2017614 AbdominalexerciseWikipedia

Abdominalexercise
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Abdominalexercisesarethosethataffecttheabdominalmuscles(colloquiallyknownasthestomachmuscles
or"abs").

Contents
1 Effects
2 Functionsofabdominalmuscles
3 Coretraining
4 Typesofabdominalexercisesandeffectiveness
4.1 Momentaneousactivity
4.2 Bicyclecrunch
4.3 Gadgets
5 Safetyofabdominalexercises
6 Seealso
7 References

Effects
Abdominalexercisesareusefulforbuildingtheabdominalmuscles.Thisisusefulforimprovingperformance
withcertainsports,backpain,andforwithstandingabdominalimpacts(e.g.,takingpunches).Accordingtoa
2011study,abdominalmuscleexercisesareknowntoincreasethestrengthandenduranceoftheabdominal
muscles.[1]

Ithasbeenhighlydisputedwhetherornotabdominalexerciseshaveanyreducingeffectonabdominalfat.The
aforementioned2011studyfoundthatabdominalexercisedoesnotreduceabdominalfattoachievethat,a
deficitinenergyexpenditureandcaloricintakemustbecreatedabdominalexercisesalonearenotenoughto
reduceabdominalfatandthegirthoftheabdomen.[1]Earlyresultsfroma2006studyfoundthatwalking
exercise(notabdominalexercisespecifically)reducedthesizeofsubcutaneousabdominalfatcellscellsize
predictstype2diabetesaccordingtoaleadauthor.Moderateexercisereducedcellsizebyabout18%in45
obesewomenovera20weekperioddietalonedidnotappeartoaffectcellsize.[2]

Functionsofabdominalmuscles
Abdominalmuscleshavemanyimportantfunctions,includinginbreathing,coughing,andsneezing,and
maintainingpostureandspeechinanumberofspecies.[3]Theanteriorabdominalwallismadeupoffour
musclestherectusabdominismuscle,theinternalandexternalobliques,andthetransversusabdominis."The
twointernalmuscles,theinternalobliqueandthetransverseabdominis,respondmoretoincreasesinchemical
orvolumerelateddrivethanthetwoexternalmuscles,therectusabdominisandexternalobliquethebasisfor
thisdifferentialsensitivityisunknown".[3]

Coretraining
Notonlycanaonesidedpreferenceforabdominalmuscles(lackofexercisefocusedonothercoremuscles)
resultincreatingmuscleimbalances,buttheeffectivenessofexerciseisalsofarfromwhatcouldbeachieved
withabalancedworkoutplanning.Coretrainingfrequentlyutilizesbalanceexercises.Thesearecharacterized

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byanunstablepositionthatrequirestheuseofawiderangeofmuscleswhichhelpbalanceoscillationofthe
centerofgravity.Wecanbalancebothinstaticpositionsandwhileperformingdynamicmovements.

Thegoalofcoretrainingisdefinitelynottodevelopmusclehypertrophybuttoimprovefunctional
predispositionsofphysicalactivity.Thisparticularlyinvolvesimprovingintraandintermuscularcoordination
orsynchronizationofparticipatingmuscles.

Involvementofthecoremeansmorethanjustcompressingabdominalmuscleswhenincrouchingorseated
position.Theroleofthecoremusclesistostabilizethespine.Resistingexpansionorrotationisasimportantas
theabilitytoexecutemovement.

Typesofabdominalexercisesandeffectiveness
TheabdominalmusclescanbeworkedoutbypracticingdisciplinesofgeneralbodystrengthsuchasPilates,
yoga,T'aichi,andjoggingamongothers.Therearealsospecificroutinestotargeteachofthesemuscles.

Momentaneousactivity

Onewaytoestimatetheeffectivenessofanyabdominalexerciseisinmeasuringthemomentaneousactivityby
electromyography(EMG),withtheactivitygenerallybeingcomparedtothatofthetraditionalcrunch.
However,anexerciseofloweractivityperformedduringalongertimecangiveatleastasmuchexerciseasa
highactivityexercise,withthemaindifferencebeingthataprolongeddurationresultsmoreinaerobicexercise
thanstrengthtraining.

Thefollowingtablesrankabdominalexercisesfromhighesttolowestintermsofactivityasdeterminedbythe
EMGmeasures:[4]

Activityinrectusabdominis Activityinobliques
mean mean
exercise exercise
activity1 activity1
Bicyclecrunch 248% Captain'schair 310%
Captain'schair 212% Bicyclecrunch 290%
Exerciseball 139% Reversecrunch 240%
Verticallegcrunch 129% Hover 230%
Torsotrack 127% Verticallegcrunch 216%
Longarmcrunch 119% Exerciseball 147%
Reversecrunch 109% Torsotrack 145%
Crunchwithheelpush 107% Crunchwithheelpush 126%
Abroller 105% Longarmcrunch 126%
Hover 100% Abroller 101%
Traditionalcrunch 100% Traditionalcrunch 100%
Exercisetubingpull 92% Exercisetubingpull 77%
Abrocker 21% Abrocker 74%

1Comparedtotraditionalcrunch(100%)

Bicyclecrunch

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Thebicycletargetstherectusabdominalsandtheobliques.Also,therectusabdominalscanbeworkedoutwith
thebasiccrunch,theverticalcrunch,thereversecrunch,andthefullverticalcrunch,andwhenatalowenough
bodyfatpercentage(1012%formales,1518%forfemales)theindividualpartsofthemusclebecomevisible
manyrefertothisvisibleseparationasasixpack.Byexercisingtheinternalandexternalobliquesthestomach
canbeflattenedwhilethewaistlinecanbereduced.[5]Thelongarmcrunch,inwhicharmsarestraightened
behindyou,addsalongerleveltothemoveandemphasizestheupperpartoftheabs.Theplankexercisenot
onlystrengthenstheabsbutalsothebackandstabilizesthemuscles.[6]

Gadgets

Abdominalexercisescanalsobeperformedwiththehelpofsomemachinesandthecaptain'schairisoneofthe
mostpopularmachinesusedingymsandhealthclubs.OthermachinesaretheAbRoller,theAbRocket
Twister,theChinupbarinconjunctionwithAbStrapsandtheTorsoTrack.Theexerciseballisalsoatoolthat
helpsstrengthentheabs.Itmaybemoreeffectivethanthecrunchesonthefloorbecausetheabsdomorework
asthelegsarenotinvolvedintheexercise.[7]WithrespecttotheAbSlide,thestudyperformedbyBirdetal.
showedgreatermuscleactivationintheupperrectusabdominis,lowerrectusabdominis,andexternaloblique
whencomparedtothestandardabdominalcrunch.TheAbSlidehasproventobeaneffectivetoolin
strengtheningtheabdominalmusclesfromaconcentricmuscleactionperspective.However,thisresearchdoes
notsupportreplacingthetraditionalcrunchexercisewiththeAbSlidegadgetduetothelackofproven
effectivenessintheeccentricloadingoftheabdominalmusclesandthegreaterposturalcontrol.[8][9]Potentially
themosteffectiveequipmentforabdominalstrengtheningarethosethatoffertheleaststability.Examples
includetheCoreFitnessRoller,bodyweightsuspensiontrainingsuchasTRXandstabilityballswithorwithout
theHalo.

Safetyofabdominalexercises
Abdominalexercisesalsoputsomedegreeofcompressiveforceonthelumbarspine,puttingunwantedstress
onthelowerback.Inaddition,exaggeratedabdominalexercisecancauserespiratoryproblems.[10]Astudyof
twelveexercisesconcludedthatnosingleexercisecoveredallabdominalmuscleswithhighintensityandlow
compression.[11]

Highchallengetocompressionratio
Crunchwithfeetanchored
Crunchwithfeetfree
Bicyclecrunch
Hangingstraightlegraise
Lowcompression,lowerchallenge
Crunchwithfeetanchored
Crunchwithfeetfree

Highchallenge,highercompression Lowchallengetocompressionratio
Straightlegsitup (notrecommended!)
Bentlegsitup Supinestraightlegraise
Supinebentlegraise
Hangingbentlegraise
Staticcrosskneecrunch

Thebenefitoffocusedtrainingonthe"deepcore"musclessuchasthetransversusabdominishasbeen
disputed,withsomeexpertsadvocatingamorecomprehensivetrainingregimen.[12]

Seealso
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Abdomenizer
Abdominalfat
Chinupbar
Core(anatomy)
Crunches
Pilates
Romanchair
Situps
Spotreduction

References
1.Vispute,SachinSSmith,JohnDLecheminant,JamesDHurley,KimberlyS(2011)."TheEffectofAbdominal
ExerciseonAbdominalFat".JournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch.25(9):255964.
doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb4a46(https://doi.org/10.1519%2FJSC.0b013e3181fb4a46).PMID21804427(https://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21804427).
2.You,TMurphy,KMLyles,MFDemons,JLLenchik,LNicklas,BJ(2006)."Additionofaerobicexerciseto
dietaryweightlosspreferentiallyreducesabdominaladipocytesize".InternationalJournalofObesity.30(8):1211
6.doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803245(https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fsj.ijo.0803245).PMID16446745(https://www.ncbi.nlm.ni
h.gov/pubmed/16446745).Laysummary(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060807154847.htm)
ScienceDaily(August7,2006).
3.Iscoe,S(1998)."Controlofabdominalmuscles".ProgressinNeurobiology.56(4):433506.doi:10.1016/S0301
0082(98)00046X(https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS03010082%2898%2900046X).PMID9775401(https://www.ncbi.nl
m.nih.gov/pubmed/9775401).
4.Anders,Mark(2001)."NewStudyPutstheCrunchonIneffectiveAbExercises"(https://web.archive.org/web/200708
15200229/http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/BestWorstAbExercises.pdf)(PDF).ACEfitnessmatters:911.
Archivedfromtheoriginal(http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/BestWorstAbExercises.pdf)(PDF)onAugust15,
2007.
5."AbdominalMuscleAnatomy"(http://www.absexerciseadvice.com/abdominalmuscleanatomy.html).Archived(htt
ps://web.archive.org/web/20100727051108/http://www.absexerciseadvice.com/abdominalmuscleanatomy.html)
fromtheoriginalon27July2010.Retrieved20100713.
6."Top10MostEffectiveAbExercises"(http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm).Archived(https://we
b.archive.org/web/20100811025658/http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm)fromtheoriginalon11
August2010.Retrieved20100713.
7."Top10MostEffectiveAbExercises"(http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm).Archived(https://we
b.archive.org/web/20100811025658/http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm)fromtheoriginalon11
August2010.Retrieved20100713.
8.MichaelBird,KateM.Fletcher,andAlexJ.Koch.ElectromyographicComparisonoftheAbSlideandCrunch
Exercises.JournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch.20(2),436440,2006.
9."Top10MostEffectiveAbExercises"(http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm).Archived(https://we
b.archive.org/web/20100811025658/http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm)fromtheoriginalon11
August2010.Retrieved20100713.
10.Verges,SamuelLenherr,OliverHaner,AndreaC.Schulz,ChristianSpengler,ChristinaM.(2006)."Increased
fatigueresistanceofrespiratorymusclesduringexerciseafterrespiratorymuscleendurancetraining".American
JournalofPhysiology.Regulatory,IntegrativeandComparativePhysiology.292(3):R124653.
doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00409.2006(https://doi.org/10.1152%2Fajpregu.00409.2006).PMID17068160(https://www.ncb
i.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17068160).INIST:18626671(http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18626671).
11.CTAxlerSMMcGill(1997)."Lowbackloadsoveravarietyofabdominalexercises:Searchingforthesafest
abdominalchallenge".Medicine&ScienceinSports&Exercise.29(6):804810.doi:10.1097/00005768199706000
00011(https://doi.org/10.1097%2F0000576819970600000011).PMID9219209(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub
med/9219209).
12.Reynolds,Gretchen(20090617)."IsYourAbWorkoutHurtingYourBack?"(http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/0
6/17/coremyths/).NewYorkTimes.Archived(https://web.archive.org/web/20090620142017/http://well.blogs.nytime
s.com/2009/06/17/coremyths/)fromtheoriginalon20June2009.Retrieved20090619.

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