Lower Ab ?

[iris]

I have been doing Cathe's crunches for about 7-8 months now. My upper ab area is very tight, but my lower still has that flabbines to it. I was wondering if my body is telling me to do another type of excerise to challenge that area. Could anyone that has advice on how to tighten that area up please help me out. It's not all that bad, but sure could use some help. I had two C-sections,but I know that is not the reason it is there.

Patty
In NC

 

[Tammyspq]

Hey Patty! Tough area to work - you are not alone...For myself (in my own workouts - not classes I teach), I find doing reverse curls with legs straight with a slight bend to knee on a bench on an incline did wonders. This is an ADVANCED move and you would need to use your arms to hold onto the bench behind your head.

Another move I do which is hard mainly because of the weakness of lower abs is to lie down and bring my legs up to a 90 degree angle. Bracing my arms to the side and keeping my lower back down, I try lifting my KNEES - not feet - to the ceiling. This is a small movement and requires concentration. Don't look for a lot of range of motion.

Also, I use my stability ball and come close to a wall. I scrunch down so my lower back is on the ball and feet on the wall with knees at a 90 degree angle. Then I slowly push away from the wall. You can do with with arms across, the stomach, behind the head or extended out behind the head (easiest to hardest). I actually do this a lot with a friend in physical therapy. Yowza!

Hope this helps! jeni

 

[Jane P]

It could be those C-sections

Your two C sections may be the reason why you can't tighten those lower abs up. Your underlying supportive tissue may have been stretched. When you work you abs, you tighten the muscles, but if you have loose skin, it won't tighten up with exercise.
Also when they cut through you lower ab muscle, the scar tissue that formed could also be a factor. I would check with you doctor. There's no point in working your ab muscles to death if they're not the source of the problem.

 

[kathryn]

Sometimes lower ab poochiness is because of a weaker Transverse ab muscles, which works as a girdle to hold in that area. (You can find them by coughing.) This area isn't worked much with regular ab exercises, but rather by stabilization exercises, and core work where you use them to keep your abs still while moving your arms and legs, for example. Charlene Prickett has a video called "Absolutely" that targets these muscles. "Abs and more" is another video (by ???), that includes a lot of stabilization moves.

 

[DaphneM]

Planks worked for me

Hi Iris:

The lower section of my abs has always been pretty soft, even though I train them 4 times a week and do strength and lots of cardio and all of the recommended things. Like you, I've had 2 c-sections. But my abs were mushy before the c's.

When Cathe's Cross Train Xpress series and then her Slow & Heavy series came out, I started doing a lot more work with planks, since she includes them in many of those videos. My abs tightened up quite a bit. They got flatter and felt much more firm.

So try adding in planks to your ab work. They really helped tighten and flatten my lower stomach area. I was training abs about every other day at the time, almost always including plank work. I like a lot of variety when doing abs, so I enjoy the mix of planks and traditional crunches.

Bicycle crunches are also supposed to be very good. Cathe has some slow-mo bike crunches in Power Hour. They're good.

Good luck! When they look like an ironing board, post a picture here!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Patty! Try doing more plank work. Plank work engages the entire core area encouraging your abs to firm up like a corset around your internal organs. Many people have said that since plank work and other core training has become more popular their lower abs are much firmer. After having children the lower ab area tends to want to naturally push out since it had been stretched in this position for so many months (a muscle memory habit we surely want to break;-)). Even after the baby comes out their is a tendancy to push that area of the abdominal out as you carry the baby around due to weak abdominals, core, and months of an altered posture(especially in that position where you have the baby face away from you and you jut your hip out with the baby propped up on it). Core training strengthens the muscles of the abdominal, tunk, and pelvic region plus enhances and promotes better posture. Give it a try! Good Luck!

 

[bethmeira]

I have the same problem as Patty (no kids) I am waiting for Slow & Heavy, Power Hour and MIS to arrive. Should any of these work outs have that plank exercise in it?

Beth

 

[pfive]

Hi Beth!

Planks are in Slow & Heavy Chest and Back (just did this video last night) and also in Power Hour.

You've made some wonderful selections with your purchase!

Good Luck!

Angie