According to Jason Karp, Ph.D, founder of REVO2LT Running Team in San Diego, nearly every exercise that requires you to maintain balance and posture trains your abdominal muscles. When you do push-ups, pull-ups, and squats, your abdominals are constantly working to maintain your posture and prevent injuries. Ab exercises do not have to resemble sit-ups, leg lifts, or any gym and infomercial exercises that you often see. Your abdominals function to support, move, and protect your body together.
Functional Anatomy
According to physical therapist Gray Cook, founder of Functional Movement Systems in Danville, Virginia, your abdominal muscles consist of two layers that work together to move and stabilize your body. The inner abdominals maintain your posture and balance while your outer abdominals move your body and generate force. These muscles all connect to other muscles in your body, forming a network of parts that rely on each other to function properly. If one body part is injured or in pain, it affects how well the rest of your body moves and functions.
Function
Your abdominal and other muscles in your torso move the trunk in three primary directions--back and forth, side to side, and rotate left and right at different angles. They also function as a shock absorber when you jump up and down, or land on the ground on your feet from an elevation.
Misconceptions
Many people believe that they can increase their abdominal strength by doing sit-ups, crunches, and similar exercises. Most activities and sports require you to stand, squat, or kneel. According to Cook, since traditional ab exercises are done on the ground, the strength you gain from them does not transfer to real-life activities and sports performance.
Ab exercises do not reduce the size of your waistline or reduce body fat. The only way to reduce body fat and gain muscle definition is by training your entire body and maintaining a balanced diet.
Sample Exercises
According to Stuart McGill, Ph.D., author of "Low Back Disorders," abdominal exercises can be movement-based or stability-based. Movement-based exercises are where you move your trunk, such as trunk flexion, extension, and rotation. These include sit-ups, crunches, and rotations. Stability-based exercises keep your torso in place while your move your limbs. These include push-ups, squats, pull-ups, and kettlebell swings and lifts. Training both methods will help you to increase caloric expenditure, strengthen your whole body, and minimize back and hip pain.
Expert Insight
According to Cook, train stabilization first, prior to training for strength and endurance. Stabilization strengthens your joints and improves your balance so that you do not injury yourself when you train.
References
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook ; 2003
- "PTontheNet"; Weight Training Positions; Jason Karp, PhD; October 2008
- "Low Back Disorders"; Stuart McGill, PhD; 2007
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