Abdominal Muscles
Lean abdominals are amazing, and they have absolutely taken over as the status symbol of the day. Tight, firm abs are the most impressive commodity on the market at the moment, and it's about time you scored yourself a set.
Ditching the belly fat has already been covered, and now it's time to put some effort into those muscles. You should start training them appropriately immediately, so when your layer of fat is long gone your abs will be ready for the spotlight.
Anatomy 101
The abdominals are comprised of the rectus abdominus, the obliques, and the transverse abdominus. The rectus abdominus runs from your rib cage past your belly button, down into your pubic crest. This muscle can be contracted by bringing your hips closer to your rib cage, as you do in regular crunches.
The external and internal obliques run in a more diagonal pattern and are located on each side of the rectus abdominus. The obliques are responsible for trunk rotation (twisting) and lateral bending.
The transverse abdominus is the deepest abdominal muscle. It is commonly referenced as a stabilizing belt for your trunk and spine. This muscle is not responsible for movement, but it is a vital component to lower back health. These muscles combine with those of the lower back to form what is commonly referred to as the core.
Work That Body!
Think about all of the ancient Roman statues you've seen. The men back then were ripped! It's probably fair to assume they didn't spend a lot of time doing crunches on a BOSU, so what was it that gave them all six packs? It was their life! They were manual laborers who lifted, pulled, and twisted against great resistance all day. They weren't surrounded by burger joints either, which certainly helps.
Alert
You may be surprised, but you are constantly working your abdominals. You use them throughout each day by simply executing great posture (suck in that transverse), shutting a door (rotate those obliques), and smooshing garbage down in to your trash can (flex that rectus)! As you rotate, bend, lift, and pull each day, your abdominal muscles are there to help.
In addition to helping you get through your day, some cardiovascular exercises can help you work your abs. Activities like martial arts, dancing, soccer, gymnastics, swimming, boxing, and basketball all require you to engage your core regularly.
All of these options force you to twist and bend at the waist a lot, which is great work for your abdominals. The elliptical machine and the stationary bicycle do not. When you plan out your cardiovascular exercise, think about pursuing choices that will naturally work your core.
