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All About Working The Transverse Abdominals
A group of muscles that often gets neglected instomach exercise routines are the transverse
abdominals, the core muscles that lie below the
rectus abdominus. Most abdominal exercises target
the rectus abdominus and the vertical abdominals,
ignoring the transverse abdominals. Even crunches,
the staple of most abdominal workouts, do
nothing for the transverse abdominals. These
muscles are actually the most important to target,
however, as they connect to both the lower back
muscles and the rectus abdominus and for a girdle
for the entire abdomen. Any routine aimed at
flattening the stomach should include the
transverse abdominals as a focus. Using the
following exercises, you can work out your
transverse abdominals and really make progress on
that flat tummy. As with any workout routine, be
sure to consult a professional before beginning
and always warm up properly to avoid injury.
Pelvic Tilts
This stomach exercise requires lying on your back
on a flat surface, such as the floor or a bench.
Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Bend
your knees so that your feet are flat on the
floor. Raise your pelvis (and only your pelvis)
off the floor, hold momentarily, and then lower
it back down. Repeat for an entire set.
Maintaining a controlled movement is crucial to
this exercise. This will allow you to use your
abdominal muscles, rather than your body's
momentum, to do the work on the exercise. Also,
be sure to keep your upper body on the floor
throughout.
Crunchless Crunch
This first exercise is fairly simple but can also
be fairly difficult. Essentially, it involves
trying to pull the belly button in towards the
spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using
muscles which you may not be used to activating.
To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel.
You might want to try both ways and see which
helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your
body as much as possible, then try to use only
the lower abdominals to move your belly button
toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If
holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a
longer period. The goal is to hold the
contraction until you either cannot feel it, or
you feel other muscles working harder than the
transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the
contraction out.
Scissor Kicks
This stomach exercise also requires lying on the
floor. Position your hands under your butt,
keeping your back pressed against the floor.
Slowly raise one leg to a height of about ten
inches, then slowly lower it back to the floor.
As your lower one leg, raise the other. Repeat
this motion for an entire set. Maintaining
control throughout is important, not allowing
momentum to get the better of you. Your upper
body should remain on the floor through the
entire move.
There are plenty of other exercises targeting the
transverse abdominals, but these three ought to
be enough to get you started. Stomach exercises
like these are key to any tummy-flattening plan,
and they are especially good for pregnant and
post-partum women.