Anatomy of the abdominal muscles: structure, functions, exercises for the development of abdominal muscles. Abdominal muscles - myths and cruel reality

Since ancient times, developed abdominal muscles have been one of the signs of a harmoniously developed, athletic body. Many people dream of the cherished "cubes", but in order to "grow" them, one needs not only efforts, but also knowledge of what the abdominal muscles are.

What is a press?

There is no such thing as a “press” in anatomy. This is the conventional name for the abdominal muscles. There are four of them: straight, internal oblique, external oblique and transverse.

The rectus abdominis muscle is the largest in area, it is paired and consists of vertical longitudinal muscle bundles. Contrary to the misconception that there is a "lower" and "upper" press, the rectus muscle does not have such a division. The notorious "cubes" stand out because of the tendon bridges on the rectus abdominis muscle.

The muscle bundles of the external abdominal muscle start from the lower eight ribs and go down radially, the internal oblique muscles are located respectively inside from the external ones.
The transverse muscle is deeper than other abdominal muscles. At the same time, its tendon stretch in the upper two thirds passes behind the rectus muscle, and in the lower third - in front. Partly because of this, the lower "cubes" of the press can be trained worse than the upper ones.

Why do we need a press?

The abdominal muscles belong to the so-called core muscles, a complex of muscles responsible for stabilizing the spine, pelvis and hips. Each of the abdominal muscles is responsible for its own functions.
The rectus muscle - for twisting the body in the lumbar region, the external oblique muscle - for rotating the body in the opposite direction from itself, flexing the spinal column, is involved in the contraction and expansion of the chest.
The internal oblique muscle is responsible for the same functions as the external one, but is responsible for rotating the trunk in the opposite direction.
The abdominal muscles, together with the muscles of the lumbar back, allow you to maintain your posture, participate in the respiratory process, and in women they play an important role during childbirth.

The bigger, the better?

One of the most common abs training misconceptions is that the more reps we do in a set, the stronger and bigger the abs will be. In fact, the abdominal muscles are no different in terms of training, for example, from biceps. To increase the biceps, you will do one hundred repetitions per approach, on the contrary, you will reduce the number of sets and repetitions, but increase the load. By increasing the number of repetitions in the approach, you will develop strength endurance, but the muscle will not become thicker from this. It is much more effective to increase the load, do sets with weights and reduce the number of repetitions in the approach from 8 to 20.

The more often the better?

Recovery is no less important part of the training process than the load phase. After training, the muscles go through three stages: recovery, supercompensation and return to performance. In order for the muscles to grow, you need to draw up a training plan in such a way that the next workout falls on the stage of supercompensation, but in no case during the recovery period. These processes were described as early as 1953 by B.S. Gipenreiter in the book "Recovery processes in sports activities."
The abdominal muscles, like any other muscle, need time to recover. Otherwise, training can not only go to waste, but the risk of injury will also increase. Do you need it?

Technology first

The abdominal muscles work in tandem with the hip flexors. In addition, in the rises of the body, the so-called crunches, the muscles of the lumbar back are involved. In no case should you make sudden movements when performing crunches, this can lead to injury. The best exercise for the rectus abdominis is crunches on the so-called abdominal bench: this simulator allows you to stretch the muscle, which makes training more effective, as the range of motion increases.

Combine Exercises

It is unlikely that you will be able to pump up a beautiful press with the help of only bending the body on the floor or on the abdominal bench. Experts advise to combine exercises. Optimal training for getting a pack of packs may include, for example, isolated low range crunches, crunches on the abs, leg raises or knee raises in the hang or incline bench. To train the oblique muscles of the abdomen, twisting from a lying position, which can be done with weights, will also be effective.

Treasured "cubes"

Unfortunately, no matter how intense the training is, they cannot achieve the coveted cubes alone. In fact, everyone has cubes, but not everyone can see them, because in addition to the muscles on the abdomen and waist there is subcutaneous fat. It is most effectively removed with the help of a diet and an increase in the volume of aerobic exercise. When the percentage of fat is 10, the press becomes visible, so that the “cubes” are visible in a relaxed position, you need to reduce the percentage to six.
It is also interesting that due to the different number of connecting tendon bridges, people can have three or four cubes on each side.

You don't have to be an expert in kinesiology to understand the importance of knowing anatomy. In this article, you will learn the structure and function of the abdominal muscles, and how to train them effectively.

Every day, millions of gym goers do crunches in the hope of shrinking their waists and sculpting their abs. The problem is that basic crunches are just…. basis. Local fat burning is not possible, and the relief press is a product of proper nutrition, exercise and increased calorie expenditure.

According to scientific research, crunches have zero impact on body composition. In one study, 14 people did 5 different ab exercises per week for 6 weeks. As expected, there were no noticeable changes in the end result, except that the ability to do more repetitions of the exercise increased.

Despite this fact, abs obsessed do different types of crunch day after day, wasting a huge amount of time.

However, ab exercises can still be useful in your training program. You just need to be sure of their effectiveness. In addition, you need to know the anatomy and functionality of the abdominal muscles. Let's streamline everything and add valuable information about the waist, the abs, and which exercises are the most effective for the abs.

Anatomy of the abdominal muscles

Before you start training and dieting, you must understand the functions of the abdominal muscles. This knowledge will be extremely useful, as the neuromuscular connection "brain-muscle" will be strengthened. A strong brain-muscle connection has been proven to trigger greater muscle activity.

Rectus abdominis: those same 6 cubes, extends from the sternum to the pelvic bone. It is attached with fibers to the pubic symphysis on the pelvic bone and the 5th, 6th and 7th ribs of the chest. The rectus muscle has inserts of thin fibers of connective tissue, which gives it the appearance of a washboard. Its main function is to flex the trunk, increase intra-abdominal pressure and stabilize the pelvis.

External oblique abdominal muscles: these muscles run diagonally down and toward the midline of the body. They are attached to the eight lower ribs from above, the lower part of the pubic bone from below, and to the white line of the abdomen in the middle. These muscles rotate the torso and bend it to the side. Also squeeze the stomach.

Internal oblique abdominal muscles: as the name suggests, these muscles are located under the external obliques. They run diagonally upward from the iliac crest to the midline. Rotate the torso and bend it to the side and squeeze the stomach.

Transverse abdominal muscle: the deepest abdominal muscles, located under the internal obliques and encircle the entire abdomen. Essentially, this is your athletic belt. They originate from the lower six ribs and are woven into the white line of the abdomen and the pubic crest.

Now that we have an understanding of the structure and function of the abdominal muscles, let's move on to the practical part, strengthening these muscles. To determine the most effective ab exercises, researcher Peter Francis and colleagues at San Diego Biomechanics State University conducted an interesting study. They used electromyography to measure muscle fiber activity during ab exercises.

As a result, the following exercises were identified:

Activity in oblique muscles

1. Lifting the knees to the chest on the frame - 210%

2. Bicycle crunches - 190%

3. Reverse crunches - 140%

4. Plank - 130%

5. Crunches to stretched legs up - 116%

Activity in the rectus muscles(% increase in activity compared to classic crunches)

1. Twisting with a roller - 27%

2. Crunches to stretched legs up - 29%

3. Crunchy on the ball - 39%

4. Lifting the knees to the chest on the frame - 112%

5. Bicycle crunches - 148%

You cannot build a strong, muscular body without beautiful and strong abdominal muscles. Learn the anatomy and function of the abdominals to achieve the physique of your dreams.

When people talk about abs, they usually mean "packs". In fact, the abdominal muscles, due to which the external relief appears, are located deep inside the body. Now we will learn how these muscles work and why they are so important for building a beautiful body.

In this article you will find a lot of information about what the core muscles are, what functions they perform. You will understand exactly how their well-coordinated work develops strength and endurance in a person, because it is these muscles that give us the opportunity to lift heavy weights. The state of the press is of great importance, therefore, it is necessary to correctly compose your workouts, allocating enough time to the exercises for the press. And for this to work, you need to know the anatomy of the muscles, to approach this issue from a scientific point of view.

Although the abdominal muscles are deep and cannot be seen (unlike the cubes), let's still go to the mirror and carefully examine our stomach.

upper muscles

These are abdominal muscles located in the front of the abdomen. They consist of three layers: a deep layer, an intermediate layer and a superficial layer.

deep layer

These three muscles always work together. Due to this, the internal relief of the muscles is built. Thanks to the deep muscles, we can do deadlifts, barbell squats and dumbbell presses.

Diaphragm

The diaphragm is not involved in the performance of strength exercises, but this does not detract from its merits. It is very important for breathing. The diaphragm begins in the front of the chest, encircles it and converges in the lower back.

pelvic floor

The pelvic floor is made up of muscles located below the level of the pelvis. When you take a deep breath, the diaphragm descends and the pelvic floor holds your breath. The diaphragm and pelvic floor are the main parts of the body that stabilize the spine.

Transverse abdominal muscles

The transverse muscles are located slightly below the oblique muscles. They give stability to the pelvic floor, keeping it immobile. The transverse muscles are located directly on the white line of the abdomen - a connective tissue that runs exactly in the middle of the body and is adjacent to the lower back.

Intermediate layer

The intermediate layer is located between the deep and superficial layers. It is made up of several muscles, but the most important is the internal oblique.

Internal oblique muscles

These muscles originate from the white line of the abdomen - a vertical line in the middle of the torso, and are attached to the femur. They run perpendicular to the external oblique muscles. The main functions of the internal oblique muscles are the regulation of breathing and the rotation of the torso.

Surface layer

These muscles are familiar to everyone. If you're lean enough, you don't have large stores of subcutaneous fat - you can even see them. These are the so-called "press cubes".

External oblique muscles

The external oblique muscles run from the chest to the hips. Many of us believe that thanks to these muscles we can turn and tilt the body, this is a true statement, but not quite complete. Also, the external oblique muscles are muscles of stability and balance.

The external oblique muscles allow you to stabilize the position of the pelvis. Some people have a tendency to push their pelvic bones forward too much, arching their lower back. This is very harmful: it creates a strong pressure on the spine. Thanks to the external oblique muscles, the pelvis regains balance by tilting back and returning to a neutral position.

Rectus muscles

The rectus muscles start from the pubic bone. Further, their locations are 5, 6, 7 vertebrae and the lower part of the chest. These areas are separated by a white line of the abdomen vertically and 3-4 layers of connective tissue horizontally. These divisions create 6 or 8 separate abdominal muscles, which we call "abs packs".

back muscles

The core muscles are not only the front muscles, but also the back ones. It is important to know what is happening on our back. We will focus on three specific muscle groups in this section: the multifidus, quadratus lumborum, and erector spinae.

Multifidus muscle

The multifidus muscle is a group of small muscles covering 2-4 parts of the back. You will never see them, but they are important because they give feedback to the brain about where your body is in space. These muscles also help control the position of the spine.

Square muscle of the lower back

This large muscle runs from the upper thigh to the lower back. She is responsible for the lateral inclinations of the body, as well as for the prevention of these very inclinations. The square muscle is essential for controlling the movements of the body.

Muscle that straightens the spine

This group of muscles starts from the sacrum and upper thigh and connects to the chest, upper neck, and even the base of the skull. Muscles are essential for regulating movement during the squat and deadlift.

The structure of the skeleton in the press area

Often we do not even think about the importance of bones in our body, focusing all our attention on the muscles. But bones and cartilaginous joints are of great importance for the development of muscle tissue.

Taz

The pelvis has two main movements: a forward tilt, in which the hips move back, and a back tilt.

Lumbar

The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae located between the chest and pelvis. It affects the lumbar flexion (forward, backward, lateral flexion, trunk rotation).

How important all these movements can be felt during training: the resistance force keeps the spine in place, does not allow the vertebrae to bend. The lumbar region is not particularly flexible, except for forward and backward bends, so the more you can control or resist movement, the healthier and stronger your back will be. And this is the first and, perhaps, the main condition for strength exercises.

Functions of the abdominal muscles

Below are the functions that the core muscles perform. Some of them you are probably already familiar with: squats, torso bends. It turns out that the task of the muscles is not only the flexion-extension of body parts. Here are the main five functions of the abdominal muscles:

Intrathoracic pressure

Take a deep breath and hold your breath. At the same time, the diaphragm begins to exert pressure on the pelvic floor and on the transverse abdominal muscles. It is this process that is so important for maintaining the strength of the spine, and also allows us to perform exercises such as squats, deadlifts and various presses.

Anti-extension

Most people, especially those who have just begun their acquaintance with fitness, believe that the abdominal muscles, like the spine and back, are given to us only for bending the torso. Now try to lean back? Does not work? This is because our spine is securely fixed by the rectus abdominis and oblique (external and internal) muscles to prevent sagging and curvature.

Side bends and anti-side bends

The internal and external oblique muscles help us lean in different directions. This is the side bend. In addition, it is the oblique muscles, as well as the quadratus lumborum, that perform the function of anti-lateral flexion. This is necessary to maintain the spine in a neutral position, to maintain balance. Imagine you are carrying a heavy bag. One side of the torso takes all the load and allows further movement, while the other side has to maintain balance so that you do not fall on your side.

Anti-rotate

The rectus abdominis, transverse and oblique (external and internal) muscles are responsible for turning the body to the sides. They not only help to turn the body, but also prevent uncontrolled movements, keep the torso in a straight position. This muscle function is very important, especially when lifting weights with one hand.

Anti-bending

Abs exercises are a prime example of flexion. We can all lean forward - it's natural. But if you're doing barbell squats or deadlifts, it can be difficult to keep your balance and not fall face down. Thanks to the abdominal muscles, our torso is able to maintain a position without loading the spine.

Basic abdominal exercises

Now that we have studied the structure of the skeleton and muscles, and also dealt with the biomechanical processes of the muscles of the core, it's time to put all this knowledge into practice. Here are some basic exercises that do not require special training and will allow you to get the most out of it.

Exercise #1 - TRX Loops

The TRX machine is a very effective machine that will help you get yourself a 6-pack stone press as well as improve your balance. Many people have completely untrained lower backs, as this is a rather inaccessible place for working out muscles. Therefore, they need additional measures to compensate for the tension and create the best balance between the anterior and posterior muscle groups.

Starting position - stand up straight, fasten the loops on your hands. Exhale, tighten the muscles of the body.

Then vigorously bring your hands together in front of you. Watch your back - it should be straight!

This exercise involves the rectus abdominis, internal and external abdominal muscles. The spine, neck and upper back are actively trained. You can control the strength and intensity of movements yourself, which is very convenient.

Exercise number 2 - dead bug

The exercise perfectly works out the muscles of the press, without giving an extra load on the lower back.

Lie on your back, raise your hands up. Then lift your leg at a 90-degree angle and, at the same time, the opposite arm. Hold a little in the top position, return to the starting position. Please note: the back should be firmly pressed to the floor, no need to rise. Try to touch your heel, pull the muscles.

Exercise #3 - Pallof Press

This is a wonderful exercise aimed at strengthening the oblique abdominal muscles. Allows you to control the rotation of the body to the sides.

To perform, you will need an expander with a handle for hands. The task is to do a forward press with a block located on the side. Take the handle in your hands and begin to pull towards you with force. This is not easy, the force of resistance will actively interfere with you. The square muscle of the lower back, transverse, internal and external oblique muscles of the abdomen are perfectly worked out. Hold the handle at your chest for 20-30 seconds, then return to the starting position.

Exercise #4 - One Arm Deadlift

The single-arm deadlift is a very useful balance exercise. Take one dumbbell, stand up straight. Lean forward, holding a dumbbell in one hand and tensing your abdominal muscles. Then return to the starting position. Gradually complicate the exercise, leaning as low as possible.

Since the weight is on one side, you will have to make every effort to maintain balance. Also, this exercise is great for increasing your strength indicators, developing endurance. The oblique muscles and the square muscle of the lower back are involved.

Get scientific!

The abdominal muscles are very important not only in bodybuilding, but also for overall health. They literally tie the upper and lower body together. Whether you're on the machine or just looking to lift heavy weights, you'll equally need strong, toned abs for optimal results.

Developed abdominal muscles and a flat stomach give the figure aesthetics and sexuality. Every man wants to be the owner of six cubes on his stomach, but this requires a lot of physical effort, as well as adherence to a diet. You need to know a few simple rules, under which any man can achieve good results.

How to download the press

First you need to figure out what “cubes” are and what function the abdominal muscles perform. They are involved in walking, turning and bending the body, and also support the stomach and liver. An underdeveloped press leads to the formation of fatty layers on the abdomen and back pain, because the abdominal muscle is important for the lumbar region.

"Cubes" are formed by two rectus muscles on the left and right sides, respectively. Each muscle is divided into four cubes, but only the top three are square. The lower ones have a shape close to triangular.

The abdominal muscle is one, there is no division into upper and lower. Depending on the exercises, the top or bottom of this muscle develops more strongly. In order for the press to develop fully, it is necessary to pump the upper, lower section and oblique abdominal muscles in one workout.

The abdominal muscles recover faster than the rest, so you can train them 3 times a week. A beginner should not “kill” his abs from the very first workouts, otherwise, in addition to the fact that you will experience pain, the muscles may not have time to recover by the next workout. It is best to limit yourself to three main exercises and perform each in three sets of fifteen repetitions.

Equally important are diet and aerobic exercise - any exercise of low to moderate intensity, where oxygen acts to maintain energy. Such workouts strengthen the cardiovascular system and are the best ways to burn fat. Ignoring proper nutrition and aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, you will not be able to achieve a good result. In this case, the press will train, but there will be no noticeable relief and harmony.

Basic exercises for the press at home

These exercises will help you pump up the press at home:

1. One of the most famous and frequently used exercises, focused on the upper part of the muscle.

2. Due to raising the legs, it is more difficult to perform. The lower part of the press is involved.

3. Develop external and internal oblique abdominal muscles.

4. Side twists. Train the lateral muscles of the press.

5. plank. Static exercise, where there is no movement, to strengthen the abdominal muscles. The main thing here is to keep the body in the correct position as long as possible.

Upper press

So, the simplest and most popular exercise for training the upper part of the press is twisting. You will need a soft exercise mat and any weight on your legs so as not to tear them off the floor. A sofa or a battery will be the best helpers in this matter. Hands should be crossed on the chest, but to complicate the exercise, you can remove them behind your head.

Execution: raise the upper body, bending at the waist and trying to touch the elbows to the knees, and then slowly lower to the starting position. Three sets of twenty repetitions will be enough.

You should not keep your back straight, in which case the load from the press is shifted to the lower back.

The following exercise is called jackknife. It focuses on the upper section, but also engages the lower press due to the simultaneous lifting of the legs.

Execution: lie on the floor and stretch your arms behind your head, keep your legs in a closed position. At the same time, bring your hands to your legs so that the body folds in half. Do two sets of ten reps.

For complication, you can linger in a shortened position for one to two seconds.

Lower Press

The exercise is similar to the first, only you have to raise your legs. In the supine position, fix the torso with your hands, focusing on the floor or holding the sofa.

Fulfillment: raise the legs until the knees touch the chest, then lower the legs until the heels touch the floor. Three sets of fifteen repetitions is the best option.

To complicate the exercise, do not touch the floor with your heels. Because of this, the abdominal muscles will be in constant tension.

It develops the lower part well, an exercise familiar to many scissors.

Fulfillment: lying on your back, put your hands along the body, raise your legs ten to fifteen centimeters. Do horizontal swings with your legs, the wider the better. Two sets of twenty repetitions or more.

During execution, you do not need to raise your head.

The best exercise for the lower abdomen - hanging leg raise. For him, you will need the presence of a crossbar at home.

Fulfillment: while hanging, with a powerful movement, raise the legs bent at the knees, trying to reach them to the chest.

Hold this position for one or two seconds and lower your legs down. Do three sets of ten to twelve reps.

Try not to sway the body while lifting the legs, the press must be in constant tension. To complicate the exercise, raise straight legs to a right angle.

oblique muscles

The best exercise for developing the internal and external oblique muscles of the abdomen. Lying on the floor, press your lower back to the floor, your knees should be bent, and your hands should be behind your head.

Execution: simultaneously raise the torso and the knee opposite to the elbow so that the right elbow touches the left knee. Do the same mirror with the left elbow and right knee. Do three sets of ten reps.

To complicate the exercise, do not lower the torso to the end.

Great exercise to strengthen the oblique muscles.

Fulfillment: lying on your side, keep your legs together one on the other. Lean on the right elbow, keep the left hand on the left side. Tighten the press to lift the pelvis up. Do the same mirror on the other elbow. Perform two sets of twenty times.

How to pump up fast

It will not be possible to completely achieve a beautiful relief press in one week, but the improvements will already be visible. First of all, muscle tone will increase, and the level of subcutaneous fat will slightly decrease. But you should not expect cubes, as this is the result of many days of training and a strict diet. With the right approach, strengthening the press and drawing the long-awaited cubes will begin in about 4-5 weeks of training.

However, it should be noted that people come in different preparations and different physiques. Metabolism plays a key role here. A thin person with a fast metabolism will find it easier to achieve a drawing of the press, because he initially has little belly fat. People with a slow metabolism should severely limit their calories and put more emphasis on aerobic activities, such as running or cycling. Accordingly, this type of people will spend more time achieving results.

How to remove the stomach

First of all, you need to give up alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Alcohol increases the level of hormones that are derived from cholesterol, and they in turn contribute to the formation of fat deposits in the abdomen;

Reduce calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. It is better to leave the consumption of carbohydrates in the first half of the day, and in the second, from about three o'clock, the best option would be to eat protein foods and low-calorie vegetable salads. Fiber contributes to weight loss, as its fibers fill the stomach and dampen the feeling of hunger. But starch, on the contrary, is better to exclude to the maximum. It is also better to limit the intake of sweets and fruits due to their sugar content;

Consume two liters of water per day. Without water, it is difficult for the body to cleanse itself, and if you have a slow metabolism, it will be more difficult to reduce fat;

Frequent aerobic and physical activity. Exercise two to three times a week, including exercise and high-intensity exercise.

How much can you pump up the press

A person with an average metabolism will be able to get a tangible result in a month if he exercises every day, taking into account proper nutrition. In this case, you should not do serious loads on the press, but pay more attention to aerobics. This will help to quickly drive excess fat from the abdomen, and the exercises will add definition to the abdominal muscles.

Be sure to warm up before training (warm-up will warm up the muscles and protect them from injury);

Follow the technique of performing exercises;

Exercise regularly;

Breathe correctly (do not hold your breath during the approach);

Focus on the abdominal muscle (keep it in constant tension).

This video demonstrates how to perform abdominal exercises at home:

The points discussed in the article will help to achieve the desired result for absolutely any man with any metabolism. There are only three basic rules for building a beautiful figure: regular quality training, proper nutrition and good rest. In a short time, your stomach will become smaller and more prominent, and the figure as a whole will look more aesthetic if you follow the above tips.

My greetings, glad to see everyone in good health! Recently, we have paid almost no attention to anatomical issues. However, I remember that I “foamed at the mouth” insisted that they are one of the most important, because if your goal is to build muscle, then you need to know what you have to work on, what they are and all that. So, the time has come for us to comprehend all the physiological wisdom of the structure of muscle groups, and we will begin by considering such a unit as the abdominal muscles.

After reading the article, you will learn everything about their structure, features and functions.

Abdominal muscles: structure

Many of you, probably, already from the first lines are wondering - why exactly the abdominal muscles? Everything is very simple, often the press, or rather its absence, worries most of the visitors to the gym / fitness rooms. Someone wants to clean their beer tummy (men), someone just wants to make it flat (women), but someone is eager to finally get a washboard from 6 cubes and diamonds :). The goals, of course, are different for everyone, but everyone has to work with the same material - the abdominal muscles. So, in order to initially move in the direction of achieving your goals, and not “in the opposite direction”, you need to clearly understand what these very muscles are.

The birth theory has always helped us in this, and today it will not be an exception, so let's go.

(musculi abdominis or press)- belong to the “core” muscles, forming, together with the gluteal, thigh, and other small muscles, the so-called “muscular corset”. They are responsible for:

• formation of the abdominal wall;
• protection and retention of internal organs;
• stabilization of the body and the formation of posture.

All members of the human race (regardless of gender and age), have the same set of muscle groups in the abdominal cavity. Those. the muscles of the press in all consist of the following departments:

1. Direct m.zh.;
2. Oblique m.zh.: external oblique and internal oblique;
3. Transverse m.zh.;

Note:

It should be borne in mind that, despite the same muscle groups of the abdominal press, each person has his own (belonging only to him) anatomical feature of their structure. Those. someone will have a clearly defined relief from 6 cubes, someone has only barely noticeable contours, someone will have cubes, and someone will even have rhombuses.

It is customary to conditionally divide the abdominal muscles into groups of the anterior, lateral and posterior walls of the abdomen. Let's go sequentially and consider each of them.

rectus abdominis

M. Rectus abdominis is a long and flat muscle, the bundles of which are interrupted by several ( 3-4 ) transversely located tendon jumpers. It originates from the sternum, stretches along the entire length of the "belly", and has a pelvic (pubic) bone at the point of attachment. The rectus muscle consists of thin longitudinal muscle bundles (connective tissue fibers) running vertically. It is she who is responsible for the relief of the press and is most susceptible to “swinging” on the part of athletes.

The rectus muscle is divided into two halves (right / left) by the white line of the abdomen - a special layer of connective tissue. When there is no fatty layer, then this tissue and 3-4 transverse tendons, crashing into the rectus muscle, form a coveted grid of cubes.

• twisting of the body in the lumbar spine (rapprochement of the chest and pelvis - “upper press”);
• lifting the pelvis with a fixed chest (“lower press”);
• increased intra-abdominal pressure (let's say when executing);
• lowering the ribs and exhaling.

The rectus abdominis muscle (r.m.zh.) has a large cross-sectional area and a significant “lifting” force. In addition, having a large lever arm, it is the strongest flexor of the spine. When fixing the chest and reducing p.m.zh. there is no lowering of the chest in the direction of the pelvis, but on the contrary - raising the pelvis.

The structure of the muscle is such that each of its parts (in the limit) has independent innervation, so it can contract in isolation (each part - top, middle, bottom) and not all at once. Therefore, the training of the rectus muscle should be carried out taking into account its physiological characteristics.

External oblique muscle

M. obliquus externus abdominis is the widest abdominal superficial muscle, the fibers of which run medially and from top to bottom to the midline of the body. It starts on the lateral surface of the sternum from 8 -mi lower ribs and is located on both sides of the human torso. The external muscle is located above the internal.

The main function or what it is responsible for:

• body rotation in opposite directions (with unilateral contraction);
• ribs down and trunk flexion (with bilateral muscle contraction);
• lifting and carrying weights;
• keeping the body in an upright position.

The rectus and external oblique muscles can be clearly observed in the following figure.

Internal oblique muscle

M. obliquus Internus abdominis is a flat broad muscle with fan-shaped bundles that forms the second (middle) layer of the abdominal cavity. Located under the outer spit. Its bundles run diagonally upward from the ilium in the direction of the midline.

The main function or what it is responsible for:

• torso rotation;
• pulling the chest down;
• bending the body to the side;
• compression of the abdomen;

transverse muscle

M. transversus abdominis - forms the third (most profound) a layer of abdominal muscles and passes, according to its name, encircling the entire abdomen. We can say that this muscle is your natural athletic belt. It is conditionally possible to divide this muscle into 3 parts: top, middle and bottom.

The main function or what it is responsible for:

• reduction in waist;
• contraction of the ribs and exhalation;
• bending the body forward and to the sides;
• turning the body to the side.

The internal oblique and transverse muscles can be clearly observed in the following figure.

So, let's summarize again and remember what muscles our “belly” consists of and ...

... where they are located and what functions they perform.

Actually, what else do you want to say. My hands are itching (and this is not a rash) to tell you about the most effective types of exercises and in general everything about the “flatness” of the abdomen, but the article is purely fundamental, so we will limit ourselves to dry theory.

Well, that's all I have.

Afterword

Today we learned all about the abdominal muscles. This is only the first stone in the garden of the relief press, but very soon we will build a whole mound of them. There will be practical moments, and the features of training, and the nutrition system, in general, the whole range of measures that will help us in transforming our one ball into 6 graceful cubes :). So while mastering this material, subscribe so as not to miss the next one, and then you will be happy!

See you soon, dear readers!

PS. Do not forget about the comments and various good words.