This article lists three lower abs workouts that start out easy and get more difficult. Although hanging leg raises are the most intense lower ab exercise, it isn’t wise to jump straight into doing these until you are ready. As you master the first in the series of workouts, you can move from that to the next one and so forth.

First Set of Exercises - Leg Raises While Lying Down with Legs Bent

If you are a beginner this is perfect. All you will want to do is 5 sets of leg raises while lying on the ground. The key is that you will want your legs bent at 90 degrees. What this does is shorten the range of the movement. You will find that these are not as difficult to do as if you kept your legs unbent. Start by performing 5 sets comprised of 10 reps each. Do this two times per week and each week add another rep to each set until you are able to do 5 sets of 20 reps. Make sure to take only a 30-second to 60-second break between sets. You will not achieve the same benefits if your rest for longer periods and the exercise will become too easy.

Workout 2 - Lying Leg Raise With Straight Legs Followed By Planks

When you are comfortable with 5 sets of 20 reps of the bent leg raises, you can move on to this ore difficult exercise. Progress in the same way as you did with the first exercise. Work your way up slowly to 5 sets of 20 reps by starting out with 10 reps. After your sets of lying leg raises, perform 2 sets of planks. Simply hold the plank position for 2 minutes, rest 60 seconds, and repeat one more time.

Exercise 3 - Use a Chin Up Bar to Perform Hanging Leg Raises, Then Perform Planks

Do not jump right into this one, you should be very comfortable doing the second set of exercises before trying this. You should continue the routine for progression as outlined with the first two exercises. You want to gradually increase your workout to five sets comprised of 20 reps each. 6 months is a fair goal for meeting mastery of this exercise. Complete this set of exercises with planks that you hold for two minutes. You may want to master doing these with bent legs first for a few months, before you do them with your legs straight.

Hanging Leg Raises Are the Most Effective Abs Exercise Available

These exercises are unquestionably the best abs exercise you can do in your lower abs workouts. You will find your middle section becomes very defined as you master these and they will also work your lower abdominal area. No other exercise will get better results than hanging leg raises. Paul Wade the author of “Convict Conditioning,” writes that hanging leg raises done in 5 sets of 15 - 20 reps will sculpt abs like nothing else and that this is the only exercise you need. Personally, I also use planks to get even better results than the leg raises alone.

The difference between mediocre abs and awesome abs lies in the the lower abs workout that is utilized. These days it seems the hallmark of an impressive physique is a set of 6 pack abs. While 6 pack abs are a great thing to shoot for, why not aim for 8 pack abs. Here is how you can get those 8 pack abs.

Various Leg Raises Are the “Holy Grail” of Ripped Abs!

There is nothing else that will create a stomach area as hard as a washboard like leg raises will. Crunches simply don’t cut it. Honestly, I am not sure when people forgot about this exercise, but it needs to form the foundation of your ab workout. Leg raises are simply a part of any high quality, high results lower abs workout. It is also the ultimate choice to achieve those ultra-strong contractions down in your abs and produce that goal of ab definition you want.

Ever stopped to look at what goes on in a prison yard?

While I have never visited a prison yard myself, I have found that convicts typically have the best physiques. An author named Paul Wade, who has written a book named “Convict Conditioning,” talks about guys who are locked up for long periods of time tend to use hanging leg raise as their exclusive ab exercise. He comments that a once a prisoner is able to achieve 4-5 sets of 15-20 hanging leg raises reps keeping their legs straight, they end up having the most awesome ripped abs possible.

Before Considering Any Other Ab Exercises, Become A Master of Hanging Leg Raises

You will discover that, besides being the absolutely best lower abs workout, this exercise will end up giving your entire abdominal region a workout. Hanging from the bar will help you create the detail in your muscles that you need. You’ll want to take it slow to start with and work up to those hanging leg raises. It’s never a good idea to move up to a tougher exercise till you have completely mastered the first one. It only requires 4 to 5 sets done 2 times a week to help you turn your abs into lean, attractive muscles.

1) Lying Leg Raises 5 X 20: Lay on a padded mat on your back and lift your legs so that your feet are directly above you hips. Slowly lower your legs so that your feet almost hit the ground. Raise them back up to above your hips and repeat. Work up to 4 sets of 20 reps. If you find that you are unable to do this at first, you can start out by altering the exercise slightly. Keep your legs bent at a 90 degree angle to begin with and then move up to doing them with straight legs. Your lower abs will be screaming on sets 4 and 5, no matter how strong you get at these.

2) Hanging Knee Ups 4 x 20: Holding an overhead bar with your hands, slowly raise your knees until you achieve an 90 degree angle with your upper legs. Lower the knees back down. You will find your hip flexors will be your weak point and this will be tough to start with. You also may discover how weak your grip may be. Try to avoid using wrist wraps as you will want to strengthen and develop your forearms as well as making sure you’re functionally fit all over.

3) Hanging Leg Raises 4 X 20: Grab an overhead bar and with your legs straight or knees slightly bent raise your legs until you break a 90 degree angle with your body and legs. You can stretch your hamstrings out if they feel tight before you begin the exercise. The key is to do this in a slow ad controlled manner. My guess is less than 1% of the gym population have strong enough abs to do these properly. If this seems to tough when you start out, work on mastering the exercise by bending your legs close to 90 degrees. It’s comes down to the straighter you keep you legs, the harder the exercise becomes.

Following these tips will help you become the master of leg raises for having 8 pack abs.

It goes without saying that your body fat levels need to be low enough to reveal your abs. Simply diet hard and get to a low body fat level and master the single best ab exercise known to man. This is your fast track to 8 pack abs. No need to look further. The results of this exercise, just 4-5 sets each day, will show you it’s the absolute best lower abs workout there is!

A proper lower abs workout is what separates good abs from great abs. These days it seems the hallmark of an impressive physique is a set of 6 pack abs. While 6 pack abs are a great thing to shoot for, why not aim for 8 pack abs. Check out the way to accomplish this.

Various Leg Raises Are the “Holy Grail” of Ripped Abs!

There is nothing else that will create a stomach area as hard as a washboard like leg raises will. Contrary to popular opinion, even crunches won’t come close! Honestly, I am not sure when people forgot about this exercise, but it needs to form the foundation of your ab workout. You’ll discover it is the best lower abs workout there is. This is the best way to get ultra-strong contractions in your abs, which is the goal to etch out ab definition.

Ever Seen a Prison Yard?

I have never seen a prison yard live in person, but I have noticed that convicts have some of the most ripped physiques known to man. Author Paul Wade wrote the book “Convict Conditioning” and in it he explains that men who are in prison and do not have easy access to weight equipment use hanging leg raises as their primary ab exercise. When men are hanging with their leg straight and are able to do 4 to 5 sets of 15-20 hanging leg raises, they will usually have amazing abs as their reward.

Before You Ever Consider Another Ab Exercise, Master Hanging Leg Raises

Not only are these ideal for a lower abs workout, but they will also help you strengthen the entire abdominal area. You will also find, because you are also hanging from a bar as well, that you’re developing detail muscles throughout your midsection. You’ll want to take it slow to start with and work up to those hanging leg raises. Don’t move to the next tougher exercise until you fully master the previous one. Just aim for a routine of 4-5 total sets that are done twice a week, and you will see those 8 pack abs develop.

1) Lying Leg Raises 5 X 20: Lay on a padded mat on your back and lift your legs so that your feet are directly above you hips. Slowly and intentionally lower your legs until the fit are almost touching the ground. Raise the legs slowly back up and continue to repeat. Continue on this until you can do 4 sets of 20 reps each. If you find that you are unable to do this at first, you can start out by altering the exercise slightly. Keep your legs bent at a 90 degree angle to begin with and then move up to doing them with straight legs. Be prepared, because no matter how strong you become doing these, your lower abs will be screaming by the 4th and 5th sets!

2) Hanging Knee Ups 4 X 20: Grab an overhead bar and slowly raise your knees until your upper legs break a 90 degree angle. You then will lower your knees slowly back down. Your hip flexors are where you will really feel this exercise. Your grip may also be weak. Try to avoid using wrist wraps as you will want to strengthen and develop your forearms as well as making sure you’re functionally fit all over.

3) Hanging Leg Raises 4 X 20: With this exercise you’ll need to grab an overhead bar and raise your legs, either straight or with your knees bent slightly, until that 90 degree angle is reached with your legs and body. You can stretch your hamstrings out if they feel tight before you begin the exercise. The key to this exercise is doing it in a controlled and slow manner. The fact is that less than 1% of people who are going to the gym actually have abs that are strong enough for these exercises. If this seems to tough when you start out, work on mastering the exercise by bending your legs close to 90 degrees. The straighter your legs are the harder this becomes.

Following these tips will help you become the master of leg raises for having 8 pack abs.

Needless to say, you’ll need to make sure your body fat levels are low enough to show off your abs. A good diet can help you lower your body fat so you can reveal a hard and attractive stomach. This is your fast track to 8 pack abs. You won’t need to look beyond this exercise. Just 4-5 sets of this exercise is easily the best lower abs workout.

When a person starts a diet and exercise program, they often are frustrated when they do not see the kind of results they want in a short amount of time. In most cases, the exercise program is ineffective; it is not focused and is toning the entire body. However, by changing the exercise program to include an abs workout, an individual will see more immediate results and begin sculpting their body in a way that will show the results of their dieting efforts more quickly.

A general exercise program is designed to tone and strengthen all of the muscle groups of the body. An individual will usually do exercises that do not include a lot of resistance, but rather increases the cardio and muscle strength through bends and squats.

When a person is performing general exercises they are burning calories and building muscle strength. But, as muscles become stronger they gain weight. This means that the weight lost in a diet is not going to be reflected on the scales. When a person cannot see the results of a diet and the exercises they do, they become frustrated and lose motivation to continue.

Focusing exercises on specific areas of the body will give a person the visual gauge they need to assess their dieting progress. As the abs become more toned and the waist becomes smaller, an individual can see that the lack of weight reduction is not indicative of effective diet and exercise.

A focused abs workout does not require expensive equipment to do. An individual can follow a program that includes some simple exercises that are easy to do at home. There is no need to invest in equipment or gyms to accomplish the goal of sculpting the body.

Inches are lost and abs are toned very quickly when a focused exercise program has been started. People often begin to see positive results within a few weeks of beginning a focused diet and exercise program. It is easy to create a “habit” for exercising when a person consciously exercises at the same time every day.

Following a regular thirty-minute exercise program that includes fifteen minutes of general exercise and fifteen minutes of focused exercise will give a person the results they are looking for much more quickly than a sporadic and unfocused program.

By following a simple thirty-minute exercise regimen daily, you will be able to see results from your efforts much more quickly. Once an individual sees, and can gauge, their weight loss efforts, they become more motivated and exercise becomes easier to continue. As the results of your efforts are more visible, your confidence will increase and you will begin to feel healthier and happier.

Maintaining a healthy diet and six pack abs workout program helps a person maintain their ideal weight and keep their body sculpted. Problem areas will be reduced and eliminated quickly and a person will begin to feel better. When a person is continuing efforts by including focused lower ab workout exercises in their program, they will experience a loss of inches and a more sculpted abdominal area very easily.