1. The Coveted Six-Pack
Six-pack abs, also known as the rectus abdominus, is the muscle that most people refer to when they talk about abs. You can see these muscles underneath the skin of very fit individuals with a low percentage of body fat. These muscles allow the body to bend forward. The three best exercises for developing and strengthening the rectus abdominus are bicycle crunches, captain's chair exercises and abdominal crunches on a stability ball. When performing abdominal exercises, slow and controlled is always the best way.
2. Nature's Girdle
The transverse abdominus wraps around the waist, helping to support the organs located in the region between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the hips. This is the deepest of all the abdominal muscles and plays an enormous role in posture and stability. Still unsure of where the transverse muscles are? Cough. The tightening you feel in the waist is due to the contraction of the transverse abdominal muscles. Training and strengthening the transverse abdominus is necessary to minimize, and even eliminate, lower back pain. Pilates training focuses on strengthening this deep abdominal muscle and its ability to stabilize the body.
3. Rotate and Flex
The external obliques are located more superficially than the internal obliques. The muscle fibers run in a V direction from the bottom of the ribs to the top of the hips. The external oblique muscles assist in twisting from the waist, bending from side to side, exhaling air out of the lungs and tilting the pelvis. Effective abdominal exercises to train the obliques include Russian twists, reverse twists and hanging oblique knee raises.
4. Help Me Stand Up Straight
Internal oblique muscles are the major assistors in posture, and they assist in the rotation and flexion of the torso. They are the next deepest muscle, after the transverse abdominus. The internal obliques' muscle fibers run in an inverted V-shape from the top of the hips to the bottom of the ribs and to the rectus abdominus. These obliques work with the transverse abdominus to keep the internal organs secure and help to move the spine, hips and ribs. Side plank is an excellent exercise for strengthening the obliques.
5. Flatten My Belly, Please
Targeting fat loss in the stomach area, unfortunately, is not possible. No matter how many crunches, sit-ups or planks you do, that belly isn't going to disappear unless you work to burn your total body fat. Eating properly, exercising regularly and dedication are absolutely necessary in order to tighten and flatten the stomach. It's not an easy road to follow if you're starting from quite a distance away, but with determination and perseverance, it is possible.
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