Ab Workouts to Tone the Lower, Stubborn Pooch

We’re gym girlies – which means we like to workout about 3-4 times a week for 45 minute long sessions. We stick by our routines, ensuring that every body part undergoes some level of exercise in a 7-day period. We hit the leg machines to strengthen our lower body and glutes. We lift the free weights to get our arm, chest, shoulder, and back muscles on fire. We incorporate an appropriate amount of cardio. And we schedule in some much needed rest.

But there’s one area of the body we quickly skipped over in that introductory paragraph… the abdominal muscles.

Can anybody guess why? Because this stubborn area is so hard to train. The skin and fat molecules hidden in the pooch just don’t want to break down and get filtered out. No matter how much we beg, plead, and bargain with our tummies, we just can’t seem to win.

Unless we start doing these exercises. Just remember, even though fat loss cannot be targeted, partaking in the five magical movements we have listed out below will help

The Scissor Kick

Your abs will feel this in the morning, that’s for sure.

1. Start by lying flat on your back on a solid surface or yoga mat.
2. Put your hands behind your head or parallel your body – whichever you feel most stable and comfortable with.
3. Slightly raise your head and shoulders off the floor.
4. Lift your legs and scissor kick – this training method will require you to have one leg up and one leg down, then switch ‘em. View the photo above for guidance.
5. Proceed with this practice for at least 30 seconds. Lifting your right leg up, lowering your left. Vice versa.
6. For the best results, do 3-5 sets of 30 seconds regularly.

The Leg Drop

These may not seem like they take a lot of effort, but they do. If you’re not feeling the *burn*, you need to work on contracting and relaxing those abdominal muscles while lifting and lowering the legs.

1. Lie on your back on the ground or a yoga mat and bring your legs straight up. Your arms can rest along each side of your body.
2. Slowly lower your legs toward the floor, but don’t let them touch the ground.
3. Once inches away from the ground, raise them back up while keeping your back pressed into the floor.
4. For the best results, do 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps regularly.

The Bicycle Crunch

A classic abdominal exercise that almost every fitness class has; if you’ve been to Zumba lately, you can agree with that statement. The best part is that you don’t need an actual bike to get the job done.

1. Start by lying on your back with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Bend your elbows and put your hands behind your head to give your neck some added stability while doing the exercise.
3. Lift your knees up as if you’re sitting in a tabletop position on the ground. Your shins should be parallel to the floor.
4. Then, lift your shoulder blades off the floor/mat.
5. Straighten one leg as you bring the other knee to your opposing elbow. An example can look like this: Straighten your right leg, bring your left knee to your right elbow.
6. Switch positions and straighten your left leg, bring your right knee to your left elbow.
7. For the best results, do 3-5 sets of 10 reps each side regularly.

The Elbow Plank

Very similar to the leg drop listed above – if you don’t feel the *burn*, work on contracting those abdominal muscles. Hold the muscle squeeze as long as you can while you’re in the planking position.

1. To get properly set up, lie your forearms flat on the floor in a kneeling position.
2. Once your upper body is positioned, step your feet out one at a time until you’re settled into a plank position.
3. Engage your abs the entire time while making sure your spine is in correct alignment. Please note: Your glutes and hips can be slightly raised, but your upper body in general should be parallel to the floor.
4. For the best results, perform at least three 30-second elbow plank holds regularly.

The Reverse Crunch

A regular crunch is good for strengthening your overall abs, but did you know that a reverse crunch targets the lower region much more efficiently?

1. Start by lying on your back with your hands positioned at your sides.
2. Lift your feet off the ground at a 45-degree angle with your toes pointed.
3. Push strength into your arms and pull your knees into your chest, raising your hips off the mat beneath you.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.
5. For the best results, do 3-5 sets of 10–12 reps regularly.