Know your muscles - The core

Training specific body parts can only be truly effective if you recognize and understand the role of each muscle. This article examines the muscles that make up the midsection.


Keywords :
muscles, midsection, abs, abs


Getting familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than just allowing you to chat with your training partners. The more you know about the muscles you are working, the better you will be able to judge what is needed to improve. In this article we will learn about the muscles that make up the trunk.

The core muscles of the trunk play an important role in stabilizing and supporting the torso. It is therefore important to dedicate time to training this area. The main muscles of the midsection are:

1. The rectus abdominis muscle – this is a large, flat muscular wall that covers most of the front part of the midsection, from the lower chest to the pubic bone. Above the navel, it consists of three pairs of rectangular sections stacked on top of each other and is more commonly known as the "six pack."

2. The obliques – this muscle runs diagonally down the side of the midsection, from the lower rib cage to the pubis. There are two muscles on each side, with the internal obliques located below the external obliques. The obliques help your torso flex sideways, twist at the waist, and lean forward.

3. The transversus abdominis – this is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and consists of a thin band that runs horizontally across the abdomen. This muscle helps hold the internal organs in place, forces breathing and stabilizes the spine.

4.E rectors of the spine - this large group of muscles runs along the side of the lower spine. Made up of a pair, the erector spinae muscles keep the spine straight and help twist the waist.