10 Secrets of Lower Abdominal Exercise
Routines !

The right start is critical to get the best out of a lower abdominal exercise routine. In order to get those firm, flat and toned abdominals, you need to work smarter than anyone else.

Here's how you go about it.

1. A lower abdominal exercise routine may cause some strain to the lower back, particularly if you don't know how to do the exercises.

To avoid any setbacks after you begin, do something important before you start. Get a complete medical examination (trust me folks, it's very important!) before beginning a fitness program. This is especially important if you're over 35, have been sedentary for a long time, have high blood pressure and/or cholesterol, are a smoker, have chest pains or shortness of breath or have had a joint or muscle injury.

2. Self evaluate before you begin.

Ask yourself these questions before you begin a lower abdominal exercise routine:

• Do I want to work out alone or with a partner?

• Do I like endurance activities, or activities that require greater mental alertness and quick bursts of energy?

• Do I enjoy competition, or do I want exercise to "relax" me, so to speak?

• Does my previous exercise history lead me to believe that I'm going to like or dislike the activity I'm considering?

Your answers provide valuabe insight into what is likely to work and fail for your unique situation.

3. The best time to burn lower abdominal fat is first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach).

Start your days smart by working out before breakfast. Give yourself a mental boost and a metabolic surge for the day by getting going as soon as you wake up. Research has shown that those who exercise in the morning are most likely to stick with an exercise program. Another interesting fact - if you exercise on an empty stomach, your blood sugar level is pretty low. This means that your muscles have to derive energy by burning fat as a source of energy . Your muscles are less likely to burn fat in the evening, because (since you have eaten something before your workout and your blood sugar level is presumably higher) the muscles burn glucose in the blood as a prefered source of energy.

4. Do not do hundreds and hundreds of sit-ups.

Try to stay within your limits, and only do what can be sustained. Overdoing sit-ups can hurt your lower back. Besides, the best way to get those flat lower abdominal muscles is to be patient for 8-10 weeks, eat a healthy diet, do your cardio and practise a well planned routine of lower abdominal exercise.

5. Set a clear, specific goal. Achieve it.

Everybody wants to "lose weight and get in shape." But everybody means something different when they say that. The important thing here is to be clear on precisely what you want to achieve from your fitness program. Focus on the next 8 - 10 weeks - what would you most like to accomplish? Take it one week at a time, there will be some good and some bad weeks. Work through the ups and downs. A goal that works for most individuals is to lose 2 lbs a week / losing 2 inches from the navel in 4 weeks.

6. This fitness program must fit your life.

Your new lifestyle in not your spouse's, your children's, or your best friend's.

A fitness program that you will be consistent with will be the best program for you.

This is the best way to ensure consistency in the long term. You must enjoy what you are doing.

If you can't get to a gym, get some exercise videos for a good workout. If you are not inclined to exercise at home, join a gym and invest in a membership. You can also try a printable, full colour routine. Register today for a lower abdominal exercise routine.

Sign up for our FREE Fitness Newsletter and get an instant, full colour lower abdominal exercise routine today!

7. Challenge your body every single time! Know how much you should push yourself.

Do not do the same thing over and over, and expect different results. If you're doing the same lower abdominal exercise routine every time, your body will stop responding. This can lead to frustration, and you may eventually quit the routine. Note - While your workouts must be challenging, you must also feel invigorated after the workout. If you're extremely tired, then you have pushed yourself too much. This varies from one individual to the next, and only you can understand your own limits. 20 sit-ups may be a warm up for some individuals, and might be the 'absolute limit' for others.

8. If you want a workout partner, find someone who motivates you, who has a routine already in place and is getting results from it, and will let you tag along.

This will allow you to feed off your workout partner's success. Keep asking around until you can find someone who can train with. Finding a partner is the key to success in a lower abdominal exercise routine. If you cannot find a good 'workout buddy' ,then hire a competent personal trainer.

9. Try and do your lower abdominal exercise last in the routine.

Abdominal exercises are not very tiring, and do not tend to 'slow you down' unlike running on the treadmill or lifting heavy weights. Do the abdominal exercises towards the end of the session. Training the abdominals first has another disadvantages. If your abdominals, obliques and lower back (the 'core') are fatigued, the remaining exercises can be adversly affected. The 'core' muscles are involved in most exercises to a variable extent.

10. No matter what activity you choose, always warm up and cool down.

Warming up promotes blood flow and gets your muscles and joints primed to handle a fat-burning workout. The cool down gets rid of metabolic wastes, like lactic acid (the chemical that is associated with muscle soreness, keeps blood from pooling in specific areas (which could lead to dizziness or fainting)and, along with light stretching, keeps your muscles limber.