15 Six Pack Building Lower Abs Workouts for Women and Men

These 15 lower abs workouts for women and men are designed to offer a wide variety of workouts that will attack and strengthen your core in many different ways.

Understanding The Core Muscles

The rectus abdominis is positioned between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis, and consists of 8 distinct muscles that combine to form the six pack.

The six pack is only visible when body fat percentage is low enough. Never make the mistake of thinking that a visible six pack is the only indication of a strong core, because it isn’t.

Rectus Abdominis

The rectus abdominis help to maintain good posture, and they are primarily responsible for flexing the lumber spine (the movement of a sit-up or a crunch).

External Obliques

Your external obliques sit on either side of your rectus abdominis. They are actually the largest of the abdominal muscles. This muscle enables the trunk of your body to twist.

Internal Obliques

The internal obliques are located directly below the rectus abdominis, and are located just inside your hip bones. They are also responsible for twisting and turning the body.

Transverse Abdominis

The transverse abdominis is the deepest of your core and abs muscles, situated underneath your rectus abdominis and obliques. It is incredibly important for maintaining a functionally strong core and for stabilising internal abdominal pressure.

Notes on the Lower Abs Workouts for Women and Men

Where there is a weight prescribed, you will find the male weight first followed by the female. For example:

• 15 Dumbbell Sit-Ups (50/35 lb)

Here the 50 lb is the RX weight for men, and the 35 lb weight is RX for women. Feel free to adapt this as you see fit, either scaling up or down to suit your personal fitness level. These are meant simply as a guide.

Lower Abs Workouts for Women and Men

15. HOME CORE WORKOUT

3 Rounds for Time

• 15 Dumbbell Sit-Ups (50/35 lb)
• 20 Dumbbell Russian Twists (50/35 lb)
• 10 Right Side Plank with Hip Raises
• 10 Left Side Plank with Hip Raises
• 10 V-Ups

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written for 3 rounds.

Score is the time on the clock when the last round of V-Ups is completed.

Scaling

3 Rounds for Time

• 15 Sit-Ups
• 20 Russian Twists
• 10 Right Side Plank with Hip Raises
• 10 Left Side Plank with Hip Raises
• 10 V Crunches

14. SAAPM 2020

This is a great bodyweight workout that will target and strengthen the lower abs.

For Time

3 Rounds of:

• 12 Squat Jumps
• 12 Hand Release Push-Ups
• 12 Wide-Arm Push-Ups
• 20 Straight Leg Raises

Directly into, 3 Rounds of:

• 10 Tuck Jumps
• 20 Shoulder Tap Push-Ups
• 20 Alternating Airborne Lunges
• 10 V-Ups

Finally, 3 Rounds of:

• 60 second Plank
• 25 Half-Jacks
• 20 4-Count Mountain Climbers
• 15 Air Squats

The sequence of the workout is three rounds of each circuit before moving on to the next. You can move from one circuit to the next without pausing. Take breaks as needed.

Score is the total time to complete all 9 rounds.

Movement Standards

Airborne Lunge: Perform a reverse Lunge with the shin of the trailing leg parallel to the ground. As you dip for the Lunge, only allow the knee to touch the floor. The foot stays off the ground. Alternate the legs to each repetition.

Half Jack: Perform a standard Jumping Jack with the arms staying on your side at all times.

Intended Stimulus

This workout is an all-out effort. The first two circuits should feel relatively easy, with controlled, rhythmic breathing. The third circuit should feel like running up a steep hill. Your heart rate will be high and it should feel much more challenging to maintain your pace.

Scaling

Advanced athletes should wear a weight vest of their choice. For all athletes, the key to achieving the intended stimulus is choosing a weight or modification that allows you to work continuously.

13. LIVING ROOM MASH

For Time

• 1,000 Sit-Ups

Every 50 repetitions completed, perform:

• 5 Burpees
• 10 Push-Ups
• 15 Air Squats

With a running clock, as fast as possible complete the 1,000 Sit-Ups. Every 50 Sit-Ups completed, athlete must perform 5 Burpees, 10 Push-Ups, and 15 Air Squats.

Score is the time on the clock when the 1000th Sit-Up is completed.

Scaling

To scale the workout, reduce the total number of sit ups that need to be completed. For example, you could change it to 500, or even 100. This obviously also decreases the total number of rounds that you will complete involving the burpees, push-ups and air squats as well.

12. DURANTE CORE 1

5 Rounds

• 10 Hollow Rocks
• 10 V-Ups
• 10 Tuck Ups
• 10 second Hollow Hold
• 1-minute Rest

Rest one minute after each round. The score will be total time it takes to complete all 5 rounds including each rest period.

11. DURANTE CORE 2

• 5 Rounds
• 10 Arch Rocks
• 10 Arch Ups
• 10 second Arch Hold
• 1-minute Rest

Rest 1 minute between each round. Repeat 5 times. The score will be total time it takes to complete all 5 rounds including each rest period.

Scaling the Durante Lower Abs Workouts for Women and Men

This workout can be used for accessory work or as a core finisher after a WOD. In the comments on his demo video, Dave Durante stated: “begin with 10 repetitions [or seconds, each]” and build up over time (“building up to 60 reps or 60 sec respectively”).

The goal should be to increase the total repetitions (or seconds for the holds) of each movement while retaining the ability to perform the entire series unbroken.

10. LOWER ABS PARTNER WORKOUT – SUFFER IN PLACE

AMRAP (with a Partner) in 18 minutes

6 Rounds of:

• 1-minute Plank Hold / Push-Ups
• 1-minute Wall Sit Hold / Jumping Squats
• 1-minute Handstand Hold / Hollow Rocks

One partner does the hold while the other does the movement. Swap after each completed 3-minute round.

Partner one stays on the hold station for each of the three one-minute stations in the three-minute round. Once the three-minute round is completed partner one and partner two switch places so partner two is doing the holds for each one-minute station.

Score is the total number of repetitions (Push-Ups, Jumping Squats, and Hollow Rocks) completed with partners’ scores combined.

Tips and Strategy

Try to recover your breathing and slow your heart rate down as much as possible when completing the static holds. Keep an eye on funky foot positioning when doing high rep jumping squats, they can have a mind of their own!

Intended Stimulus

You want to keep moving for the minute so choose a movement or progression of the movement that allows you to keep it going. The partner working on static holds should be able to breathe through those holds and have some chance to recover a bit during those three minutes.

Scaling

Move Push-Ups to a raised surface or sub for Push-Up negatives if you cannot do Push-Ups. Try 30 seconds per leg of single leg Wall Sits if Wall Sit feels too easy. Work on nose and toes only against the wall on the stomach to wall handstand for extra challenge. Hold a weight over your head (heavy book or odd object) to give you that extra burn on hollow rocks.

Knees to Elbow Workouts.

9. FOUR TABATA LOWER ABS WORKOUT

Four Tabatas in 19 minutes

• Tabata Russian Twists

Rest 1 minute

• Tabata Reverse Lunges

Rest 1 minute

• Tabata V-Ups

Rest 1 minute

• Tabata Overhead Squats

On a 19-minute clock, perform the prescribed work in the order written.

Tabata is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 8 intervals. You can add extra weight for the Russian Twists and Overhead Squats, e.g. water bottle, dumbbell, kettlebell, etc. Rest 1 minute after each Tabata.

Score is the total number of repetitions completed for each movement.

Scaling

Swap V-Ups for sit ups.

Pick a lighter object for the overhead squats or perform air squats.

8. CLARA

For Time

• 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
• Strict Pull-Ups
• GHD Sit-Ups
• Thrusters (95/65 lb)

Perform 10 reps of each movement, then 9, then 8… until you’ve completed all rounds.

Scaling

For Time

• 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
• Kipping (and/or banded) Pull-Ups
• Sit-Ups
• Thrusters (65/45 lb)

7. BURN BABY BURN

2 Rounds for Time

• 21 Russian Twists
• 15 Reverse Lunges
• 9 Squats to Sit
• 15 Russian Twists
• 12 Reverse Lunges
• 9 Squats to Sit
• 12 Russian Twists
• 9 Reverse Lunges
• 6 Squats to Sit
• 2 minutes Rest after Round 1

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written for two rounds. Athlete must perform 21 Russian Twists, 15 Reverse Lunges, and 9 Squats to Sit before moving on to 15, 12, 9 reps, and 12-9-6 reps respectively. Rest 2 minutes after completing the first round.

If you have a weighted object, use it for Russian Twists and Reverse Lunges.

For the Squats to Sit, squat down to a chair, medicine ball or a footstool. Aim is to control down then disengage at the bottom for a brief second, reengage and come back up for 1 rep.

Score is the time on the clock when the last set of Squats to Sit is completed.

Intended Stimulus

Larger numbers are aimed to give your lower abs/core a good blast. Reverse Lunges are designed to work on your balance along while stimulating legs. Squats to Sit encourages you to have a better connection with your hips, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.

The rep scheme encourages you to keep a good speed and pacing. The 2-minute rest is to encourage you to push in the 2nd round, overall holding your original score.

Scaling

Swap the Squats to Sit with air squats or sit ups.

Take a longer rest between round 1 and 2.

Try the Sled Push.

6. CAJUN

4 Rounds for Time

• 400 metre Run
• 16 Bench Presses (135/95 lb)
• 16 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb)
• 16 Shoulder-to-Overheads (95/65 lb)
• 16 GHD Sit-Ups

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written for 4 rounds.

Score is the time on the clock when the last round of GHD Sit-Ups is completed.

Good Score for “Cajun”

Beginner: >30 minutes

Intermediate: 25-30 minutes

Advanced: <25 minutes

Scaling

4 Rounds for Time

• 400 metre Run
• 16 Hand Release Push-Ups
• 16 Thrusters (20 lb)
• 16 Shoulder-to-Overheads (20 lb)
• 16 V-Ups

5. DECK OF FITNESS

AMRAP in 20 minutes

Pull a random card and perform the number of reps of the corresponding movement for that card.

1. Hearts = Push-Ups
2. Spades = Russian Twists
3. Diamonds = Sit-Ups
4. Clubs = Air Squats
5. Jokers = 15 Burpees

Where:

• Aces = 1 rep
• Jack = 11
• Queen = 12
• King = 13 reps

Start a 20-minute clock and immediately pull a random card from the deck. Perform the number of reps of the corresponding movement for that card. For example, if you draw 7 of Spades, perform 7 Russian Twists. Draw another card and perform the corresponding movements as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

Score is the total number of repetitions completed before the 20-minute clock expires.

Scaling

Half the number of reps when you draw a card from the pack. Always round up.

4. GUT BUSTER

WOD from CrossFit Mayhem

For Time

• 150 Sit-Ups
• 1000-metre Row
• 150 Sit-Ups

Score is how long it took to complete the workload.

Scaling

No scaling necessary.

Learn to Push Press.

3. STIMULUS TRAVEL WOD 18

For Max Effort

• 15 second Plank
• 15 second Rest
• 30 second Plank
• 30 second Rest
• 45 second Plank
• 45 second Rest
• 1-minute Plank
• 1-minute Rest
• Max Effort Plank
• 1-minute Rest
• Max Effort Plank

With a running clock, start the workout with 15 second Plank Hold. Rest 15 seconds. Second round is 30 second Plank Hold and 30 second Rest. For the third round, athlete must do Plank Hold for 45 seconds and rest 45 seconds.

Fourth round is 1-minute Plank Hold and rest 1 minute. For the fifth round, athlete must do Plank Hold for as long as you can and rest 1 minute. Finally, on the last round, athlete must do Plank Hold for as long as you can.

Score is the longest time for max effort Plank Hold.

Scaling

No scaling option necessary.

2. LOWER ABS KILLER WORKOUT

21-15-9 Reps for time

• Sit ups
• Reverse Crunches
• Leg Raises
• Russian Twists

Your score is the time it took to complete all three rounds.

Scaling

Swap the reverse crunches for flutter kicks.

1. THE FINISHER

For Time

• 2,000 metre Row
• Every 2 minutes, perform:
• 15 Sit-Ups

With a running clock, as fast as possible complete the 2,000 metre Row. Every 2 minutes, get off from the rower to perform 15 Sit-Ups.

Score is the time on the clock when the 2,000 metre Row is completed.

Scaling

No scaling necessary.

Lower Abs Workouts for Women and Men – Conclusion

A strong core will serve you well throughout your entire life and time should be dedicated to this aspect of your fitness. Many outdoor fitness activities such as climbing and kayaking are also excellent ways to build a solid midline.

Combine the exercises above with the sports and types of movements that you enjoy and you will create a solid core that will help to strengthen your spine and posture and protect you from back pain and injury throughout your life.

Learn More

If you enjoyed these lower abs workouts for women and men then check out these Dead Hang Workouts.