Exercises For The Transverse Abdominals

A group of muscles that often gets neglected in stomach 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 popular exercises such as crunches tend to neglect this important group of muscles. But, since these muscles are connected to the lower back muscles, to the rectus abdominus and, generally speaking, to the entire abdomen, they are a very important group of muscles to develop.

Any routine aimed at flattening the stomach should include the transverse abdominals as a focus. The following exercises will help your stomach get flatter in a much shorter time. Be mindful that before doing these exercises you should consult your health care professional to make sure you are in good health, and you should always warm up. Tilt your pelvis You will need to lay flat on your back, either on the floor or on another hard surface.

Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Bend your knees slightly and have your feet flat on the floor. Raise your pelvis (and only your pelvis) off the floor, hold momentarily, and then lower it back down. Repeat this exercise a few times. Your movements should be very controlled during this particular exercise. Maintaining conscious control will ensure that you use your abdominal muscles correctly.

Also, your upper body should be flat on the floor. Do crunches without crunching. This first exercise is fairly simple but can also be fairly difficult. The focus of this exercise is to pull the belly button toward the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. Lay flat on your stomach or try to 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 you can do that with little difficulty, try longer. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. You should relax the muscles as soon as you feel it.

Use your legs like scissors You will need to lay on the floor for this exercise also. Position your hands under your butt, keeping your back pressed against the floor. Lift one leg about ten inches off the floor, and lower it back down. You will lift the other leg at the same time that you are bringing this one down. Repeat until you’ve done an entire set. Again, make sure you remain in control, to allow your abdominals to get the best workout. 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. These exercises are easy enough to even be done by pregnant and post partum women, and they are key to having a flatter stomach.

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