Activate More LOWER ABS on Every Rep!

What’s up Nation! In this quick article, I’m going to show you a very effective trick to activate more LOWER ABS when you perform your crunches or sit-ups!

While the standard form for crunches is usually just getting on the floor, with your knees bent and trying to bring your chest towards your knees, this isn’t really ideal for targeting the lower abs. Of course, you are working the entire rectus abdominis with any kind of crunch or sit-up but the focus is usually on the upper abdominals. With a slight modification however, you can easily get more lower ab engagement, and all you need is either a bench or a chair (something that you can put your legs up and over).

Suggestion: A smart idea to get more ab training in your current training schedule is supersetting what I’m about to show you with exercises that require a bench, like bench presses or one-arm dumbbell rows.

The Set-Up

Here’s how this trick is going to work.

• Sit back on a bench and get on the floor but stay as close as you can to the bench.
• Hook the bench with your heels (see image below)

By hooking your heels into the bench you will find that you are able to go much higher and you can actually turn the crunch into a sit-up. If you don’t hook your heels, you won’t be able to crunch high enough to properly engage your lower abs. By going all the way up however, that’s how you are really going to target the lower abdominals and hopefully get them to grow.

Proper Form

After setting yourself up correctly with your heels hooking the bench, crunch all the way up and try to touch your knees with your chest. Squeeze your abs as hard as you can for 1 second and at this point it’s normal if your abs start cramping up.

Slowly control the negative until your upper back touches the floor and be sure to go into a full lower back extension. Remember that when you train your abs, you need to fully stretch them by fully extending your lower back. That’s the only way to ensure they are going to grow.

So, guys, if you feel like your normal crunches are not really doing the trick for you, in terms of building and shaping your abs, try out this quick tip which can be done at the gym or at home. Just grab a chair or something similar, put your legs over the top and really focus on engaging that lower portion of your abs!

I hope this quick article was informative and if you are looking for an amazing abdominal routine you can follow, I’m going to link a few in the “Related Videos” section below! And as always…more good stuff coming soon!