Possible to have weak lower abs... strong upper abs?

[ark94]

So this has been confusing the shit out of me. It has been affecting my training a lot, and i never really trained my lower abs themselves, just upper. I would do bb situps with 85lb on a decline bench, and some crunches. Is it possible to have strong upper abs, but weak as hell lower abs? I thought abs would train together as one, and never focused on lower abs but today i realized i should have been targeting my lower abs also.

But then today i decided i would try some different ab exercises. I went to the decline bench, did my bb situps and then went to lay on it, and do leg raises. Honest to god, i could hardly get my legs up, i got 4 reps, but my legs were not all the way up to what they should have been. Then when i try hanging leg raises i just can't do them, i can do knee raises though (i know im a pussy).

What can i do on ab days to also target the lower abs that are really good for them?

Is it normal to have one section in the abdominal muscles stronger than the other? Or should they be well proportioned and equally strong?

 

[JDid23]

as far as i'm concerned, no. However, genetics play a role in determining how visible your abs are at a given BF%, so that might have to do with it. It's a myth that you can isolate your abs and train them "upper and lower". Also, try leg raises BEFORE your decline situps. I used to superset them and it's always harder to do leg raises after them.

Try renegade rows. Even though i haven't done them recently, i really love them and i think they're a legitimate core strengthening exercise along with planks.

 

[SouthernLord]

Start doing hanging (hang with your hands, not those gay slings) and do leg raises. Bent knee > straight leg > knees to elbows > full pikes. That would be the progression over time. You will progress with these quickly. Contract your lats and lean back slightly before raising your legs.

Hanging from the bar will also increase your grip and upper back strength.

 

[ark94]

Hey J, i am going to try leg raises before situps, and renegade rows on fridays workout. I am not worried right now about my abs showing, i just have weak lower abs and it pisses me off.

Southern, i had always done them hanging, never with a sling thingy. It kills to hang like that, but it helped i don't know why i stopped doing those though. I will start them also on friday, i was able to do knee raises hanging, so i will add them again.

Wondering you said that i should lean back slightly while hanging? So do i want to be in say a partial chinup state? Like say halfway into the chinup, then do the leg raises?

 

[bblazer]

There is more than one ab?

I only have one.

B-

 

[SouthernLord]

I only have one too. It's rather large and smooth


haha

 

[SouthernLord]

Cool video alert

 

[the_alcatraz]

The way it has been explained to me as a kid is anything with your legs on the ground is upper abs, exercises with your legs off the ground is lower abs

 

[ExtraMile]

as far as i'm concerned, no. However, genetics play a role in determining how visible your abs are at a given BF%, so that might have to do with it. It's a myth that you can isolate your abs and train them "upper and lower". Also, try leg raises BEFORE your decline situps. I used to superset them and it's always harder to do leg raises after them.

Try renegade rows. Even though i haven't done them recently, i really love them and i think they're a legitimate core strengthening exercise along with planks.

i did deads and hanging leg raises yesterday and today my lower abs are sore as fuck yet my upper abs are fine...

 

[JDid23]

i did deads and hanging leg raises yesterday and today my lower abs are sore as fuck yet my upper abs are fine...

so you're saying you can isolate different parts of your abs? As bblazer said, there is only 1 abdominal.

Maybe I'm wrong- if i am please correct me.

 

[ExtraMile]

so you're saying you can isolate different parts of your abs? As bblazer said, there is only 1 abdominal.

Maybe I'm wrong- if i am please correct me.

Yeah your right, you cant isolate one part but the idea is you can put more emphasis on one part than the other.

Its debateable though, its the same as being able to work upper, middle and lower chest. I have always said that as there are no heads to the muscle you cant work one more than the other, but there have been times where for example Iv done alot of dips and the next day the lower part of my chest has been the only sore part. Or after leg raises my lower abs being sore not my upper etc

So to be honest I dont know if you can put emphasis on one part or not...

 

[Tblock1]

Yeah your right, you cant isolate one part but the idea is you can put more emphasis on one part than the other.

Its debateable though, its the same as being able to work upper, middle and lower chest. I have always said that as there are no heads to the muscle you cant work one more than the other, but there have been times where for example Iv done alot of dips and the next day the lower part of my chest has been the only sore part. Or after leg raises my lower abs being sore not my upper etc

So to be honest I dont know if you can put emphasis on one part or not...

I think you definitely can. The reason you can bench so much more with a proper arch is it decreases your rom, but it also places more emphasis on the lower pecs which are much stronger.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

I think it doesnt matter whats right or wrong. I think people should just train and do abs and if youre really worried about the lower part then lose some bodyfat. Ive never seen a ripped guy with NO lower abs because he didnt ever "isolate" them, everyone has them. I think as with everything you should do different stuff like leg raises, crunches, weighted crunches, planks, planks with weight, stability ball crunches, etc

 

[mm107]

of course u can have weaker lower abs and stronger upper abs...

I actually split my ab workout to train both...

i do chain leg raises to work lower abs as well as hanging leg rasies and a bunch of other things.

 

[Andalite]

You guys should check out The Diesel Crew. A lot of excellent core strengthening exercises. I bought their book and it's basically from where I get most of my core training ideas.

 

[rahl]

Cool video alert

Shit that's awesome. I've got to try some of that.

 

[Tblock1]

Shit that's awesome. I've got to try some of that.

Fuck those are sick! I just need to find a pullup bar that is high enough, just to do regular pullups I have to bend my legs up and shit

 

[AFeedz]

I don't think anybody really thinks we have two different set of abdominals, but many ab exercises don't work out the whole muscle evenly. I definitely don't feel strain in the same place when I do crunches as opposed to leg raises, though I know it's all one muscle.