If you had to name the two most forgotten muscles in most men's training regimen, lower abdominals & obliques will be somewhere on the list.
Most guys (and gals) treat these 2 muscle groups like their mother-in-law coming into town; they avoid them at all cost!
But it doesn't have to be that way. Making a concerted effort towards building your lower abs and obliques will put you ahead in the "I want a six-pack" pack.
What I mean is by building these 2 muscle groups, your six-pack will be more defined. Nonetheless, these two muscle groups are more than cosmetic, beach muscles.
They play an important role in maintaining balance within your physique. Here is why it is important to efficiently build each muscle group (along with exercises to work them).
If you've seen any of those Rocky movies, you know what this exercise is. While you may not have a boxing match to get ready for, these will prepare your obliques like that's the case!
This exercise is perfect, especially if you've been nodding off lately while doing regular side planks.
Stagger your feet so that the top foot is in front of your bottom foot.
Repeat for predetermined amount of reps.
In actuality, the lower abs is a part of the entire rectus abdominal muscle (i.e. six-pack). Nonetheless, there are exercises that specifically target the lower abs. Like obliques, the lower abs just needs 3-4 sets of 8-20 reps. These 2 exercises that will help build efficient lower abs.
While most think of this as a cardio exercise, it's also an effective lower-ab builder.
Doing crunches in reverse is a great way to target your lower ab muscles.
In conclusion, that is why it is important to build obliques and lower ab muscles. So start incorporating these exercises into your workout regimen if you desire to be ahead of the pack….six-pack that is!