Understanding Your Abdominal Muscles

Many people use the term "six pack abs" when referring to rock hard abdominal muscles. You will also often hear terms like lower abdominal exercises or upper abdominal exercises when referring to the six pack. Although many exercises will focus primarily on the lower section or upper section, the truth is this particular ab muscle, knows as the rectus abdominus, is one large muscle. In fact, you have only six abdominal muscles yet over 100 different abdominal exercises.

So why are there so many abdominal exercises with only a handful of abdominal muscles? Well, different ab exercises will focus on a particular area of the muscle or will work more than one ab muscle at a time. Other reasons for the variety of exercises are to ensure you never get bored with strengthening and toning your abdominal muscles.

Anatomy of the Abdominal Muscles

You have six different muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. These muscles are the rectus abdominus (also known as your six pack), 2 external oblique muscles (one on each side), 2 interior oblique muscles (one on each side) and the transverse abdominus muscle. Your abdominal muscles extend from different places on the ribs to various places on the pelvis. The primary purpose of your ab muscles is to provide movement and to support your trunk. Let's take a closer look at each abdominal muscle.

Six Pack Abs - The Rectus Abdominus

Most commonly referred to as the six pack your rectus abdominus muscle is one long muscle covering what people refer to as the lower abs and upper abs. Many abdominal exercises will target primarily the lower section of your rectus abdominus or target the upper section. But in reality, when performing any abdominal exercise that contracts the rectus abdominus, you are actually working the whole muscle. You may just feel it more in the lower or upper area. This abdominal muscle is located between your ribs and the pubic bone. Its main purpose and function is to provide movement of the body between the rib cage and the pelvis.

The most common abdominal exercises that target this muscle are crunches. The traditional crunch being the most commonly used ab exercise to tone the six pack. However, there are many abdominal exercises that will target this muscle that are much more effective than the traditional crunch. According to one study, the bicycle crunch, also called the bicycle maneuver, was shown to be the most effective for the rectus abdominus muscle.

Oblique Muscles

As stated earlier, you have four oblique muscles; 1 internal and 1 external on each side of the body. These muscles are located on each side of the rectus abdominus muscle. The main function of the oblique abdominal muscles is for twisting the body at your torso. The internal and external oblique muscles work together but in opposite ways. When twisting your body to the right you are using and contracting the right internal oblique muscle and the left external oblique muscles.

Abdominal exercises that twist or bend at the side will work your oblique muscles. Isometric exercises are another great way to really strengthen and tone all your ab muscles. Isometric exercises, according to Wikipedia are "a type of strengthening exercises in which the joint and muscle length do not change during contraction". What this means is that isometrics are exercises were you are remaining in the same position with your muscles contracted for a period of time. So basically these are non-moving abdominal exercises.

Transverse Abdominus Muscle

The transverse abdominus muscle is the most over looked abdominal muscle. This muscle is the deepest of your ab muscles and is a critical muscle to help build your core strength. By strengthening and toning this muscle you are helping to strengthen your core and back and minimizes back injury and pain. You should always include abdominal exercises that work this muscle when doing your strengthening routine.

One of the best abdominal exercises to work the transverse abdominus muscle is the plank pose. This is an isometric exercise in which you hold your position while contracting and strengthening your muscles.

Now that you know and understand your abdominal muscles you are ready to give them a great workout with your abdominal exercises. Choose a variety of exercises to ensure you work all your muscles and keep your routine varied and fun.

Check out these abdominal exercises with instructions and illustrations.

Author Julie Barros is the creator of http://www.exercise4weightloss.com where you will find exercise and weight loss tips, weight loss reviews, weight loss tools and more.