How balanced is your abdominal training? You may think that you’re doing a balanced abdominal workout when you do abdominal crunches and other compound exercises like deadlifts and squats, but there’s a muscle layer you’re likely ignoring. It’s called the transverse abdominus. This muscle group works in synergy with your rectus abdominis, the largest and most superficial ab muscle, and your obliques to keep your core strong and stable.
What is the Transverse Abdominis and Why Is it Important?
The transverse abdominis is a deep muscle group that runs horizontally across your pelvis underneath your rectus abdominis muscles. When it’s strong, it functions as a girdle that pulls your tummy in. This is why it’s called the “corset muscle” group. It also helps support and hold your internal organs in place. Sounds like a good reason to keep it strong, right?
Strength in this muscle group also benefits your back, as it helps support and stabilize your spine. That’s important if you have a history of back pain. Beyond the aesthetics of tightening your midsection and protecting your back, the transverse abdominis helps stabilize your core for better balance, coordination, and posture. Studies show a strong transverse abdominis and pelvic floor is essential for stability of the lumbar and pelvic regions.
You also use these muscles to increase your intra-abdominal pressure when you breathe deeply, urinate, cough, blow up a balloon or play an instrument. Your entire mid-section works better when this deep muscle group is strong.
But what’s the best way to work these important muscles?
Build Transverse Abdominis Strength with Planks
If you’re doing mostly abdominal crunches, you’re not working your transverse abdominis. Crunches and sit-ups mainly work the superficial rectus abdominis muscles that, when developed, give you six-pack abs. So, the two rectus abdominis muscles that run vertically down your pelvis are the vanity ab muscles, while the transverse abdominis is important functionally because they support organs, like your liver and kidneys.
To strengthen this muscle group, you need more than crunches. A better approach to working these muscles is the forearm plank. Here’s how to do one:
- Place your forearm flat on the mat in line with your shoulders with your hands facing ahead of you.
- Extend your legs behind you so your body forms a straight line from head to toe.
- Pull in and tighten your core as you hold this position for at least 30 seconds.
- Work up to hold a forearm plank for one minute as you pull in your core.
The Vacuum Hold for Transverse Abdominis Strength
Planks should be part of your transverse abdominis strengthening program but there’s an even simpler movement for strengthening your deep transverse abdominis muscles. It’s called the abdominal vacuum, and you don’t even need a mat to do it. Plus, you can do it anywhere.
- Stand up straight with your arms by your side.
- Draw your belly button toward your spine as if bracing for a punch in the gut.
- Hold the position for 20 seconds.
- Relax and repeat.
- Repeat several times throughout the day.
Leg Raises
Another exercise you can do to target their lower abs is leg raises. It’s a simple exercise where you lie on a mat and slowly raise your legs up and down in a controlled manner. When you do this exercise, you work your transverse abdominis and the more superficial rectus abdominis muscles too. If you have lower back pain, you might want to skip this exercise though, as it compresses the spine.
Another variation on the leg raise that also works the deeper transverse abdominis is hanging leg raises. To do this exercise, hang from a pull-up bar. While hanging, straighten your legs, and slowly raise them toward the ceiling and back down again. When you do this movement, keep your legs as straight as possible and don’t swing them. When you swing your legs and use momentum, you reduce the amount of work your superficial and deeper abdominal muscles must do and increase the risk of a back strain.
Work Your Transverse Abdominis Muscles When You Do Other Exercises
You can show your transverse abdominis muscles a little love when you do other strength-training exercises. When you do another exercise, for example, overhead presses, brace your abs by isometrically contracting them. Each time you do this, you’re working your transverse abdominis. Plus, you’re multitasking because you’re working other muscle groups too.
The Bottom Line
Most people are so focused on working the superficial muscles in their abs that they don’t give a thought to the deeper “corset” muscles. Don’t be one of them. If you give these muscles more attention, it will help your posture and reduce your risk of lower back pain. Some people who believe they have flabby abs don’t. Instead, they have a tummy that sticks out too much from poor posture and weak transverse abdominis muscles.
For a balanced abdominal workout, make sure you’re not only targeting the large, superficial rectus abdominis muscles but also your transverse abdominis and obliques, the muscles that run diagonally down the side of your torso. Balanced strength comes from a balanced workout, and you can make your workout more balanced by working all the muscles that make up your mid-section.
References:
- “Transversus abdominis: Origin, insertion and function | Kenhub.” 09 Oct. 2021, kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/transversus-abdominis-muscle.
- Selkow NM, Eck MR, Rivas S. TRANSVERSUS ABDOMINIS ACTIVATION AND TIMING IMPROVES FOLLOWING CORE STABILITY TRAINING: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2017 Dec;12(7):1048-1056. doi: 10.26603/ijspt20171048. PMID: 29234556; PMCID: PMC5717480.
- “Transversus abdominis and core stability: has the pendulum ….” 08 Apr. 2008, bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/42/11/930.full.pdf.
- Xu, C., Fu, Z. & Wang, X. Effect of Transversus abdominis muscle training on pressure-pain threshold in patients with chronic low Back pain. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 13, 35 (2021). doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00262-8.
- Lynders, C. The Critical Role of Development of the Transversus Abdominis in the Prevention and Treatment of Low Back Pain. HSS Jrnl 15, 214-220 (2019). doi.org/10.1007/s11420-019-09717-8.
- Ehsani F, Sahebi N, Shanbehzadeh S, Arab AM, ShahAli S. Stabilization exercise affects function of transverse abdominis and pelvic floor muscles in women with postpartum lumbo-pelvic pain: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial study. Int Urogynecol J. 2020 Jan;31(1):197-204. doi: 10.1007/s00192-019-03877-1. Epub 2019 Apr 23. PMID: 31016337.
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