Abdominal Work
Here are some great moves to strengthen your abdominal muscles (your CORE). The most important abdominal muscles are the ones on the sides, the obliques. They provide you with trunk support and support your back.
Strong abdominal muscles help with doing almost everything. Try these moves to improve your core strength.
Strong abdominal muscles help with doing almost everything. Try these moves to improve your core strength.
ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, nicknamed "Abs":
- Obliques: These are 2 sets of muscles on either side of the body (internal and external obliques) that provide the trunk with support. Lack of muscle tone in the obliques is part of what makes for "love handles" or"muffin tops". Strengthening the obliques gives you trunk support allowing you to twist without necessarily hurting your back. Caveat: Twist and lift is still not a good idea, even with strong obliques! Don’t do it!
- Rectus Abdominus: The outer layer of muscles that get strengthened when doing sit-ups. These are the 6-pack abs muscles. We work the lower and upper independently.
- Transverse Abdominus: The layer underneath the rectus abdominus. This is nature’s girdle; strengthening this muscle will shrink the waistline and make you look leaner even without weight loss. This is also the set of muscles which supports the low back.
