Many people do not stop to think about their abdominal muscles and their composition. It’s much more common to think of them in terms of how we want to look, hence the ever-popular term “six pack.” The reality is that this thinking and lack of understanding about abdominal structure actually leads to a myth, that having a “six pack” means you have strong abs.
The abdominal muscles are no different than any other muscle in your body, they need to be worked and targeted in order to strengthen them effectively. It is very important to pay attention to the multiplicity of muscle groups. The abdominals are made up of 4 muscles, the rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique and transverse abdominis, listed from superficial to deep. The irony of the proverbial “six pack” is that it is the development of the rectus abdominis, the most superficial, and I would argue most unimportant, of the abdominal muscle groups.
The action of the rectus abdominis is the flexion of the spine, also known as the ever-popular abdominal crunch. To really build a strong abdominal core, it’s very important to target the other three muscles that make up your abs. These muscles are responsible for rotation, stabilization of the spine, good posture, and breath control.
So as you’re working towards your fitness goals, I encourage you to target more than the superficial abdominal muscles. I’m not blaming you if you still want the “six pack”. You can have that too, but it will be worth a lot with the intense support needed from the other three abdominal players. Strengthening the deep muscles will have an impact on your athletic performance and daily quality of life.
If you’re looking for ways to learn exercises to tone these other muscles, consider Pilates or working with an athletic trainer who has specific training for targeting the core.
Source by Violet Alexandre
