Your abdominal area is comprised of different muscle groups that form your abs.  If you want to work this muscle group so you can have six pack abs, it’s important that you understand the different muscles.  This article will explain what the muscle is, where each one is located and what it does.  You will also see a few examples of the types of exercises that target these muscles.  

Transversus Abdominis 

These are the muscles that are in the deepest level of your abdomen.  They are important for several reasons.  They stabilize your core and help you with your posture, as well as support your spine during activity.  They also protect many of your vital organs and help with certain bodily functions.  

It’s very important for these muscles to be strong.  Isometric contraction exercises like the plank and the vacuum pose are great to work this area of your abs. These exercises may be difficult for you at first if you’re not used to working this muscle group.  However, they will get easier with practice, so try to hold the poses longer each time you practice.     

Internal and External Obliques 

These muscles run along the side of your abdomen.  The internal obliques are deeper than the external which are more towards the surface.  The main function of this muscle group is to assist your body when it rotates.  Any time your body twists or bends, the internal and external obliques stabilize you.  

Many typical ab exercises will work your obliques, but there are some specifically for this area.  Oblique crunches, side bends, and bicycle crunches are just a few of the exercises you can do to work your obliques.  It can sometimes be hard to get the form correct on these exercises, so you may want to start out with fewer reps at first, until you’re confident about your form.  

Rectus Abdominis 

These muscles are actually 8 muscles that make up the upper and lower abdominals.  These are the muscles that you actually see when they’re toned and that give you that six pack appearance.  Besides making your stomach look great, these muscles also protect your organs against any external injuries like getting hit in the stomach.  

While all of the muscles of your abdominal area are important, these are probably the ones you want to focus on if you’re trying to get a washboard stomach.  There are so many exercises that work these muscles that it would be impossible to list them all, but a few examples are standard and reverse crunches.  Since you have so many options, you can choose the exercises that you enjoy doing and work them into your routine.   

 

Now that you know the muscles that make up your abdominal region, you should have a better understanding of the types of exercises you’ll need to use to target the individual areas.  A good ab workout will make sure that each one of these areas is covered.