How do I tone my lower stomach?

Question

My stomach is flat at the top, but it hangs at the bottom. I have had 4 kids.

Answer 1

the rectus abdominis (RA) is one muscle that runs from the xipoid process to the pubis, so there is no lower or upper abdominals. you can not isolate or target part of a muscle, a muscle either contracts as a whole or it does not contract at all.

leg lifts, etc. do not target the "lower abs", they only stimulate the RA isometrically. when people say they can "feel" the fatigue caused by exercises that supposedly target the lower RA they are feeling the Iliopsoas which is one of the hip flexor muscles that lies deep underneath the lower portion of the RA.

regardless of how you train the mid-section only the reduction of body fat will allow the muscles to be seen. abdominal traning has no effect on the amount of body fat in that area.

Answer 2

First of all, you can't "spot tone". Meaning, if your stomach has a little extra girth at the bottom, doing situps will not solve the trick. You need to do a combination of ab exercises and cardio.

But, for a great specific lower ab exercise, check out the "captain's chair" in this link. You can perform it either at a gym, or when simply sitting on a chair at home:

http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100156618>1=9033

Good luck!

Answer 3

Walking has got to be the easiest way to trim off the fat. Walk quickly, build up a sweat, get your heartrate up. The link below is a very cool site, the activity calculator is awesome it tells you how many calories are burned for like 200 different activities for any amount of time you enter , activities include housework, walking, jogging , rowing, coal mining, sitting in your ofice, bicycling, dancing, painting, gardening, child care, ironing, firefighting, sitting in class and many many more. Target training your abdominals won't be nearly as effective as a brisk walk everyday, with crunches and leg raises you will certainly tone your abs but you still wont see them because they will still be covered in fat. Walk walk walk its much easier than crunches or leg raises, when you trim the fat off then you can target train to tone them up(but I bet you wont need to). Please trust me on this. You wont need to walk many many miles, I live on an old radar base (pine tree line) and it takes me 16 minutes to do 1 lap around it. I sacrificed some TV time at night to get rest so I can get up earlier in the morning(6am) and go for 1 or 2 laps before breakfast(gonna make a commitment to do 4 laps in less than an hour every day) I have 2 kids of my own whom I spend alot of time with so I have to "sacrifice" my own time at night to "invest" in my own health and longevity.

Answer 4

My AB Workout consists of 3 basic exercises. These exercises work on the 3 abdominal groups, worked out in the correct order to get maximum results.

1. Leg raises (Rectus Abdominis)
2. Side Crunches ( External/Internal Obliques)
3. Straight Crunches (Transverse Abdominis)

Here is how it works. You want to get up to where you are doing 3 sets of 25 reps for each exercise. But start with one set of 15, then 20, then 25. Then start with 2 sets of each, then finally 3 sets. Only allowing a 30 to 45 second break between sets.

1. Lie flat on a mat, with your hands placed at your lower back, close to your butt. Now with your legs bent slightly, and toes pointed away from your body, with legs together, lift your legs up 6 inches off the ground. Each rep consists of lifting your legs from 6 inches to 12 inches. You cannot put your legs on the ground till the set is done. Go between 6 inches, to 12 inches, and back. Each time you reach the 6 inch mark, count one rep. Each movement should be one second. One second up, one second down.

2. Lie with your back flat on the mat, your legs should be bent so that your feet are flat on the mat, about shoulder width apart. Your hands should not be behind your head, but place them under your opposite armpits, or chest. Now you curl up, not lifting your lower back off the mat, (these are crunches, not situps) Your rep consists of curling your right elbow towards your left knee, and then the other side. You do not touch your knee. One second up, one second, down. One second other side, one second down. A rep consists of both sides being done. So your rep is done when you have moved up, and down, on each side. (This one you will notice right away)

3. Lie the same way as in number 2 above, with the hands in the same position. Now this one you just curl straight up, hold for a second, then back down. Do not jerk yourself up, Curl yourself up. Each rep consists of one up, and one down. Each time you are on the mat with your back, counts as one rep.

NOTE: You can do abs every day. But I find if I rest one day a week, I reward myself for sticking with it.

GOOD LUCK, and enjoy your SIX PACK.

Answer 5

There is an EXCELLENT exercise for this area called the plank. It works quickly to help your very low abs

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/plank.htm

Answer 6

the kids definetly did it but try to diet PROPERLY do different forms of sit ups and jog