbbell or plate on your chest to increase the resistance.
Side Bends: 10-15 reps. (Each side)
This is one of my favourite exercises for bringing detail out in the abs. Start by lying flat on a mat on your side. Then, keeping the abs pulled in tight, raise both legs upwards so that you are using the side of your abs that is facing away from the floor to raise your legs up. To progress to the next level, stand with your legs spread, and holding a dumbbell by the side of your leg, lower it down your body until level with your knee and then pull it back up as your try to touch your knee with the opposite hand (that is free of any weight).
Lying Leg Raises: 10-15 reps.
Lay on a mat flat on your back, and with your hands under the small of your back (or keep them by your side and use a small towel instead), pull your abs in tight and raise your legs up until they are above your hips. For a greater squeeze, try to raise your hips upwards off the floor so that you push your feet up towards the ceiling.
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