STRENGTH & MUSCLE MASS: Abdominals


NOTE: Research Articles are informative and fun to read. However, they can have varied results so you must learn what works best for you


EXERCISES – RECTUS ABDOMINIS, EXTERNAL & INTERNAL OBLIQUES, TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS



KNEE-UPS – ROLLOUTS – REVERSE SITS – SIT-UPS – ROTATION


[P]REHAB EXERCISES



  • Instagram – Stiffening the Core – Kaitlyn – Physio
    1️⃣ Overhead Bounce + Hold: While maintaining a stable spinal and pelvic posture, bounce the ball overhead and hold for a bit after you catch. The goal here is to create and maintain space between your head and sacrum; try to avoid arching the low back
    2️⃣ Continuous Overhead Bounce: This is a more dynamic progression to the previous exercise, rhythm and timing are key to doing this effectively! This will also challenge the overhead strength of your shoulders
    3️⃣ Over Shoulder Throws: This is also commonly called the “hammer hip” throw. Basically we are loading one side of the hip, and throwing the ball over shoulder as powerfully as possible. Rotate the hip and pivot the foot to help generate as much power as possible
    4️⃣ Straight Rotational Throws: This exercise works on both rotation (concentrically into wall) and anti-rotation (eccentrically away from wall). Aim to fully follow through with the movement by fully extending arms and the hip furthest from the wall!

Abdominal Muscles as Proximal Stabilizers for the Hip Flexors – Healthy Street .
Function
– The hip flexors advance the leg when walking or running and lift the leg when going up steps
– Efficient execution is highly dependent on the stabilizing forces provided by the abdominal muscles
Straight Leg Raise
– Fig A shows two primary hip flexor muscles generating a force to lift a fully extended lower extremity
– The relatively long extended leg places very large force demands on the hip flexor muscles that likely exceeds 10x the weight of the leg
– With weakened abdominal muscles, attempts at flexing the leg often result in an unwanted anterior pelvic tilt and associated excessive lumbar lordosis (Fig. B).
– The unstable pelvis and lumbar spine are pulled toward the anterior femur—into an anterior pelvic tilt—because the pelvis and the lumbar spine are more free to move than the leg.
– To prevent this, the abdominal muscles produce a posterior tilting force that stabilizes the pelvis (Fig. A).
– As is shown in Fig. B, the unwanted anterior tilt of the pelvis simultaneously increases the lordosis in the lumbar spine.
– For this reason, excessive lumbar lordosis is often a clinical sign of weak abdominal muscles.
Sit-up
– The iliopsoas (and all other hip flexors) and the abdominal muscles share the responsibility of performing a basic sit-up
– For a person with weak abdominal muscles the hip flexors immediately take over the action—most notably by the exaggerated anterior pelvic tilt and increased lumbar lordosis—as the pelvis and trunk are rotated forward and upward.


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