Weak transverse abdominis

YassSpartan
YassSpartan Posts: 1,195 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This post is my personal opinion based on my anatomy knowledge based on my career. Am I 100% or not, that I leave it to you.

Probably a lot of you have seen people out there with a six pack, yet they seems to have a belly. Why would this be? Well, I didn't really pay much attention to it until I found myself noticing how my abs were showing off, yet my belly seemed big. It didn't make any sense to me until I started reasoning about it from a physiological point of view.

There are basically 4 layers of muscles in our abdominal area. The Rectus Abdominis, which is the one that people refer to as the six pack muscle. The External Obliques, this muscle is the one that some of you love to see giving the V shape going from the hip bone to the center down. The Internal Obliques which run behind the EO (External Obliques) and the fiber direction runs perpendicular to the EO fibers. And last but not least the Transversus (or Transverse) Abdominis. The fibers of this last and deeper muscle run horizontal in reference to the floor.

Muscles_of_the_Abdominal_Wall.jpg

Muscle contraction happens in the direction the fibers run. So basically the Rectus Abdominis fibers run perpendicular to the floor, the contraction of this muscle causes the flexion of the lumbar spine, which all of you do when you do crunches or sit ups.

Jumping into the Transverse Abdominis, which is the muscle in question here, when you look at the directions of the fibers, they run parallel to the the floor, therefore its action is not only for stability purposes of the trunk but also to compress the internal organs in the abdominal cavity in. If this muscle is weak, it doesn't really matter how many crunches you do, because its action is not the flexion of the lumbar spine, so what can we do to make it stronger? Well, when you engage the abdomen during core exercises, you keep a constant contraction, depending on which exercise you do, which will help the muscle get stronger. Also, sucking in the belly and holding it for a few seconds, will help tone and strengthen the muscle, which in my opinion, will help the muscle keep flat the belly and avoid showing that look of having a beer belly even when you don't have one.

Also, having a strong abdomen, specifically the Transverse Abdominis, can help prevent hernias, which are tears of the muscle allowing part of the intestine come out thru the opening and potential get strangled causing a dangerous situation for the person.

Replies

  • YassSpartan
    YassSpartan Posts: 1,195 Member
    I guess no one suffers from weak abdominal muscles LOL
  • erxkeel
    erxkeel Posts: 553 Member
    Very informative!
  • GravitysAngel
    GravitysAngel Posts: 6 Member
    Very interesting. I am trying to do the "sucking my gut in" part, but I'm open to some good exercises that concentrate on this area.
  • DakotaKeogh
    DakotaKeogh Posts: 693 Member
    This was great. I too have visible abs but they stick out in front of me. I'll try your suggestions and also do some further research.
  • SoulNeedsBeauty
    SoulNeedsBeauty Posts: 154 Member
    thanks for the post, Very informative!=)
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I sure do right now! I just had a baby a little over two weeks ago and my abs are in terrible condition. I'm sick right now, but once I'm better I'll be starting my exercise with my transverse abs. I try to explain some of the same things you do but people never listen. They think that crunches and sit-ups are all anyone needs for a flat tummy. Thankfully, I know better. In fact, just from contracting my transverse abs while walking and standing up (something I learned from my years of dance) my belly is already noticeably flatter. It's "recovering" quickly even though I just gave birth a couple of weeks ago. Of course, my rectus abdominus seems to be quite separated, which feels creepy and is very disappointing. And scary. But, I'll focus on fixing that later.
  • tataliciousd89
    tataliciousd89 Posts: 465
    Yeah, pretty much any isometric abdominal exercise will help to strengthen this muscle. Beyond that, you pretty much covered it. I got A's in A&P and I can't really find anything else to add.
  • anunjose
    anunjose Posts: 1 Member
    what exercises do you recommend for the TA? Do planks work?
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Very interesting. I am trying to do the "sucking my gut in" part, but I'm open to some good exercises that concentrate on this area.

    Do a Google search. You'll find some websites with a lot of good exercises. They're mainly geared toward postpartum women, but they're still good. Or do some Pilates.
  • tataliciousd89
    tataliciousd89 Posts: 465
    I sure do right now! I just had a baby a little over two weeks ago and my abs are in terrible condition. I'm sick right now, but once I'm better I'll be starting my exercise with my transverse abs. I try to explain some of the same things you do but people never listen. They think that crunches and sit-ups are all anyone needs for a flat tummy. Thankfully, I know better. In fact, just from contracting my transverse abs while walking and standing up (something I learned from my years of dance) my belly is already noticeably flatter. It's "recovering" quickly even though I just gave birth a couple of weeks ago. Of course, my rectus abdominus seems to be quite separated, which feels creepy and is very disappointing. And scary. But, I'll focus on fixing that later.
    Yes, definitely wait a few weeks until they close the gap up before trying to work them out or your guts will pop out.
  • tataliciousd89
    tataliciousd89 Posts: 465
    what exercises do you recommend for the TA? Do planks work?
    Yes they are isometric exercises.
  • YassSpartan
    YassSpartan Posts: 1,195 Member
    what exercises do you recommend for the TA? Do planks work?
    Yes they are isometric exercises.

    Exactly this, ismoetric work (contracting the muscle where there's no change in the length of the muscle) will do the work.

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