There is a big difference between those who want sexy v shaped abs, and those who actually have them. Of course your workout and amount of time you spend in the gym matters.  It’s the other 22 and a half hours of the day that decide if we have adonis abs or not.  The best way to train lower abs varies based on your current level of fitness and ability.  The Barbell Rollout Exercise is one of our favorites.  Here’s how to do it:

Best Way To Train Lower Abs

The abdominal muscles work together as a single muscle.  This means that when you work one you work them all.  Focusing on upper abs, lower abs or obliques isn’t a bad idea however, because you CAN focus you efforts on one more than others.  The best thing about most abs exercises is that you almost need no equipment.  If you plan on adding weights or resistance to the exercise, a pair of good workout gloves might come in handy.  For this exercise all you need is some space in the gym and a standard biceps barbell.  The weight lifting plates on the barbell don’t serve a purpose other than to act as wheels to complete the exercise.

Barbell Rollout Exercise To Train Lower Abs

So all you will need as far as equipment is a barbell. Ideally you need the weight lifting plates to be round (versus hexagonal) because they need to roll.  Do not under estimate the power of the mind body connection when training abs.  You need to focus on the muscle or muscle group you intend to work. Don’t just go through the motions. Think about what muscle you’re training.

Being the Barbell Rollout exercise by placing it in front of you on the floor or gym mat.  Again, it doesn’t matter how much weight is on the bar because you won’t be lifting it.

Start by kneeling in front of the bar and grasping it  with each hand about shoulder width apart.  This is where the workout gloves come in handy.  You want to use something like GymPaws leather grips because they allow for natural hand rotation.  Workout gripads that are rubbery and stick to the bar do not help you with ANY exercise as you risk wrist injury.  All you need to do is reduce the friction of the metal against the skin of your palms.

Your first set starts as you tighten the abs.  Imagine a string pulling your belly button back to the wall behind you.  Keep your spine and back straight just as you would if performing an abs plank.

As you roll the barbell forward, maintain a slow controlled movement.  On your return motion, focus on crunching those lower abs in.  One of the most common mistakes when training the lower abs is using other muscle groups to complete the range of motion.  Your arms should not be pulling the weight back towards starting position.  They act only as a mechanism to roll the weight back towards your body.

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