Research On Ab Exercises Working Muscles From The Bottom Up

Rock hard abdominal muscles are one of the most sought-after workout results in the gym by men and women. However, many people feel they have problem areas on their belly, particularly around the bellybutton, where fat is stored. Some fitness trainers and exercise guides operate under the misconception that by performing certain abdominal exercises, you will be able to better engage your lower abdominal muscles and trim these trouble areas.

Past Research

Older research into abdominal muscle use, such as a 1957 study published by C.E. Walters et. al. in the "American Journal of Physical Medicine," suggested that when your hips are fixed and you perform crunches, you engage more of your upper rectus abdominis, which is the flat muscle commonly called the six-pack. Research in 1993 conducted by Florence Peterson Kendall et. al. and published in the book "Muscles: Testing and Function with Posture and Pain" indicated that exercises that lift your pelvis off of the floor engage the lower portion of your rectus abdominis and your external obliques better.

Recent Research

Recent studies indicate that most people cannot engage their abdominal muscles selectively from the bottom up, however. A 2001 study supported by the American Council on Exercise, a 2007 study by the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education, and a 2010 study published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" all confirm through EMG analysis that the average person cannot engage the upper and lower sections of the rectus abdominis separately regardless of the type of exercise used.

Source of Confusion

During the American Council on Exercise study led by Dr. Peter Francis, the researchers noted that the electrodes used to map muscle engagement in the abdominals would slip out of position as the participant performed crunches and other abdominal exercises. It was hypothesized that this slipping of the electrode could account for other research studies suggesting that certain exercises engage the lower rectus abdominis more than others.

Effective Abdominal Exercises

Because you cannot work your upper and lower abdominal muscles separately, the only way to get a more intense lower ab workout is to engage all of your muscles with greater force or a higher number of repetitions. Francis' research discovered that bicycle maneuver exercises had the most effect on abdominal and oblique muscles, engaging them at 248 percent of the activity level for a standard crunch. The study found that using exercise equipment like the captain's chair and exercise ball are almost as good as bicycle maneuver crunches.