lower abs??

hi guys, i've been really having an not-proportionate lower belly. (it bulges!!!!) i do workout everyday, alternating cardio (walking jogging dancing etc..) and strength training. my upper abs look great, but i just cant make my lower abs okay. i just want them to get flat. okay i know that with exercise we also need a low-fat diet because fat is covering up that part. and i DO have a low-fat diet and i watch my cals everyday. my body is (overall) i think great, i love myself at the mirror but when i go down and look at my lower stomach, im like, okay.. i hate it. so im asking for advice on lower ab exercises, i do some crunches and some pilates about 2 or 3 times a week, too.. and the crunches did my upper abs. i also do well on my obliques. (the lower part is my ONLY problem)

are there any particular workouts or exercises to specifically work on my lower abs? dont worry guys when i exercise im not just gonna focus on one part of my body, i just need to work harder on that part. 'cause it's bringing me down a bit. oh, and if u could, please include the steps on how to perform the exercises. and how often i should do them.

this would mean a loooot.. thank youuuuuu guys!!!!!!! ^-^ 

unfortunately most exercises are for upper abs not lower, but i use this website -

www.trainwithmeonline.com

its cool because it will show you how to do the exercise ( i hate those sites with word explanations bc i never know if i'm doing it right haha) plus it shows a persons body and highlights what body parts you are working, so you can sort through and find ones just for lower abs!

hope this helps=)

You need low fat for heart health but it won't help your abs any. You also need enough good fats to keep your body healthy. For example some vitamins only travel with fat. So keep a reasonable fat intake but don't think it's the key to abs or anything.

 

You need to lower your body fat level. It may be your body stores fat in your lower belly. If so welcome to the club. You'll end up losing fat every place else first. It's more then just fustrating but it's the way it is for some of us.

BTW abs are built in the kitchen not the gym

thanks for the link willin1310..

yeah zeke, i figured that ive pretty much lost fat in everywhere else except in the lower abs .. hahaha, oh well.

thank u guys (= 

I'm no fitness expert, and could actually use some help on this myself, but anyway:
I think that basically anything that you do with your legs versus your head targets the lower abs.
For example, lay on the floor on your back with knees bent and then Slowly  lift your legs off the floor. Another thing, but as you are doing other ab-related exercises, make sure to keep your stomach tight (not clenched, just firm) so that you don't develop a bulge that way.

there aren't actually any lower abs (or at least it's not a separate muscle group).  basically, you need to lose the fat surrounding the lower portion of your abs.   that's not to say that "lower ab" exercises aren't useful, as they hit the abs from different angles, but you can't grow just your lower or just your upper abs.

ACTUALLY...i know quite a few lower ab exercises.

I've been an athlete for over 15 years now and here are the basic lower ab exercises:

1) legs straight...just cruch. But make sure that your lower back has pressure on the floor. This is called a pelvic tilt- it will help engage the lower abs.

2) straight leg raises. Both legs together. Lower back into floor again (pelvic tilt) and raise legs 6 inches off floor, then 10 inches, then 12". Hold each for 30 seconds to a minute or more.

3) flutter kicks. Just like straight leg raises, but alternating legs while kicking.

these are great to start with and you will feel the burn!

 

good luck 

ACTUALLY...those are good core exercises, but you cannot isolate the lower abs.  The abdominal wall is one muscle (the rectus abdominus), and you cannot activate only one portion of it any more than you can isolate only part of your bicep or calf muscles.  

The burn you feel on the "lower abs" most likely comes from the Iliopsoas muscles, which are part of the hip flexors. 

To make the lower section of your abs visible, you need to work on your core and lose the fat around it, with the latter probably more important in my opinion.

ballet exercises will strenghten the lower ab, using the bar will allow you to work lower muscles directly, look into a new video called fluidity. They will show you the moves you need to do to strength the lower abs. I am not one to promote a product but this seem to be working.

The website: www.fluidity.com

hope this helps :)

try dancing :) my fat was gone in 30 minutes and my abs hurt like hell

lol its a miracle. well i guess it'll be back after i sit down for a while, but right now my abs look pretty awesome

idk lol maybe its just me, im a weirdo

Pilates is a great way to work the deeper transverse abdominals.  If your stomach is pooching out when are doing ab exercises then you are using the superficial rectus abdominals.  This muscle group is not as effective at supporting the back and flattening the abdomen.  The stomach should be flattening as you exercise if you are doing the exercises correctly.

Check out this web page for a great way to target the lower abs and obliques through the waistline:

 http://www.pilates-back-joint-exercise.com/pi lates-crisscross.html