Lower ab exercises work the rectus abdominis muscle through spinal flexion of the lower body. Spinal flexion is the body action when the front of the pelvis and the bottom of the rib cage move toward each other through contracting the rectus abdominis abdominal muscle. The rectus abdominis is the long, vertical muscle that makes up much of the abs. Lower ab exercises that fail to effectively recruit muscle activity while flexing the lower part of the spine are not worth your time.
Roman Chair Situps
The Roman chair situp is an ineffective abdominal exercise. Roman chair situps work the hip flexors more than the abs. You do Roman chair situps on a Roman chair machine. You sit on the machine with your thighs parallel to the floor and then lean backward until your torso is lower than parallel to the floor. You might think that flexing from the point below the belly button to bring the body upward into a situp would work the lower abs, but most of the work is in the hip flexors.
Straight Leg Double Leg Raises
Straight leg double leg raises are a well-known lower ab exercise. To perform a straight leg double leg raise, lie on your back with the legs straight and then lift them toward the ceiling. The lower abs should contract to stabilize the lumbar spine and possibly lift the pelvis. Unfortunately, the muscle that does the work is the psoas, a hip muscle, not a lower ab muscle. Also, since the psoas connects to the thighbone and the lumbar spine, doing the straight leg double leg raise puts stress on your lower back. A lower back injury also limits your ability to work your abs.
Ab Wheel Rollouts
The Ab Wheel is another piece of workout equipment that supposedly strengthens the lower abs. It works by holding the handles onto the sides and rolling your body forward and then backward, using the lower abs to stabilize the spine and flex the lower spine when you roll the wheel toward you. Very little movement actually occurs in the abs when using this tool. Also, unless your entire core is already strong, you most likely will experience back pain.
Ab Rocker
A study published in "ACE Fitness Matters" in 2001 stated that using an Ab Rocker machine is 80 percent less effective for both the upper and lower abs than regular floor crunches. Peter Francis, Ph.D., led the study at San Diego State University. Using this machine is unlikely to recruit enough muscle activity in your lower abs for you to see any results. The Ab Roller, a similar machine to the Ab Rocker, scored better. This machine works the abs 5 percent more than traditional crunches, so if you want to use a machine with a back support and work your abs, try the Ab Roller instead.
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