How To Build Your Lower Abs: The Problem Area
Building great looking lower abs is the icing on the cake for those who have already achieved some success in achieving a six pack. Which is comparatively “easy” but for most men and women, the lower abdominal region is a trouble spot. Even those in relatively good shape struggle to find ways to build their lower abs and make the region right under and around your belly button perfectly flat and tight. There are many exercises that claim to “shred your lower abs,” but these claims ignore important factors like human biology and while they may sell specialized abdominal machines, exercise classes and routines, if you understand precisely the lower abdominals are, you would come to the conclusion that you can’t simply bring them out by doing hanging leg raises. To fully grasp what it takes to have “developed lower abs”, you need to understand the structure of your abdominal muscles, which are the segmented muscles located on the front of your abdomen between your lower ribs and pelvis. The upper region of your rectus abdominus is comparatively heavily muscled, (see the illustration below). Chunks of muscle that create that unmistakable washboard look. The segmentation between the muscles is what creates the six pack effect when the area is relatively low in subcutaneous fat. Which for most men is somewhere around 17-15% or lower, while women can start seeing it when they hit anywhere between 20-18%. Keep in mind, that most people who modify their eating habits and achieve body fat percentages at or below these levels will begin to see their upper abdominals peaking out, even if they never did a sit up or a crunch in their lives. Why? Because we all have a six pack, it’s just a matter of whether you are lean enough to see it or not. (See my article The Truth About Six Pack Abs-It’s All Diet) That being said, the lower abdominal region being completely “flat” requires quite a lot more in the way of body fat reduction as for the overwhelming majority of the planet, a perfect lower abdominal area remains elusive unless you are able to reduce your body fat percentage to significantly lower numbers than the ones mentioned above.
The problem is that if you look closely at the illustration, you will notice that what we define as your lower abdominals are a thin sheath of muscle as opposed to the thick muscled blocks of your upper rectus abdominus. As such, it’s hard to “develop your lower abdominals” because there simply isn’t much there to develop, and since they don’t protrude the way your upper abdominal muscles do, you must get your overall body fat levels down to the very lowest levels in order to see them.
How To Build Your Lower Abs: Exercises That Target The Region
From an exercise standpoint, your lower abs serve to rotate the pelvis inwards towards the ribcage. So, any movement like reverse crunches, leg raises or hanging leg raises will activate the muscles in that area. However, exercises can only strengthen the region rather than building it up as there really isn’t much there to build.
How to Build Your Lower Abs: Too Many Abdominal Exercises May Cause A Protruding Stomach
The problem is that if you look closely at the illustration, you will notice that what we define as your lower abdominals are a thin sheath of muscle as opposed to the thick muscled blocks of your upper rectus abdominus. As such, it’s hard to “develop your lower abdominals” because there simply isn’t much there to develop, and since they don’t protrude the way your upper abdominal muscles do, you must get your overall body fat levels down to the very lowest levels in order to see them. From an exercise standpoint, your lower abs serve to rotate the pelvis inwards towards the ribcage. So, any movement like reverse crunches, leg raises or hanging leg raises will activate the muscles in that area. However, exercises can only strengthen the region rather than building it up as there really isn’t much there to build.
Here’s how I like to explain lower abdominal development to my clients as I think it paints a good picture of just what is required. Imagine a landscape with low lying hills to the north and flat plains to the south. Imagine there is a flood of biblical proportions, inundating the region to the point where even the low lying hills are completely covered. With the water completely submerging the landscape, if there was a runoff, you would soon see the low-lying hills peaking out from under the floods. But in order for the plains to be visible again, almost all the water would have to be drained off. Think of your abdominal area as the landscape and think of the water as subcutaneous body fat. If you aren’t significantly overweight, a relatively small decrease in body fat might allow you to start seeing shadows of your upper abs, but in order to have lower abdominal definition, you would have to lose all the body fat in the are in order for it to be visible. Most important in this analogy, is that for the plains to appear, ALL the water has to drain out. Not just some water over the immediate area, and the same applies to your lower abdominals. You need to lose a significant amount of body fat overall in order to get to levels low enough to see the type of lower abdominal definition that most people covet.
To give an idea as to how far you need to go, when I work with bodybuilders and fitness models preparing for contests, one of indicators that a competitor is stage ready is that you can see the ridges of their lower abs and some vascularity in that area. Which for most men happens well into the single digits in terms of body fat percentages, and for women it usually occurs when they reach anywhere from 16% body fat or less. Given that the average American men and women have between 28 and 40% body fat, it gives an idea of how much work is required if you have to work towards the goal of a well defined lower abdominal area.
The degree of meticulous attention to nutrition over the course of months, or in some cases years in order to achieve that goal is not something that sells. Instead, the hope is that you can do some magic number of some magic exercise and make it happen, but this is little more than an attempt to escape reality. The goal of any type of abdominal training should be to ensure that your midsection is strong and balanced with the rest of your body. Training them everyday with a slew of exercises won’t do anything to remove the fat over your lower abs, but keep in mind that your abdominals are muscles. And muscles can only get bigger and denser if you train them, which is why many end up with very blocky type abs. Which might look impressive when your shirt is off, but the blocks still protrude outwards and give the appearance of a bigger gut when wearing clothes. Which is certainly not what most people are looking for and is almost impossible to completely reverse. You need only look at the example of men and women who use anabolic steroids and “performance enhancing drugs” as their abdominal muscles become far bigger than they ordinarily would when they overtrain them and they have what many describe as the “ninja turtle beer belly look.”
Having Great Lower Abs Comes Down To Your Diet & Your Bodyfat Levels
For the record- I don’t train my abdominals directly on a regular basis and haven’t done so for the past 23 years and my lower abs look almost exactly the same as they did at 46 as they did at 26. I don’t do any form of steady state cardio either and the reason why my upper and lower abs look the way they do is because of my diet. If I didn’t eat the way I do there is no way they would look the way they do, and I know this for a fact as back in my 20’s when I followed the conventional bulk-up-then-cut-down approach, my lower abs were the first thing to go when I put on the extra pounds! That being said, I don’t advocate not training your abdominals, and I think it’s important to put things in perspective. When I started training, I did a lot of abdominal work, especially as my first real introduction to physical exercise was through martial arts, which I started when I was 9 years old. I worked very hard to build what people today call “core strength” by doing just about the most extreme abdominal exercises possible. (Picture hanging by a rope upside down and working to build enough abdominal strength to be able to curl up and unite yourself) As my goal when I was younger was to have enough core strength to easily do just about any abdominal exercise known to man and be able to lift a car. When I got to a place where I could do just that, I was training with exceptionally heavy weights in compound movements that targeted my abdominals perhaps even more so than the hardest dragon flag ever could, as your abdominals have to contract and stabilize your midsection while under tremendous loads. I didn’t want my midsection getting any bigger and so I elected to stop doing direct abdominal work, but only on the condition that I maintained the ability to easily do any abdominal exercise relatively easily.
Continuing to directly train my abdominals would only make my waist bigger if I kept at it for the past several decades, and so I would not recommend someone just starting off doing the same. I will say that less is more if you have been training for several years as doing more abdominal work isn’t going to do very much to make them come out more. Especially if it’s lower abs that you are after. Training wise you’ll have a better chance at seeing your lower abs come (and stay) out from high intensity resistance training that builds muscle, rather than conventional aerobic based workouts. As the increased muscle mass will help you burn more calories long term and make it easier to trim down to a level where you can see your lower abs. However, the onus still is on your diet.
That being said having great lower abs shouldn’t be the be-all-and-end-all of any fitness program. Keep in mind that having a low bodyfat percentage doesn’t mean that you are healthy as you can have a six pack and still suffer health related problems if you aren’t eating correctly. Also don’t look to those who are naturally lean (and young) and who didn’t do anything to have well developed lower abdominal areas, as most of them will look just like the rest of the population in time. Instead keep your eye on eating well at all times. Be aware that it’s a very long road to a well-defined lower abdominal area if you are currently at average body fat levels, but it can be done if you are patient and consistent.
Recommended Reading:
How Long Does It Take To Get Muscle Definition
Hanging Leg Raises- The Best Abdominal Exercise
Six Pack Abs- It’s All About What You Eat
Not Bad For Training Only Three Days A Week!
Because it's three days a week with soul crunching intensity non stop for the past 33 years.
There's no gimmick to it and it means being uncompromisingly all in for your workouts and with your nutrition.
I don't think there's that much that special about me.
There's nothing enhanced, nothing boosted by testosterone and there weren't any special "supplements" along the way.
Just three days of blistering hard work each week and meticulous attention to what I eat.
Being 90% on point each week means you are 100% off after 10 weeks and I can't emphasize enough how much of a difference unshakeable consistency makes to your overall results.
Most of the natural athletes didn't get where they are by any genetic advantage, they just did what is so very rare- which is stick to their process 100%.
It's not easy as it's not always easy and certainly not always popular, but you owe it to yourself to see just how far you can go if you go all in!
Looking forward to seeing your results and as always, Excelsior!!! #naturallyintense
#naturalbodybuilding #naturalbodybuilder #fitover40 #homegym #drugfreebodybuilding #gymselfie #hometraining #naturalbodybuildingmotivation
What I Eat To Stay Lean and Keep Building Muscle All Year Round.
If there every was a "secret" to how I consistently stay in shape (and almost 20 years since my last competition) the answer would be my diet.
Diet is the deciding factor in what your body looks like and your overall performance and I want to stress that while this is a layout of the foods I eat on a daily basis, it's not a blueprint for your YOU should be eating.
What it can be is an example of what it takes to maintain a certain degree of size and muscularity at all times as a natural athlete, and also the underlying principle to how I select my foods.
Which is that I don't eat junk foods or highly processed foods and I only drink water.
(No protein shakes, ever!)
If you can start with that, there's no doubt that you will be on the right track in terms of your nutrition.
So stay away from processed foods, know that I believe in you and as always, Excelsior!!! #naturallyintense
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Post workout physique check in.
The contest gets closer and closer as the sun meanders across the sky, as my contest is and always will be, did I do everything I possibly could that day to improve?
Did I train hard enough?
Did I push it enough?
The dietary part isn't an issue.
It hasn't been for many years as I always make sure that my nutrition is on point, and there's no leeway on that front.
I don't feel good when I'm not eating optimally, and I respect myself enough to not settle into a place where not feeling my best is the norm.
And to be honest, it feels really good to put my head down at the end of the day knowing that I gave it my all.
Not that I was the best or was even necessarily successful at everything that I set out to accomplish, but knowing that I gave everything nonetheless.
It's a feeling I want everyone to have.
To sleep soundly knowing that you gave it your all.
That you didn't miss an opportunity to improve on what you are passionate about, because in so doing, you experience an eagerness to do the same the next day.
It's the ultimate contest and I invite everyone to submit their application forms, as it's one of the few competitions where everyone who does the work and shows up, is in the winner's circle.
Keep striving, keep pushing and as always, Excelsior! #naturallyintense
(Thanks @indi.anna.r or taking the shot, as I know your arm was probably shaking after that workout!)
#naturalbodybuilding #naturalbodybuilder #fitover40 #homegym #drugfreebodybuilding #gymselfie #hometraining #naturalbodybuildingmotivation
Motivation vs Discipline. What You Really Need To Be Successful!
I am often asked what was my motivation to keep going starting off as a skinny 125lb kid who no one believed could ever be a successful bodybuilder.
The answer is that motivation didn't have that much to do with it.
Motivation may have played a part in getting me started, but it was discipline that got me to where I wanted to be.
Motivation is fleeting and ephemeral, it's not always going to be there and on the days when you don't feel like eating right or training hard, you need a disciplined practice to see you through.
A disciplined practiced based on doing what you need to do to be successful regardless of the circumstances.
That's how I made it through all those tough times when I felt I wasn't getting anywhere, and it's what will help you as well.
So forget motivation, focus on building a disciplined practice, know that I believe in you and as always, Excelsior!!! #naturallyintense
#naturalbodybuilding #nosteroids #fitnessgoals #naturalbodybuildingtips #naturalbodybuilder #naturalbodybuildingvideos #excelsior #fitover40 #naturalbodybuildingtips #naturalbodybuildingmotivation #disciplineovermotivation #disciplineequalsfreedom #discipline #motivation#fitness #mindset #selfdiscipline #fitnessmotivation #disciplinequotes #workout #disciplineiskey
Kevin's Ultimate Secret Six Pack Abs Tip!
If you ever wondered how I maintain a six pack all year round and have kept that six pack for decades on end, here's the secret.
This is one tip that will honestly get you on the path to a six pack.
There's no magic to it.
But if you follow this simple piece of advice, you will be able to do a lot more than get yourself a six pack, as it's a proven formula for success.
Give it a try and as always, Excelsior!!! #naturallyintense
#sixpack #sixpackabs #6pack #6packabs #naturalbodybuilder #naturalbodybuilding #naturalbodybuildingtips #naturalbodybuildingvideo #naturalbodybuildingmotivation #sixpacktips #drugfreebodybuilding #abs
Happy Archery Day, everyone!!!
Yeah, it's a thing and can't say how much it's my thing!
To be honest, I am a barebow shooter and almost never shoot my compound bow (the monster in my hands) but it's all really good fun!
If you haven't tried archery or are thinking about doing it again, go give it a shot (no pun intended!!!)
And as always, Excelsior!!! #naturallyintense
#archery #archeryday #bowtech #naturalbodybuilder #naturalbodybuilding #fitover40 #blackandwhite #bowtech
Do You Have Good Genetics for Natural Bodybuilding?
I don't believe it's the question that needs to be asked.
Far too many, myself included, who went on to be successful natural bodybuilders would never have been the men and women you would expect to have the genetics for bodybuilding.
But we put in the work, the years, the dedication and the consistency, and so what matters isn't the question of genetics, but rather do you have the passion, the drive and the discipline to train hard and focus on your diet nonstop for years on end to realize your potential?
That's the real question, and yes, there are men and women who have great genetics for natural bodybuilding, but there are even more who would be amazing onstage but don't know it because they didn't believe enough in themselves to put in the time to see how far they could go.
So I am here to say that I believe you have it in you to do amazing things, so if it's your goal, or even if you just want to improve the way you look, stick with it and don't quit!
Know that I believe in you and as always, Excelsior!!! #naturallyintense
#naturalbodybuilding #nosteroids #fitnessgoals #bodytransformation #nodrugs #naturalbodybuildingtips #naturalbodybuilder #naturalbodybuildingvideos #excelsior #fitover40 #personaltrainer #naturalbodybuildingtips #naturalbodybuildingmotivation #beleiveinyourself
Nope it's not a contest cut- it's just another day on the Path.
There are two ways to get cut, the fast way that requires going to extremes and which is inevitably temporary.
Or the Path-based way. Whereby your lifestyle and sustainable healthy practices get you there and keeps you there.
It takes time. It takes patience but it's an extremely honest endeavor.
If you put in the work and stay consistent with your training and following a processed food free and healthy diet, excellence is just a matter of time.
It takes time but as long as you draw breath, you have the time and you can do this.
So take the Path-based way and as always, Excelsior!!!
#naturallyintense
And my thanks to my son @reid_443 for snapping the shot, and the approval rating! 😂
#naturalbodybuilding #naturalbodybuilder #fitover40 #homegym #drugfreebodybuilding #gymselfie #hometraining
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Featured everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to CBS News, Kevin Richardson is an award winning personal trainer, natural bodybuilding champion, creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Personal Training and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City.
