The rectus abdominus is a paired muscle that runs vertically down the abdomen. It's responsible for the appearance of six-pack abs, also known as washboard abs. There are several strength training exercises that strengthen and tone the rectus...
Both men and women are interested in developing six pack abs, and both sexes can create definition in their abdominals with consistent and appropriate training. Muscle building principles are used to increase the size and definition of your...
Developing your abdominal muscles requires consistently performing effective workouts. The effectiveness of an abdominal exercise is dependent upon how well it recruits your stomach muscles. Situps on a decline bench and on an exercise ball target...
Sometimes when people think of the ab muscles, they only consider the top muscle they can see. This muscle, the rectus abdominus, is what you see on a person with six-pack abs. But the obliques on the sides and transverse abdominus under the...
The transversus abdominus muscle is one of your deep core muscles. It helps you keep your torso upright and supports your weight. Developing strength in this muscle with transabdominal exercises is crucial to daily life activities such as walking,...
The lower abs are the bottom half of the rectus abdominus muscle. The rectus abdominus is a segmented muscle, which you can see on a person with six pack abs. There are different parts, but they are all connected as one muscle. It is therefore...
Exercising without using stomach muscles is necessary if you are pregnant, had a C-section, an appendectomy, abdominal tear or strain or any other condition that may be aggravated by movement in the abdominal region, according to the American...
Tightening your abdominal muscles will help flatten your stomach. The ab exercises you do can be easy and still work your abs. The important thing is to work all the muscles of your stomach, not just the rectus abdominus muscle. The rectus...
In four weeks, you can significantly develop your abdominal muscle, or your rectus abdominus, with frequent and effective workouts. Building muscle anywhere requires a workout program of high frequency and volume. With four weeks to develop a...
Getting six-pack abdominals requires consistent core workouts that focus on developing the rectus abdominus muscle, which runs down the front of your torso. The rectus abdominus controls your posture and helps you stand up straight and contracts...
The abdominal hollowing exercise targets the transverse abdominus muscle. The transverse abdominus is a muscle deep in the abdomen that holds in the abdominal contents and supports the trunk. The exercise doesn't produce much activity in the...
The muscles of your stomach are engaged whenever you move or sit up. They also support your spine and lower back to maintain your posture and keep you balanced during dynamic movements such as running, sports and hiking. Even though you use your...
Free weights and medicine balls lead the list of exercises that work to sculpt your abs, writes celebrity diet author Jorge Cruise in "The Belly Fat Cure." The abdominal muscle groups can be simply broken up into three groups: the transverse...
There are plenty of ways nowadays to work your abdominal muscles. You can use weight machines, stability balls and such ab equipment as the torso track. However, floor ab exercises are more convenient. Since they don't require equipment, you can...
A six-pack is a popular term for muscular abs. Being able to see six or more indentations of the rectus abdominus muscle qualifies as a six-pack, though if you can see all eight this is sometimes called an eight-pack instead. The rectus abdominus...
Lounging and exercising are two words not often found in the same sentence, and for good reason. Exercising is not supposed to feel as if you are lounging by the pool. The Ab Lounge machine is shaped like a lounge chair so that the back rest can...
Tight, flat abdominal muscles are considered part of a perfect female and male body, according to a poll on the website NYDailyNews.com. The results of the poll indicated that a perfect female body would include Jessica Alba's flat abs; the...
At some point during pregnancy, most women experience a condition called diastasis recti, or abdominal separation. This is when the six-pack muscle, called the rectus abdominus, splits or separates in the middle. Abdominal separation is natural...
NordicTrack exercise balls are pieces of workout equipment for core and strength training. NordicTrack makes two kinds of exercise balls. There are the regular inflatable exercise balls and the exercise balls with tubing. Both balls work your...
Tense muscles cannot become strong muscles -- so exercises that promote relaxation actually help you build abdominal strength. There are yoga and breathing exercises you can do that are calming and strengthening. These exercises might not give you...
The Ab Circle Pro is a piece of home exercise equipment that is touted as "the treadmill for your abs." The advertisements claim that the machine is better than a normal stomach crunch and that spending three minutes on it is the equivalent of...
To obtain chiseled abs you must eat right and exercise correctly. This means that you must eat a high-protein diet and a moderate amount of carbs while also refraining from eating more calories than you use up with exercise. Your abdominal...
Belly exercises that benefit a bad back include exercises for the upper abs, lower abs and outside of the abs. Strengthening these areas supports your back to reduce pain and further injury. But you have to be careful not to hurt yourself by doing...
The abdominal group is more complicated than most people think. Exercises such as cable crunches use the rectus abdominus muscle, which is the muscle you can see on a person with washboard abs. But this isn't the only muscle of the abs. Cable...
Eating right and getting a lot of aerobic exercise may give you a relatively small stomach, but if you want a flat, toned abdomen, core exercises need to be part of your routine. There are several ab-targeting exercises possible with dumbbells...
Both resisted and non-resisted exercises for the abs can be done on your Bowflex Power Pro. Abdominal exercises can be done on the bench of the Bowflex without additional weight just as they are done on an exercise bench. But with the Bowflex, you...
The Ab Lounge machine, sometimes called an Ab Lounger, is a piece of exercise with one main purpose, to support the head and neck during abdominal jackknife crunches and its variations. Unfortunately, the design of the machine lets you use your...
Pregnancy and childbirth put a significant strain on a woman's body. After the baby is born, it will take some time to recuperate and jump back into a serious workout routine. Mothers who had a C-section have additional post-surgical recuperation,...
When most people think of the term "waist exercises," images of crunches and other ab exercises come to mind. Waist exercises actually refer to all the muscles of the waist from the front and around to the back, incorporating many more muscles...
Tone your stomach muscles with this easy routine. Learn exercises and stretches for your workout routine in this fitness video.
The rollover using a stability ball incorporates a Pilates move and works the abs and triceps. Learn how to do rollovers using a stability ball from a certified personal fitness trainer in this exercise video.
