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Key Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:09 Setup & Instructions
0:17 Demo Stage 1 (Simultaneous Concentric Contractions)
0:24 Demo Stage 2 (Isometric Ab Crunch + Concentric Steppers)
0:34 Demo Stage 3 (Isometric Ab Crunch + Alternating Isometric Steppers)
0:48 Demo Stage 4 (Eccentric & Concentric Ab Crunches + Alternating Steppers)
1:09 Anatomy Overview
1:14 Hip Flexor Anatomy: Iliacus
1:26 Hip Flexor Anatomy: Psoas Major
1:43 Hip Flexor Anatomy: Pectineus
1:54 Hip Flexor Anatomy: Sartorius
2:10 Hip Flexor Anatomy: Rectus Femoris
2:38 Rectus Abdominis: Intro to Lower Ab vs Upper Ab Exercise Science

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Here’s a fourstage progression I put together to nail two of the HARDEST parts of the body to develop your lower abs and hip flexors.

Each stage of this exercise will be done with resistance attached to your feet either cables or resistance bands will work well, as long as you have each leg weighted separately.

In Stage 1, you’ll perform a classic crunch movement, using concentric contractions with both your abs and hip flexors.

In Stage 2, you’ll use an isometric contraction with your abs to hold your upper body still, while performing alternating stepper contractions with your hip flexors and lower abs.

In Stage 3, you’ll perform the same movement, but start integrating isometric contractions with your hip flexors and lower abs as well. Holding that contraction on one side while the other performs the stepper motion, and then switching.

Then for Stage 4, you’ll stop the isometric contractions with your legs and just alternate between resting and stepping, while you start incorporating eccentric and concentric contractions with your abs by slowly lowering your upper body and then bringing it back up

I’ll just touch briefly on the anatomy behind this exercise, starting with the hip flexors. There are 5 primary muscles that are commonly referred to as the hip flexors, because among other things, they all flex the leg at the hip.

There’s the Iliacus, which originates along the iliac crest along the back of the pelvis, and then inserts on the top of the femur on a knob called the lesser trochanter, so when it contracts it pulls that leg up.

Next is the psoas major, which originates all the way up on the T12 L5 vertebrae, and travel down to insert on that lesser trochanter of the femur the same place as the iliacus, so it also pulls up on leg, as well as pulling down on the trunk.

Then there’s the pectineus, which originates on the front of the pelvis, and then inserts further down on the femur, and because of it’s positioning it pulls in as well as up on the thigh.

There’s the sartorius, which originates on the anterior superior iliac spine, right where your hip bone juts out, and then wraps around the leg to insert all the way down on the tibia, so it has several other roles in addition to hip flexion, which we won’t get into in this video

Finally, there’s the rectus femoris one of the quads. You probably knew the rectus femoris extends the knee, yet unlike the other quad muscles it doesn’t originate on the femur, instead it originates up on the inferior iliac spine, so because it crosses the hip joint it also flexes the leg at the hip, and that’s really important to understand if you want to work your quads effectively.

Since there is weighted resistance against upward flexion of the pelvic girdle, this exercise also targets the lower section of rectus abdominis aka the lower abs.

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Credits & Disclaimers:
Anatomy animations are provided by Complete Anatomy by 3D4Medical