Dominic Stone
The abdominal muscles, also known as abs, are a group of muscles located between the ribcage and pelvis on the front of the body. They play a crucial role in maintaining posture, supporting the trunk, enabling movement, and holding organs in place. The rectus abdominis, a long, thin muscle running down the abdomen, is often associated with the 'six-pack' look. However, achieving well-defined abs involves losing body fat and building muscle through a combination of diet and exercise. The inner and outer abdominal muscles work in harmony with other muscle groups to provide stability and strength to the body.
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What You'll Learn
The rectus abdominis muscle
The rectus abdominis is an important postural muscle that helps to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure. It also assists in creating intra-abdominal pressure, such as when exercising, lifting heavy weights, or during forceful defecation or childbirth. This muscle holds the internal organs in place and keeps the body stable during movement.
The rectus abdominis is innervated by the thoraco-abdominal nerves, which are continuations of the T7-T11 intercostal nerves. The blood supply to the muscle arises predominantly from the inferior and superior epigastric arteries. The rectus abdominis is attached by two tendons: the larger one is attached to the pubic crest, and the smaller, medial tendon is attached to the pubic symphysis. The muscle fibres then extend vertically superiorly and insert into the xiphoid process of the sternum and the costal cartilages of the 5th, 6th, and 7th ribs.
The rectus abdominis is often associated with the "`six-pack` look. In people with low body fat, the muscle bellies can be viewed externally in sets ranging from two to twelve, with six being the most common. The muscle is divided into segments by tendinous intersections, resulting in the characteristic "six-pack" shape.
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The external obliques
The external oblique muscles are located on the lateral sides of the abdominal wall. Along with the internal abdominal oblique and transversus abdominis, they comprise the lateral abdominal muscles. In a broader context, these muscles make up the anterolateral abdominal wall, along with two anterior abdominal muscles: the rectus abdominis and the pyramidalis. The external obliques contribute to the lateral part of the abdominal wall, while their aponeurotic part contributes to the anterior abdominal wall.
The external oblique muscles have a variety of functions depending on whether they contract unilaterally or bilaterally. When contracting unilaterally, the external oblique rotates the trunk to the opposite side. For example, contracting the right external oblique turns the body to the left. When working together with the ipsilateral abdominal and back muscles, the external oblique contributes to the lateral flexion of the trunk on the same side. Bilateral contraction of the external obliques, along with the rectus abdominis and internal oblique, flexes the trunk by drawing the pubis towards the xiphoid, as in crunches or sit-ups.
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The internal obliques
The internal oblique muscle has multiple sites of origin along the anterolateral side of the trunk. The muscle fibres can be divided into anterior, lateral, and posterior fibres, with the anterior fibres arising from a deep structure known as the iliopectineal arch. The internal oblique muscle is supplied by the lower six thoracic spinal nerves (T7-T12) and minorly by the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves (L1).
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The transversus abdominis
Training the transversus abdominis can help to achieve a ""flat" belly, which is often a goal for people seeking to develop their abdominal muscles. Exercises such as crunches and the bicycle manoeuvre are effective ways to target the transversus abdominis and other abdominal muscles.
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The pyramidalis
The defined function of the pyramidalis muscle is somewhat unclear, but it is believed to contribute to abdominal wall functions by increasing intra-abdominal pressure during certain activities such as labour, forced expiration, and defecation. Additionally, the pyramidalis muscle tenses the linea alba when contracting. This tensing action is particularly important in surgical procedures like classical caesarean sections, where it helps determine the midline and location of the linea alba.
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Frequently asked questions
Abs are the abdominal muscles, which are located between the ribcage and the pelvis on the front of the body.
The abdominal muscles include the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, external oblique, and internal oblique.
The rectus abdominis is a long, thin muscle that moves the body between the ribcage and the pelvis. It also helps to hold internal organs in place and contributes to stability during movement.
The transverse abdominis is the deepest abdominal muscle and it helps to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure.
Well-defined abs are a result of a combination of diet and exercise. Exercises such as the bicycle maneuver, captain's chair, and exercise ball crunch are effective in targeting the abdominal muscles. Additionally, reducing body fat can help to make the abs more visible.
