The Abdominal Muscles
The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.
Incorporate exercises to train your core muscle group, rather than standard crunches that target separate muscles.
The abdominal muscles
Core muscles
Think of your core as a strong column that links the upper body and lower body together. Having a solid core creates a foundation for all activities.
All our movements are powered by the torso – the abdominals and back work together to support the spine when we sit, stand, bend over, pick things up, exercise, and more.
Your core muscles are the muscles deep within the abdominals and back, attaching to the spine or pelvis. Some of these muscles include the transversus abdominis, the muscles of the pelvic floor, and the oblique muscles.
The four main abdominal muscle groups that combine to completely cover the internal organs include:
- rectus abdominis – slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. When contracting, this muscle has the characteristic bumps or bulges that are commonly called ‘the six-pack’. The main function of the rectus abdominis is to move the body between the ribcage and the pelvis
- transversus abdominis – the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilize the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure
- external oblique muscles – these are on each side of the rectus abdominis. The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist, but to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. For example, the right external oblique contracts to turn the body to the left
- internal oblique muscles – these flank the rectus abdominis and are located just inside the hipbones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left side internal oblique and the right side external oblique to contract together.
You can strain your abdominal muscles from overstretching or overuse. Prevention strategies include regular stretching, warming up prior to exercise and cooling down afterward, and keeping good form while playing sport.
