The lower abdomen is not always easy to work. Sculpt, refine, flatten, we share the best exercises for you to effectively firm up this area of the body.
Why am I having trouble losing my lower abdomen?
Physiologically, losing a stomach is no more difficult than losing thighs or buttocks. Sorry to break this misconception, but it’s good to remember. The genetic trend can play a role for sure. Some will tend to store in the belly, while for others it will be the buttocks. We all have our target zone.
In fact the flat stomach, it is above all a multidisciplinary affair, there is not only one thing that works, nor of miracle recipe. What works? The food + muscle strengthening + cardio combo. Nothing new if you know me, it’s my mantra, I keep telling you.
If in spite of your hard efforts you cannot lose your lower abdomen, then perhaps the answer lies in your training and more particularly in the type of muscle-building exercises that you perform.
Abs: the mistake to avoid
To have a flatter stomach, it is undeniable, you have to do some strengthening and work your abs. But not just any.
Mistake # 1: doing abs like a sick person in Rocky Balboa mode. Yes, yes, I see you doing your challenges 100 crunches a day. Stop the massacre! Crunches will not make you lose your lower abdomen, on the contrary, they will bring the volume. And yes, because by doing this type of exercise, we work a superficial muscle, the rectus abdominis, good for chocolate bars but zero for the flat stomach aspect.
Sheathing to tone the abdominal strap and flatten the lower abdomen. (BAT / CD)
The solution is to linger on the real muscle behind the flat stomach: the transverse! Located under the obliques and the rectus, it is the deepest muscle of the abdominals and also one of the most important because it maintains the viscera. Well muscled, it is he who will give that flat stomach appearance, very smooth.
The best thing is to make it work in a complementary way with the obliques which will create a kind of natural corset. And especially by favoring the movements which require a good placement of the back, good breathing and an optimal contraction of the perineum. Not to tear off the feet under the sofa, with the hands behind the neck which pull on the cervical!
The best exercises for losing your lower abdomen
I am not teaching you anything, the sheathing is a great classic for toning the abdominal strap and flattening the lower abdomen. But if you want to change the traditional plank a bit, I recommend the alternating scissors and the boat, super interesting exercises to build muscle in the transverse muscle. Be careful to fit your navel towards the spine when you perform these movements to gain efficiency. And above all, there are NOT ONLY the abs to work the lower abdomen! Global movements like squats, lunges, pumps, jumping jack will also help you eliminate your little buoy.
Also, change your workouts and turn to muscle building exercises on Bosu (inflatable half-ball that allows work based on balance), TRX (weight training accessory composed of two rigid straps) or storyboard (balance plate foam in the form of a surfboard used to work on motor skills, balance, sheathing, etc.).
The instability in these movements is very demanding on the lower abdomen, the abdominals acting as a trunk in this search for upper / lower body balance. Do not hesitate to innovate and test sports such as surfing, swimming, cycling, running, rollerblading, mountain biking, rowing, climbing or even boxing, where you exercise your abs without even you account for it. Why? Quite simply because these are sports practices which mainly involve a single part of the body (high or low), and which require to be enormously sheathed to keep the upper and lower limbs connected.
Clearly, do not confine yourself to a single recipe, vary the pleasures! My routine combines all this at the same time: exos targeting in priority the transverse and the obliques, dynamic global movements and a little more intense cardio at the end of the session to increase energy expenditure and eliminate fat.
Lower abdomen routine: how many times a week to get results?
To see the first results, this lower abdomen routine should ideally be practiced at least 2 times a week, combined with other muscle building and long cardio sessions 1 to 2 times a week.
You can, for example, distribute your sessions as follows:
Monday: 30 min total body + 15 min lower abdomen routine
Wednesday: 30 min buttock routine
Friday: 15 min intense fat-burning cardio + 15 min lower abdominal routine
Sunday: 1 hour running or cycling
Instability exercises put a lot of strain on your lower abdomen and abs. (BAT / CD)
In which cases should we consult?
If you are unable to follow this routine in particular because of a diastasis of the great rights, this may be the time to consult a health professional. Following overweight or pregnancy, a diastasis can indeed cause this prominent aspect on the lower abdomen and be quite disabling in everyday sport.
It is important to have it really noted by a professional in order to be able to act accordingly because it can entirely improve with specific rehabilitation, in particular via the Bernadette de Gasquet method. And above all, this can be corrected thanks to cosmetic surgery, do not hesitate to inquire if it ruins your life.
Another factor to take into account for women: hormonal imbalances. Because yes, with the approach of menopause and after menopause, a modification of the storage of fats appears. Female hormones promote low storage (thigh, buttocks, breeches), but with menopause, these hormones are no longer produced by the body. Testosterone then becomes more important, women join the hormonal level of men which promotes the storage of intraabdominal fat, namely the waist. The concern is that this abdominal fat, called visceral fat, lodges around the organs and muscles, which significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is why it is all the more important to continue the sport and eat well after 50 years!
Clearly, no fatality for the lower abdomen, whatever your situation! Stop tucking in your stomach, move, have fun, consult if necessary, work on the right movements effectively, and above all free yourself from self-judgment, you will see that your stomach will no longer be a problem!
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