Do Glute Exercises Firm The Lower Abs?

Because of the limits of your energy reserves, cortisol levels, and even just your busy schedule, you want to utilize your time in the gym as efficiently as possible. Any exercise you can perform that works multiple muscle groups will get you out of the gym faster. It may seem like the glutes and abdominal muscles work separately, as they flex the body in opposite directions, but a number of glute exercises also work the lower abs.

How Glutes and Abs Work Together

The rectus abdominis, the wall of muscle that includes the lower abs, curls the torso forward. The glutes, on the other hand, straighten the body at the hips. In exercises utilizing this movement, such as the deadlift, intuitively it seems that the lower-back muscles are the only muscles preventing the lower back from rounding. But "Strength Training Anatomy" explains that any heavy exercise utilizing the lower back causes the abdominal muscles to "block." This means that the entire girdle of muscle surrounding your core contracts strongly, creating intra-abdominal pressure, which prevents the spine from collapsing forward. In fact, a study by Dr. J.L. Nuzzo published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" found that the deadlift and squat, exercises which are cornerstones of glute-building, stimulated the abdominal muscles as much as focused ab exercises.

Glute Exercises that Work the Lower Abs

So heavy glute exercises that depend on the lower back will also work the lower abdominal muscles. This includes the squat, the king of exercises, and the deadlift, the best glute-building exercise of all. Exercises utilizing less weight, such as the stiff-legged deadlift, the glute ham raise, and good mornings will also work your lower abs, but not to as great an extent.

Glute Exercises that Don't Work the Lower Abs

However, there are a number of classic glute exercises that don't work your lower abs. The lunge is one of the most popular glute exercises, but because the torso is kept upright, the abs aren't activated. The same is true of step-ups. Despite the fact that the leg press is the heaviest of all glute exercises, because the lower back remains stationary against the seat, the same level of abdominal blocking isn't stimulated. The same is true of the one-legged leg press, also known as the Butt Blaster.

Aerobic Exercises for Glutes and Abs

When you think of muscle-building, you think weights, reps and sets. But running, which on a level surface utilizes primarily the glutes, quadriceps and calves, has also been found to be excellent for developing the abs, according to a study by Dr. D.G. Behm published in the December 2009 issue of "Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism." Because the leg is lifted to the torso, it especially stimulates the lower abdominal muscles.