Train The Muscles That Stabilize Your Spine, Not Your Abs
We’ve all seen a set of 6 pack abs. You only have to scroll through social media — or look in the mirror if you’ve achieved the requisite fat loss. Whilst aesthetically pleasing to the human eye, what if I told you this muscle isn’t overly useful? In fact, it really only has one simple function; flexion of the spine. Cranking out sit ups will only get you so far. It’s important to understand all the other musculature acting on the spine, and how to effectively train them. Doing so will yield much greater results whether it be for longevity, performance or reducing low back pain.
Core stability is the ability of passive and active stabilizers in the lumbo-pelvic region to maintain appropriate trunk and hip posture during both static and dynamic movement.
Comparing the Muscles
As previously mentioned, the 6 pack muscle (rectus abdominus) allows for flexion of the spine. Your ability to bend forwards, breaking at the hips. It is the transverse abdominis (TA) and multifidus (MF) muscles that play a more important role.
The TA is the deepest muscle within the abdominal wall and has a very important function. Think of it like a corset, covering…
