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The abdominal muscles are the muscles forming the abdominal walls, which are composed of three flat muscular sheets: the external oblique, the internal oblique, and the transverse abdominis, supplemented in front on each side of the midline by the rectus abdominis. These muscles support the trunk, allow movement, and hold organs in place. They also regulate breathing, protect the spine, and provide stability and mobility for the pelvis. To develop strong, flat abs, it is important to understand the location and function of each abdominal muscle and to choose exercises that effectively target them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of abdominal muscles | 5 |
| Location | Between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body |
| Function | Hold internal organs in place, support the trunk, allow movement, maintain internal abdominal pressure, and provide core support |
| Muscle groups | Transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and pyramidalis |
| Muscle strains | Caused by overstretching, overuse, or violent/poor movements of the trunk |
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What You'll Learn
The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis
The abdominal muscles are indeed located between the ribs and the pelvis, on the front of the body. They form the abdominal walls, which connect the thorax and pelvis. The abdominal muscles are strong bands of muscles lining the walls of the abdomen, or trunk, of the body.
There are five main abdominal muscles, which are made up of five pairs of muscles. Two of these are vertical muscles located in the middle of the body, and three are flat muscles stacked on top of each other, situated towards the sides of the trunk. The five main abdominal muscles are the pyramidalis, rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and transversus abdominis.
The rectus abdominis is the muscle that is often referred to as the 'six-pack'. It is slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. The external oblique muscles are located on each side of the rectus abdominis. They allow the trunk to twist, but to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. For example, the right external oblique contracts to turn the body to the left. The internal oblique muscles flank the rectus abdominis and are located just inside the hip bones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles.
The transversus abdominis is the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure. The pyramidalis is a small, triangular-shaped vertical muscle located at the base of the pubic bone. It sits in front of the rectus abdominis and attaches to the linea alba. It helps maintain internal pressure in the abdomen.
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They support the trunk, hold organs in place, and allow movement
The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. They form the abdominal walls, with the abdomen being the portion of the trunk that connects the thorax and pelvis.
The abdominal muscles support the trunk, hold organs in place, and allow movement. They are responsible for holding internal organs in place and protecting them. This includes the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and other organs. They also maintain posture and provide core support.
The abdominal muscles consist of five pairs of muscles. Two are vertical muscles located toward the middle of the body. Three are flat muscles stacked on top of each other, situated toward the sides of the trunk. The four main abdominal muscle groups that combine to completely cover the internal organs include transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques, and internal obliques.
The transversus abdominis is the deepest muscle layer. Its main roles are to stabilize the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure. The rectus abdominis is slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. When contracting, this muscle has the characteristic bumps or bulges that are commonly called a "six-pack." The rectus abdominis holds internal organs in place and keeps the body stable during movement.
The external oblique muscles are on each side of the rectus abdominis. They allow the trunk to twist to the opposite side of the contracting external oblique. For example, contracting the right external oblique muscle will turn the body to the left. The internal oblique muscles flank the rectus abdominis and are located just inside the hip bones. They operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For instance, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left internal oblique and the right external oblique to contract together.
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There are five main abdominal muscles
The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. They have many important functions, including holding internal organs in place, supporting the body during movement, maintaining posture, and providing core support.
- Pyramidalis: This is a small, triangular vertical muscle located at the base of the pubic bone. It sits in front of the rectus abdominis and attaches to the linea alba. The pyramidalis helps maintain internal pressure in the abdomen, although about 20% of people do not have this muscle.
- Rectus abdominis: This pair of muscles runs down either side of the middle of the abdomen from the ribs to the pelvis. They are divided by the linea alba and hold the internal organs in place, keeping the body stable during movement. The rectus abdominis may form bumps called a "six-pack" when an individual has a trim, fit abdomen.
- External obliques: These are a pair of muscles, one on each side of the rectus abdominis. They are the largest of the flat muscles and allow the trunk to twist from side to side.
- Internal obliques: These are a pair of muscles that sit on top of the external obliques, just inside the hip bones. They are thinner and smaller than the external obliques but operate in the opposite way, allowing the trunk to twist in the opposite direction to the contracting external oblique.
- Transversus abdominis: This is the deepest muscle layer, layered on top of the internal obliques. It helps to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure.
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The external oblique muscles allow the trunk to twist
The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. They form the abdominal walls, with the abdomen being the portion of the trunk that connects the thorax and pelvis. There are five main abdominal muscles: pyramidalis, rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and transversus abdominis. These muscles help to hold organs in place, support the body during movement, and protect the spine.
The external oblique muscles are a pair of muscles, one on each side of the rectus abdominis. They are the largest of the flat muscles and sit at the bottom of the stack. The external obliques run from the sides of the body toward the middle. They are also referred to as the outermost abdominal muscles.
The internal oblique muscles are located just inside the hip bones, on top of the external obliques. They are much thinner and smaller than the external oblique muscles. The internal obliques can function bilaterally, meaning both sides work together, and unilaterally, meaning one-sided. Bilaterally, they flex the trunk and compress its contents. Unilaterally, they laterally flex the trunk and rotate it to the same side. The internal obliques also function together with the external oblique muscles to enable the trunk to twist and turn.
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The transversus abdominis is the deepest abdominal muscle layer
The abdominal muscles are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body. They form the abdominal walls and support the trunk, allowing movement and holding organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure.
The transversus abdominis is important for maintaining normal abdominal tension and increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Its main roles are to stabilise the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure. It works together with the multifidus, a deep back muscle that runs along the spine, to increase spine stability and protect against back injury or strain during movement or normal posture.
The transversus abdominis has several origin points: the lateral one-third of the superior surface of the inguinal ligament and the associated iliac fascia; the anterior two-thirds of the inner lip of the iliac crest; the thoracolumbar fascia between the iliac crest and the 12th rib; the internal aspects of the lower six ribs and their costal cartilages. From these origin points, the transversus abdominis fibres course horizontally over the lateral abdominal wall towards the midline, oriented perpendicular to the linea alba.
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Frequently asked questions
Abdominal muscles are the muscles forming the abdominal walls, which encase the abdominal cavity and viscera. They are located between the ribs and the pelvis on the front of the body.
There are five main abdominal muscles: pyramidalis, rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and transversus abdominis.
Abdominal muscles have many important functions, including holding organs in place, supporting the body during movement, and maintaining internal abdominal pressure. They also help to protect the internal abdominal organs in an area where there is no bone.
There are various exercises that can help strengthen the abdominal muscles, such as rectus exercises and oblique exercises. It is recommended to perform muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week.
