subject: Get to know your abdominal muscles [print this page] Get to know your abdominal muscles Get to know your abdominal muscles
The core abs muscles of the mid-section do much to stabilize and support the torso so it's well worth spending time to train this area properly. The main muscles of the mid-section are as follows:
1. Rectus abdominis - this is a large flat muscle wall that covers most of the front mid-section from the lower chest to the pubic bone. Above the navel it consists of three pairs of rectangular sections stacked on top of each other and is better known as the six pack.
2. Obliquus abdominis - this muscle runs diagonally along the side of the mid-section from the lower ribcage to the pubic area. There are two muscles on each side, with internal obliques lying underneath the external obliques. The obliques help your torso to flex to the side, twist at the waist and help in bending the torso forwards.
3. Transversus abdominis - this is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and consists of a thin strip that runs horizontally across the abdomen. This muscle helps keep the internal organs in place, forces out the breath and stabilizes the spine.
4. Erector spinae - this large muscle group runs along the side of the lower spine. Consisting of a pair, the erector spinae keeps the spine erect and helps twisting at the waist.
Now, while there is nothing innately wrong with abdominal equipment likethe contour abs ab belt, it does bring with it a whole host of potential problems. One of the most prominent is that people simply do not use the equipment correctly. Another is that they erroneously believe that somehow the machine will do half the job for them!
A third problem is that to some extent abdominal cradles, and the assortment of similar cradle designs, are essentially lifting your head for you thus eliminating the need for that much effort.
There is a way to work the abdominal region however that requires little movement, but that is highly effective, as the emphasis is purely on you to put in the effort without a machine in sight!
This method involves the use of deep focused breathing whilst squeezing (with varying degrees of intensity) your abdominal muscle. To some it seems too simple and yet, performed daily and with gusto, it is a wonderfully natural and invigorating exercise that promotes tighter abdominals and, as an added bonus, aids in strengthening the internal organs.
Try the basic exercise below each day for the next week and feel the benefits.
