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This article lists three lower abs workouts that start out easy and get more difficult. Even though hanging leg raises are the lower ab workouts that are the most effective, you should not start by doing these until after you are more prepared. As you master the first in the series of workouts, you can move from that to the next one and so forth.

Workout 1 – Lying Leg Raises With Bent Legs

This is a great exercise to get started with if you are just beginning your abs routine. You need to perform five sets of lying leg raises as you lay on the floor. You should focus on keeping your legs at a 90 degree angle. What this does is shorten the range of the movement. You will find this exercise is much simpler than attempting the same exercise with a straight leg. Start by performing 5 sets comprised of 10 reps each. Work up to doing 20 reps with 5 sets each by adding another rep on each week, you should start off by doing these exercise twice a week. Keep the rest in between sets to 30-60 seconds. If you rest much longer than that it makes the exercise too easy.

Second Set of Exercise – Straight Leg Leg Raise and Planks

Start doing this workout once you are easily able to do 5 sets of 20 reps with bent legs. You will adhere to the same routine as with the first exercise. On week one begin with 10 reps and slowly work up to 5 sets of 20 reps. Follow this up with 2 sets of planks. Stay in the plank position for 2 minutes, take a 60-second break, and do it again.

Exercise 3 – Use a Chin Up Bar to Perform Hanging Leg Raises, Then Perform Planks

Do not jump right into this one, you should be very comfortable doing the second set of exercises before trying this. You should continue the routine for progression as outlined with the first two exercises. Take your time to work up to 5 sets of 20 reps. You might need 6 or more months to get here. Follow up with 2-3 sets of planks, held for 2 minutes. You may want to master doing these with bent legs first for a few months, before you do them with your legs straight.

Don’t Underestimate the Effectiveness of Hanging Leg Raises

This exercises is the creme de la creme of ab workouts. These are going to target your lower abs, but they are also going to define your entire torso. Nothing comes close to the effectiveness of hanging leg raises. Paul Wade the author of “Convict Conditioning,” writes that hanging leg raises done in 5 sets of 15 – 20 reps will sculpt abs like nothing else and that this is the only exercise you need. The plank move is a bonus to get the abs just a little more defined.