Dominic Stone
Activating your abdominal muscles is important for improving pain and allowing your body to function at its full potential. The Transversus Abdominis (TA) is the deepest of your abdominal muscles, and it's important to know how to activate it. There are several ways to do this, including placing a weight on your belly button and engaging your core to hold it in place, or gently sinking your fingertips into your abdominals 2cm inwards and 2cm downwards from the front of your hip bones.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Method | Gently sink your fingertips into your abdominals 2cm inwards and 2cm downwards from the front of your hip bones |
| Place a light-to-moderate weight on your belly button and engage your core so that the weight is held in place by your abdominals | |
| Tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off the floor until they’re in line with your knees and shoulders | |
| Abdominal bracing | |
| Abdominal draw-in manoeuvre | |
| Muscle | Transversus Abdominis (TA) |
| Muscle function | Stabilises the spine |
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Abdominal bracing
To brace your abdominals, you can try the abdominal draw-in manoeuvre, also known as abdominal hollowing. This is when you focus on bringing your navel to your spine. This type of contraction is used for stability and is most effective when thought of as a dynamic part of your exhalation.
Another way to activate your abdominal muscles is to place a light-to-moderate weight on your belly button and try to stop it from pushing through to your spine. You can use a dumbbell or a household item such as a jug of water.
You can also try gently sinking your fingertips into your abdominals 2cm inwards and 2cm downwards from the front of your hip bones. Imagine a line drawn across your abdominals right below the navel, from one hip bone to the other. In your head, make that line shorter, pulling the two hip bones closer together. You should feel a very subtle engagement of muscles underneath your fingertips.
It is important to know when to activate your core, as well as how to do it. You should do this before and during your workout. Spend a few minutes performing core activation exercises to switch on your muscles.
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Abdominal hollowing
Activating your abdominal muscles is important for improving pain and allowing your body to function at its full potential. One of the deepest abdominal muscles is the Transversus Abdominis (TA), which is attached from your lower ribs to your pelvis and sits like a corset around your middle.
Another way to activate your abdominal muscles is to tighten them and lift your hips off the floor until they're in line with your knees and shoulders. Your body should form one straight line from head to knees. Lower your hips to the floor with control, then repeat for 30 seconds.
It's important to know when to activate your core, which is something you should do before and during your workout. Spend a few minutes performing core activation exercises to switch on your muscles.
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Using weights
One exercise you can try is a weighted plank. Start in a high-plank position with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, with your elbow bent until your tricep is in line with your torso. Extend your arm back until it's completely straight, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Complete five reps on each side.
You can also try an exercise that targets your rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and shoulders. Lie on your back, holding a single dumbbell or light kettlebell in your hands like a goblet with your arms straight. Bend your legs and curl your shoulder blades up off the floor to bring your elbows and knees to touch in the air over your stomach. Lower back down to the mat and stretch your arms overhead while extending your legs and lowering them to hover a few inches above the floor. Return to the starting position. To make this move more difficult, increase the weight used.
Remember, repetitions over 20 tend to focus more on muscular endurance and less on strength and hypertrophy. So, if you're using weights, keep your rep range low.
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Hip lifts
There are several ways to activate your abdominal muscles, including hip lifts. One way to do this is to lie on your back, tighten your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off the floor until they're in line with your knees and shoulders. Your body should form one straight line from head to knees. Lower your hips to the floor with control, then repeat for 30 seconds.
Another way to activate your abdominal muscles is to place a light-to-moderate weight on your belly button and engage your core so that the weight is held in place by your abdominals. You can use a dumbbell or a household item such as a jug of water.
You can also try abdominal bracing, which is an isometric contraction of the muscles of your abdominal wall that does not move or change the position of your spine, ribs, or pelvis. This is used as a way to protect the spine when moving heavy loads, such as when lifting weights.
Finally, you can try the abdominal draw-in manoeuvre, also known as abdominal hollowing. This happens when you focus on bringing your navel to your spine. This type of contraction is used for stability and is most effective when thought of as a dynamic part of your exhalation.
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Fingertip exercises
There are several ways to activate your abdominal muscles, and it's important to find the right one for you. One way is to gently sink your fingertips into your abdominals 2cm inwards and 2cm downwards from the front of your hip bones. You should feel a very subtle engagement of muscles underneath your fingertips.
Another way to activate your abdominal muscles is to imagine a line drawn across your abdominals right below the navel, from one hip bone to the other. In your head, make that line shorter, pulling the two hip bones closer together. You should feel a very subtle engagement of muscles underneath your fingertips.
You can also try abdominal bracing, which is an isometric contraction of the muscles of your abdominal wall that does not move or change the position of your spine, ribs, or pelvis. This is used as a way to protect the spine when moving heavy loads, such as when lifting weights.
Finally, you can try the abdominal draw-in manoeuvre, also known as abdominal hollowing. This happens when you focus on bringing your navel to your spine. This type of contraction is used for stability and is most effective when thought of as a dynamic part of your exhalation.
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Frequently asked questions
You should feel a very subtle engagement of muscles underneath your fingertips.
Abdominal bracing is an isometric contraction of the muscles of your abdominal wall that does not move or change the position of your spine, ribs, or pelvis. It is used as a way to protect the spine when moving heavy loads, such as when lifting weights.
Place a light-to-moderate weight on your belly button and engage your core so that the weight is held in place by your abdominals.
The abdominal draw-in manoeuvre, also known as abdominal hollowing, happens when you focus on bringing your navel to your spine. This type of contraction is used for stability, such as bracing, and is most effective when thought of as a dynamic part of your exhalation.
