
Abdominal muscles are located between the ribcage and pelvis on the front of the body. They support the trunk, allow movement, and hold the internal organs in place. They are also responsible for maintaining a uniform pressure inside the abdomen, which helps the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and other organs to hold their positions. Abdominal muscles can be divided into four groups: the external obliques, the internal obliques, the transversus abdominis, and the rectus abdominis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Between the ribcage and pelvis at the front of the body |
| Number of muscles | Five pairs |
| Muscle groups | Two vertical, three flat |
| Function | Support the trunk, allow movement, hold organs in place, maintain uniform pressure inside the abdomen, maintain posture, support the spine |
| Muscle names | External obliques, internal obliques, transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis |
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What You'll Learn

Abdominal muscles support the trunk
The rectus abdominis is a pair of muscles that run down either side of the middle of the abdomen from the ribs to the pelvis. They are divided into two segments by a muscle called the linea alba and are responsible for holding the internal organs in place. The rectus abdominis also helps to maintain posture and support the spine by increasing the pressure inside the abdomen.
The external obliques are the outermost abdominal muscles, and they extend inferiorly and medially. The internal obliques are perpendicular to the external obliques and extend superiorly and medially. Together, these muscles help to support the trunk by allowing movement and protecting the spine.
The deep abdominal muscles, together with the intrinsic back muscles, make up the core muscles. They help to keep the body stable and balanced and protect the spine. Causes of abdominal muscle strain include overstretching, overuse, or violent, poorly performed movements of the trunk.
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They help hold organs in place
Your abdominal muscles are located between your ribcage and pelvis on the front of your body. They have many important roles, including supporting your trunk, helping with movement and holding your organs in place.
The rectus abdominis is a pair of muscles that go down either side of the middle of your abdomen from your ribs to the front of your pelvis. They hold your internal organs in place and keep your body stable during movement. They are divided into two segments by a muscle called the linea alba.
The abdominal muscles maintain a uniform pressure inside the abdomen. This helps the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and other organs hold their positions. By contracting, your abdominal muscles can increase the pressure inside your abdomen. In this way, they help pass urine and stool and are used in childbirth.
The deep abdominal muscles, together with the intrinsic back muscles, make up the core muscles and help keep the body stable and balanced, and protect the spine.
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They maintain uniform pressure inside the abdomen
Abdominal muscles are located between the ribcage and the pelvis on the front of the body. They are made up of five pairs of muscles, two of which are vertical and three of which are flat and stacked on top of each other. The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement, and hold the internal organs in place. They also maintain a uniform pressure inside the abdomen, which helps the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and other organs to hold their positions.
The rectus abdominis is a pair of muscles that go down either side of the middle of the abdomen from the ribs to the front of the pelvis. They are divided into two segments by a muscle called the linea alba. The rectus abdominis holds the internal organs in place and keeps the body stable during movement.
The deep abdominal muscles, together with the intrinsic back muscles, make up the core muscles and help keep the body stable and balanced, as well as protecting the spine. The abdominal muscles can contract to increase the pressure inside the abdomen, which helps to pass urine and stool and is also used in childbirth.
Abdominal muscle strains can be caused by overstretching, overuse, or a violent, poorly performed movement of the trunk. They can also be caused by improper technique while playing sports that require running, turning, and jumping, lifting heavy objects, laughing, coughing, or sneezing.
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They help with passing urine and stool
Abdominal muscles are located between the ribcage and pelvis on the front of the body. They are made up of five pairs of muscles, two of which are vertical and three of which are flat and stacked on top of each other. These muscles support the trunk, allow movement, and hold organs in place.
The rectus abdominis muscles are a pair of muscles that go down either side of the middle of the abdomen from the ribs to the pelvis. They are divided into two segments by a muscle called the linea alba. The rectus abdominis muscles hold internal organs in place and keep the body stable during movement.
The abdominal muscles maintain a uniform pressure inside the abdomen. This helps the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and other organs hold their positions. By contracting, the abdominal muscles can increase the pressure inside the abdomen. In this way, they help pass urine and stool and are used in childbirth.
The deep abdominal muscles, together with the intrinsic back muscles, make up the core muscles and help keep the body stable and balanced. They also protect the spine.
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They are needed for maintaining posture
Abdominal muscles are located between the ribcage and the pelvis on the front of the body. They are needed for maintaining posture and supporting the spine. They also help to hold the internal organs in place and keep the body stable during movement. The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allowing movement, and are distensible, meaning they can accommodate dynamic changes in the volume of abdominal contents.
The deep abdominal muscles, together with the intrinsic back muscles, make up the core muscles and help keep the body stable and balanced. They also protect the spine.
The abdominal muscles can be divided into four groups: the external obliques, the internal obliques, the transversus abdominis, and the rectus abdominis. The rectus abdominis is a pair of muscles that lie in front of the abdomen and are divided into two segments by a muscle called the linea alba. They have three horizontal tendons running across their front, which give the "six-pack" appearance.
The external oblique is the closest to the surface and extends inferiorly and medially, in the direction of sliding one's four fingers into pant pockets. Perpendicular to it is the intermediate internal oblique, extending superiorly and medially, in the direction the thumbs usually go when the other fingers are in the pants pocket.
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Frequently asked questions
Abdominal muscles are located between the ribcage and pelvis on the front of the body. They support the trunk, allow movement, and hold organs in place.
The abdominal muscles can be divided into four groups: the external obliques, the internal obliques, the transversus abdominis, and the rectus abdominis.
The rectus abdominis muscles hold the internal organs in place and keep the body stable during movement. They also help to maintain posture and support the spine.
Abdominal muscles maintain uniform pressure inside the abdomen, helping the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and other organs to hold their positions. They also help with passing urine and stool and are used in childbirth.
Strained abdominal muscles can be caused by overstretching, overuse, or a poorly performed movement of the trunk. Symptoms may include pain, tenderness, or difficulty moving the affected area.










































