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I've been training for about 5 years and have lost over 3 stones.

I'm very pleased with progress but whatever I do I can't seem to shift the last bit of fat from my lower abs.

I train 4 -5 times a week, mixture of circuit training with weights, running, rowing.

I have a high protein diet with virtually no saturated fats, trans fats or alcohol.

I train my abs 3 times a week 3 sets of 5 exercises and I change them regularly.

Has anyone else come across this or have any advice?

well first your abs are one long sheet of muscle there really isnt a "lower" ab part, some people have a hard time getting their body fat low enough to be able to see all the abs, some people no matter what they do they cannot see their abs, my advice cut you body fat down more than it already is, from what ive read/seen its 10% or less all the way down to abou 7-8% for full ab veiw, also you can try increasing the size of your abs, lower reps higher weight ab work

hahaha 3 stones, my grandmother has a scale that reads in Lbs and Stones. How much are stones supposed to be anyway?

avoirdupois weights

16 drams = 1 ounce
16 ounces = 1 pound
7 pounds = 1 clove
14 pounds = 1 stone
28 pounds = 1 tod
112 pounds = 1 hundredweight
364 pounds = 1 sack
2240 pounds = 1 ton
2 stones = 1 quarter
4 quarters = 1 hundredweight
20 hundredweight = 1 ton

John's post is right on if you are a man. From your name and post I can't tell which you are. So if you are a man that is the answer. If you are a woman you just have to get it under 14%, but go no lower then 12%. It is not healthy to go lower. You may get down to 12% and discover you haven't got much definition. Women who have genetics to have more fat in the belly area can't get a 6 pack.

Regardless of sex, that is a little much on the ab work. You can't spot reduce. So work the abs the same as your other muscles.

You can try lowering the carbs a bit. Try eating all your carbs early too and don't eat many at dinner. Like for dinner just have meat and veggies. Drink lots of water too. My consumption has always been high so I have nothing to compare it too, but other bodybuilders I know swear by the high water consumption.

Hey, pudsey, you should also list which exercises you're doing and how many reps and with how much weight. 5 exercises each of 3 sets seems like way too many, and you may not be lifting enough weight in order to build enough muscle. Some people do a lot of exercise without much weight and never build any stomach muscle because of it. I do decline sit ups for 3 sets of 10 or more holding a 50 pound dumbbell. Ab exercises feel weird to me because sometimes the third or forth rep feels like it's going to be my last but I have to keep pushing on. You abdominals are a really strong and resilient muscle so you've really got to beat on it to get it to grow.

Sorry for this rambling. Other than that, 80% of getting your abs to show is losing that weight. 5 years is a long time, but we can't tell if it was quality time unless you tell us everything about yourself. On me, my abs is the last place I can lose fat and I'm trying to get them to show. I can't see them at all but can see the creases between muscles in my quads and shoulders. Just keep it up.