The other day I arrived at the gym and immediately headed for the locker room as usual. Not only do I need to get changed into my workout gear, but also I must admit I thoroughly enjoy seeing the other guys undressing, in their underwear or in the shower area. As I was getting changed, another gym goer had just arrived and began undressing a few lockers away. I stood there in my gray C-in2 briefs about to pull on my shorts when the man asked me a question.
“Hey buddy what exercises do you do to get that v-shaped muscle in your lower abs?” he asked as he pointed to my stomach. He continued, “No matter what I do I can’t seem to get that cut.”
Although I was slightly taken aback by his question asking confidence in such a “naked place” I could tell he was genuinely interested in my response.
“Tell you what,” I said as I pulled my shorts into place, “come find me when you get dressed and I can show you a couple of exercises that will help.”
“I will,” he said with a smile before turning his attention back to his gym bag.
After I was all warmed up on the Stepmill (a must before you begin ANY workout routine) he met me near the abdominal equipment section of the gym. I won’t tell you his real name so lets just call him Jake. I asked Jake to show me what exercises he currently did to work his abdominals. He showed me the normal exercises that almost every gym patron does on a regular basis. Every single one of his exercises targeted his mid and upper abs but neglected to work his lower abs muscles. I explained the problem to him and told him that by choosing exercises that primarily targeted his lower abs, he would also be working his middle and upper abs muscles as well.
I took him through a series of four exercises that are designed to focus on the lower abdominals but are also quite effective at building the other visible portions of your stomach. My instructions to him were to perform two sets of 25 repetitions of each exercise in a circuit. What I mean by circuit is, perform a complete set of one exercise and then without resting perform a complete set of the second exercise and so on until all four exercises are completed. Then take a short rest and start the second circuit one more time.
Here are the exercises I told Jake to perform. I will briefly explain the dynamics of each exercise and will then demonstrate what the exercise looks like wearing just my tighty whities.
Exercise #1 = Decline reverse crunch: Using a decline bench, place your head at the top of the bench, tuck your heels close to your butt and rest your heels on the bottom of the decline. Grab the bench near your head, exhale, and contract your abdominals as you bring your legs up towards your chest. Go as far as your body will allow without causing your lower back any discomfort. Pause at the top of the movement for two seconds and then begin to return your legs to the starting position as you inhale.
Exercise #2 = Physio-ball leg tuck: Place your hands shoulder width apart on the floor while you rest your shins/feet on the top of a Physio-ball. Exhale as you tuck your knees and the ball towards your chest. Pause for two seconds at the top of the movement and inhale slowly as you return to the starting position.
Exercise #3 = Lower abdominal heel press: Lay flat on the edge of a flat bench or on the floor to perform this particular exercise. If you choose to use the bench, your butt should be off the end of the bench. Straighten your legs and then raise them up until your heels are pointed at the ceiling. Depending on your flexibility this may be more difficult for you than others. Exhale, contract your lower abs as you press your heels straight up towards the ceiling. Pause at the top of the movement and then inhale as you return to the starting position. This is a small movement and should be performed with absolute muscle control. Do not use momentum to perform this exercise.
Exercise #4 = Swimmer or Flutter Kicks: lie flat on your back and place your hands under your butt to support your lower back. Lift your legs about six to 12 inches off the floor and hold this position. Make sure your lower back in pressed down onto your hands or onto the floor at all times. If your lower back arches too much, raise your legs higher until you are strong enough to keep them closer to the ground. Breathe as your flutter kick your legs for at least one minute. If you are unable to go for one minute, then try four sets of 15 seconds or two sets of 30 seconds. Build yourself up to the one-minute mark. If you are able to go for longer than a minute with proper form feel free to do so.
Jake went through the entire circuit with me so I could see his form. He did well on each exercise and was happy with how much he could feel his lower abdominals working in each of those exercises. He thanked me and we both parted ways in order to finish our own workouts.
I look forward to seeing if Jake sticks to the routine I gave him and am even more excited about seeing the results in the locker room. Give these exercises a try and maybe some guy will be asking you to show him how to that lower abs v-cut. Let me know how that scenario works out. ☺
Please feel free to check out my website at www.transformerfitness.com if you have any comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.
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