Abdominal Wednesday... structural flaw?

Let's get right to another reason for the suck factor of crunches, crunch variations, and situps!

Reason #4: The structural design of the abs shows that torso flexion is not the primary purpose of the abdominal muscles.

If the primary purpose of the abs was to bend the torso forward, the rectus abdominus muscle (the "six-pack") would be one long muscle - kinda like the bicep (which stretches from the shoulder to the elbow), or the hamstring (which stretches from the hip to the knee), or any other muscle whose primary function is to cause flexion.

BUT... the rectus abdominus is NOT one long muscle. It is divided up into small packages.

Upon inspection of this muscle's structure, it can be proven that the rectus abdominus helps to make integrated movements with the other abdominal muscles AND it helps to stabilize the spine by preventing extreme movements.

Let's try an exercise that targets more than just torso flexion...



Another crunch replacement exercise: SIDE PLANK
... laying on your side, in a straight line from head to heels, prop yourself up on your elbow and hold your hip up off the ground for at least 20 seconds
... more advanced: keeping the hip elevated, place the free arm behind your head, then rotate the elbow down toward the ground and back up to the ceiling (the entire body will rotate, too)