Abdominal exercise

Abdominal exercises are useful for building abdominal muscles. This is useful for improving performance with certain sports, back pain, and for withstanding abdominal impacts (e.g., taking punches). According to a 2011 study, abdominal muscle exercises are known to increase the strength and endurance of the abdominal muscles.{{cite journal |doi=10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb4a46 |title=The Effect of Abdominal Exercise on Abdominal Fat |year=2011 |last1=Vispute |first1=Sachin S |last2=Smith |first2=John D |last3=Lecheminant |first3=James D |last4=Hurley |first4=Kimberly S |journal=Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research |volume=25 |issue=9 |pages=2559–64 |pmid=21804427|s2cid=207503551 }}

It has been highly disputed whether or not abdominal exercises have any reducing effect on abdominal fat. The aforementioned 2011 study found that abdominal exercise does not reduce abdominal fat; to achieve that, a deficit in energy expenditure and caloric intake must be created—abdominal exercises alone are not enough to reduce abdominal fat and the girth of the abdomen. Early results from a 2006 study found that walking exercise (not abdominal exercise specifically) reduced the size of subcutaneous abdominal fat cells; cell size predicts type 2 diabetes according to a lead author. Moderate exercise reduced cell size by about 18% in 45 obese women over 20 weeks; diet alone did not appear to affect cell size.{{cite journal |doi=10.1038/sj.ijo.0803245 |title=Addition of aerobic exercise to dietary weight loss preferentially reduces abdominal adipocyte size |year=2006 |last1=You |first1=T |last2=Murphy |first2=K M |last3=Lyles |first3=M F |last4=Demons |first4=J L |last5=Lenchik |first5=L |last6=Nicklas |first6=B J |journal=International Journal of Obesity |volume=30 |issue=8 |pages=1211–6 |pmid=16446745 |doi-access=free}}

• {{lay source |template=cite news |title=Exercise Important In Reducing Size Of Abdominal Fat Cells |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060807154847.htm |work=ScienceDaily |date=August 7, 2006}}

Abdominal muscles have many important functions, including breathing, coughing, and sneezing, and maintaining posture and speech in a number of species.{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/S0301-0082(98)00046-X |title=Control of abdominal muscles |year=1998 |last1=Iscoe |first1=S |journal=Progress in Neurobiology |volume=56 |issue=4 |pages=433–506 |pmid=9775401|s2cid=34220852 }} Other abdominal functions are that it helps "in the function of support, containment of viscera, and help in the process of expiration, defecation, urination, vomiting, and also at the time of childbirth."{{Cite journal|last1=Fidale|first1=Thiago Montes|last2=Borges|first2=Felipe Farnesi Ribeiro|last3=Roever|first3=Leonardo|last4=Souza|first4=Gilmar da Cunha|last5=Gonçalves|first5=Alexandre|last6=Chacur|first6=Eduardo Paul|last7=Pimenta|first7=Cristhyano|last8=Haddad|first8=Eduardo Gasparetto|last9=de Agostini|first9=Guilherme Gularte|last10=Gregório|first10=Fábio Clemente|last11=Guimarães|first11=Fabrício Cardoso Ribeiro|date=2018-04-27|title=Eletromyography of abdominal muscles in different physical exercises|journal=Medicine|volume=97|issue=17|pages=e0395|doi=10.1097/MD.0000000000010395|issn=0025-7974|pmc=5944552|pmid=29702987}}{{Cite journal|last=Di Dio|first=Liberato John A.|date=September 1999|title=The Importance of Anatomy|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0940-9602(99)80024-7|journal=Annals of Anatomy - Anatomischer Anzeiger|volume=181|issue=5|pages=455–465|doi=10.1016/s0940-9602(99)80024-7|pmid=10560011|issn=0940-9602|url-access=subscription}} The anterior abdominal wall is made up of four muscles—the rectus abdominis muscle, the internal and external obliques, and the transversus abdominis."The two internal muscles, the internal oblique, and the transverse abdominis, respond more to increases in chemical or volume-related drive than the two external muscles, the rectus abdominis and external oblique; the basis for this differential sensitivity is unknown".

{{details|topic=Core|Core (anatomy)}}

Not only can a one-sided preference for abdominal muscles (lack of exercise focused on other core muscles) result in creating muscle imbalances, but the effectiveness of exercise is also far from what could be achieved with a balanced workout planning. Core training frequently utilizes balance exercises, such as training of transverse abdomens and multifidus, training of diaphragm, and training of pelvic floor muscles.{{Cite journal|last1=Hsu|first1=Shih-Lin|last2=Oda|first2=Harumi|last3=Shirahata|first3=Saya|last4=Watanabe|first4=Mana|last5=Sasaki|first5=Makoto|date=August 2018|title=Effects of core strength training on core stability|journal=Journal of Physical Therapy Science|volume=30|issue=8|pages=1014–1018|doi=10.1589/jpts.30.1014 |doi-access=free |issn=0915-5287|pmc=6110226|pmid=30154592}} Core strength exercises that are performed are to help influence core stability.

The goal of core training is definitely not to develop muscle hypertrophy but to improve functional predispositions of physical activity. This particularly involves improving intermuscular coordination or synchronization of participating muscles.{{Cite book|last=American College of Sports Medicine |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/972290029|title=ACSM's Complete Guide to Fitness & Health, 2E.|date=2017|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=978-1-4925-4888-1|oclc=972290029}}

The involvement of the core means more than just compressing abdominal muscles when in crouching or seated position. The role of the core muscles is to stabilize the spine. Resisting expansion or rotation is as important as the ability to execute the movement.

File:Abdominal Exercise.jpg

There are multiple ways to work on our abdominals but here are various abdominal exercises someone can do that are effective.

One of the most popular exercise is what is known as the abdominal crunch. It activates the four abdominal muscles because it flexes the spine while laying down with their feet on the ground while raising their upper body up and then back down. For those who are new to this exercise, it can help perform this exercise by crossing their arms and putting them crossed on their chest. Another effective exercise is an abdominal plank because it is used when strengthening their trunk and their inner and outer oblique of their core. This exercise is performed by being facedown, legs straight with their elbows bent, and holding the exercise in place by putting their weight on their forearms.{{Cite web|title=Abdominal Exercises: A Review Study For Training Prescription|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316558331|access-date=2020-11-03|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}

Moving forward, another exercise people can begin doing is to lie on their back and putting their feet at a 45° angle while moving their legs as if they were riding a bicycle. In addition, people can lay down with their hands on their side of their body and position a book on their stomach while raising their stomach up and down to feel the burn in their core. People may also lay down and position their feet at a 45° angle and lift them straight and bend them back down to the 45° angle then repeat. Once people have completed those they can stand straight with both of their arms opened and straight and bend down to the left then to the right by using one hand at a time. While standing people can also stand straight and position their hands on their hips and rotate their bodies from right to left and vice versa while bending forward and backward. Another way someone can work on their abdominals is by sitting on top of their legs in a bed while bending their chest forward until it touches the bed then coming back up to their normal position. Also, people can sit down on a bed with their legs straight and they will lie back and come back up without using their hands. While using a chair they can place their arms on the side of a chair and with their legs backward they will push down until their abdominal touches the chair. Finally, people can lay down with their feet straight and raise their legs to a right angle and then back down. For a better visual understanding, all these exercises were obtained from an Abdominal Exercise Journal.{{Cite journal|last=Mayers|first=May R.|date=1928|title=Abdominal Exercises|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3409357|journal=The American Journal of Nursing|volume=28|issue=4|pages=363–364|doi=10.2307/3409357|jstor=3409357|issn=0002-936X|url-access=subscription}}

One way to estimate the effectiveness of any abdominal exercise is in measuring the momentaneous activity by electromyography (EMG), with the activity generally being compared to that of the traditional crunch. However, an exercise of lower activity performed during a long time can give at least as much exercise as a high-activity exercise, with the main difference being that a prolonged duration results in more in aerobic exercise than strength training.

The following tables rank abdominal exercises from highest to lowest in terms of activity as determined by the EMG measures:{{cite journal |year=2001 |first1=Mark |last1=Anders |url=http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/BestWorstAbExercises.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815200229/http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/BestWorstAbExercises.pdf |archive-date=August 15, 2007 |journal=ACE Fitnessmatters |title=New Study Puts the Crunch on Ineffective Ab Exercises |pages=9–11}}

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¹Compared to traditional crunch (100%)

The bicycle targets the rectus abdominals and the obliques. Also, the rectus abdominals can be worked out with the basic crunch, the vertical crunch, the reverse crunch, and the full vertical crunch, and when at a low enough body fat percentage (10-12% for males, 15-18% for females) the individual parts of the muscle become visible; many refer to this visible separation as a six-pack. By exercising the internal and external obliques the stomach can be flattened.{{cite web|url=http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/abdominal-muscle-anatomy.html |title=Abdominal Muscle Anatomy |access-date=2010-07-13| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100727051108/http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/abdominal-muscle-anatomy.html| archive-date= 27 July 2010 | url-status= live}} The long arm crunch, in which arms are straightened behind, adds a longer lever to the move and emphasizes the upper part of the abs. The plank exercise not only strengthens the abs but also the back and stabilizes the muscles.{{cite web|url=http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm |title=Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises|access-date=2010-07-13| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100811025658/http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm| archive-date= 11 August 2010 | url-status= live}}

Abdominal exercises can also be performed with the help of some machines and the captain's chair is one of the most popular machines used in gyms and health clubs. Other machines are the Ab Roller, the Ab Rocket Twister, the Chin-up bar in conjunction with Ab Straps, and the Torso Track. An exercise ball is also a tool that helps strengthen the abs. It may be more effective than the crunches on the floor because the abs do more work as the legs are not involved in the exercise.{{cite web|url=http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm |title=Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises |access-date=2010-07-13| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100811025658/http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm| archive-date= 11 August 2010 | url-status= live}} With respect to the Ab-Slide, the study performed by Bird et al. showed greater muscle activation in the upper rectus abdominis, lower rectus abdominis, and external oblique when compared to the standard abdominal crunch. The Ab-Slide has proven to be an effective tool in strengthening the abdominal muscles from a concentric muscle action perspective. However, this research does not support replacing the traditional crunch exercise with the Ab-Slide gadget due to the lack of proven effectiveness in the eccentric loading of the abdominal muscles and the greater postural control.Michael Bird, Kate M. Fletcher, and Alex J. Koch. Electromyographic Comparison of the Ab-Slide and Crunch Exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 20(2), 436–440, 2006.{{cite web |url=http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm |title=Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises |access-date=2010-07-13| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100811025658/http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm| archive-date= 11 August 2010 | url-status= live}} Potentially the most effective equipment for abdominal strengthening is those that offer the least stability. Examples include the CoreFitnessRoller, bodyweight suspension training such as TRX, and stability balls with or without the Halo.

Abdominal exercises also put some degree of compressive force on the lumbar spine, putting unwanted stress on the lower back. In addition, exaggerated abdominal exercise can cause respiratory problems.{{cite journal |id={{INIST|18626671}} |doi=10.1152/ajpregu.00409.2006 |title=Increased fatigue resistance of respiratory muscles during exercise after respiratory muscle endurance training |year=2006 |last1=Verges |first1=Samuel |last2=Lenherr |first2=Oliver |last3=Haner |first3=Andrea C. |last4=Schulz |first4=Christian |last5=Spengler |first5=Christina M. |journal=American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology |volume=292 |issue=3 |pages=R1246–53 |pmid=17068160|url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/16029/1/Verges_Spengler_AmJPhyIC_07V.pdf }} A study of twelve exercises concluded that no single exercise covered all abdominal muscles with high intensity and low compression.{{cite journal | volume=29 | issue=6 | pages=804–810 | year=1997 | author=CT Axler|author2=SM McGill | journal=Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise | title=Low back loads over a variety of abdominal exercises: Searching for the safest abdominal challenge | pmid = 9219209 | doi=10.1097/00005768-199706000-00011| doi-access=free }}

The benefit of focused training on the "deep core" muscles such as the transversus abdominis has been disputed, with some experts advocating a more comprehensive training regimen.{{cite news

| url=http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/core-myths/

| title=Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back?

| last=Reynolds

| first=Gretchen

| work=The New York Times

| date=2009-06-17

| access-date=2009-06-19

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090620142017/http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/core-myths/| archive-date= 20 June 2009 | url-status= live}}

• Abdominizer
• Abdominal obesity
• Pull-up (exercise)
• Core (anatomy)
• Crunches
• Pilates
• Roman chair
• Sit-ups
• Spot reduction

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{{Strength training exercises}}

Category:Bodyweight exercises

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