Rectus Abdominis

There is no such thing as upper and lower abs. The abdominals are just one long sheet that run from about your rib cage to your pelvis. You cannot work one part without working the whole thing. Many times we cannot see an entire 6 pack, it is because we have excess fat or loose skin over them. Belly fat tends to be lower, so we can see the two "bumps" of the 6-pack. If you are doing reverse crunches, make sure you are not using your hip flexors or momentum. The reason we typically "feel" these exercises working in the lower section of the abdominals is because these exercises use primarily the iliopsoas (a hip flexor) which originates deep below the lower portion of the rectus abdominis. This muscle is the one that fatigues and because we feel it in the abdominal region, we assume we are working our "lower abs" when we in fact are not. There is absolutely no way to trigger a contraction in one specific area of the abdominal muscles.

Taken from the ACE (American Counsil on Exercise) Fitness Matters newsletter written by Chief Exercise Physiologist Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes a combination of strengthening exercises and aerobics for great abs! Crunches can only tone the abs. They cannot get rid of the fat layer that lies on top of the ab muscles. And the only way to lose the fat is to do some form of aerobic exercise like skipping, jogging, cycling, taking aerobics classes, etc, for no less than 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. These exercises are imperative because they help increase the metabolic rate, causing your body to use up all stored forms of energy, in short, your fat. Aerobic exercises burn calories/fat while exercising, weight lifting build muscles, which require energy just to exist, hence, you burn more calories while at rest. So muscles increase your metabolism, and enhance overall performance.

 

Ab exercise tips

The walls of the abdominal cavity are supported entirely by the strength of surrounding muscles since there are no bones that provide support for this region. To make up for the lack of skeletal support, the three layers of muscles in the abdominal wall run in different directions. In the outermost (superficial) layer is the external oblique muscle, whose fibers run anteriorly downward and toward the midline. In the second layer, the fibers of the internal oblique muscle run posteriorly and downward. These muscles are responsible for torso rotation.

One way to perform this movement and work your obliques is to lie supine (face up) on the floor, knees bent, (you can also place one leg on the opposite knee), extend one arm out to the side on the floor, and the other to the side of the head, elbow out to the side. Leading with the *shoulder*, lift the torso up and over, in other words, aiming the shoulder towards the opposite knee. Remember, it is not elbow to knee, it is shoulder to knee!  Eventually, you can add a weight to the exercise to increase the workload and build more muscle.

 

The rectus abdominis is a narrow, flat muscle on the anterior aspect of the abdomional wall that flexes the vertebral column; it's fibers run vertically from the pubis to the rib cage. This muscle is responsible for forward spinal flexion.

Crunches are a good way to start:

Again lying supine, knees bent, you can either cross your hands in front of your chest, or keeping hands each side the head, elbows out to the side, keeping your abs contracted, lift the torso up toward the ceiling, bringing your shoulder blades up off the floor. Exhale on the exhertion (as you go up) & inhale as you go down. Eventually you can add a weight to that to increase the workload. Many people keep their elbows in a forward position while doing crunches. I personally prefer the elbows out to the side or crossed over your chest because it helps prevent you from pulling up on your neck, which is a common mistake that most people make, resulting in neck pain.

 

The transverse abdominis lies in the deepest muscular layer in the abdominal wall. The fibers of this thin muscle run horizontally, encircling the abdominal cavity. It's only function is to compress the abdominals, and serves no motor function. I do not recommend using ab rollers or ab rockers to perform your ab work. They are either useless or can present a risk of injury to the back, such as is the case with the ab rollers. The ab rockers make the exercise easy and I only use them for clients with special conditions.

 

If you have an Exercise Ball, here is another way you can work your abs:

Lie face-up on ball and either cross hands over chest or place them each side your head. Make sure that your knees are above the ankles and keep your torso parallel to the floor. In other words, don't let your butt sag toward the floor, keep the gluts tight and your butt up so that you are, in effect, making a "bridge" with your body. Contract your abs and lift your torso slightly off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips. For beginners, place the ball under the upper part of the back. For advanced, the ball should be under lower-mid back.

 

Vertical Leg Crunch: Lie flat and press your lower back to the floor. Put hands behind head and extend legs straight up with knees crossed. Contract abs and lift your "tailbone" toward the ceiling. Keep abs flat throughout the movement and remember not to hold your breath!

As described above, there's no such thing as upper and lower abs. The rectus abominis is not divided into two parts. The entire muscle will be worked when performing spinal flexion. Spinal Flexion is not the same as Hip Flexion. In other words, doing leg lifts while crunching does not work the abdominals more effectively. Leg lifts and bicycling work your hip flexors. While your abs may contract in order to stabilize the torso, mere torso stabilization is not the most effective workout for the abdominals. Stick to crunches and increase the resistance with weights as you are able.