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Home :: Abdominals
Ab
Workouts and The Lower Abs Myth
Some fitness experts will tell you there are distinct "upper
and lower" abdominals, which need to be exercised differently.
Others say that rectus abdominis (the six-pack look is the result
of bands of connective tissue that "cut" into rectus
abdominis) is just one muscle, and doing separate exercises for
the upper and lower abs is a waste of time.
So, who's right?
Some studies do appear to show that certain exercises are more
effective for the lower abs than others.
Scientists from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, for
example, used electromyography (known simply as EMG) to measure
abdominal muscle activity during various exercises, including the trunk
curl, reverse
curl, v-sit,
and twist
curl (these animated demonstrations aren't exactly the
same as the exercises used in the study, but they're close enough)
[2].
• Of the exercises tested, the reverse curl led to the
greatest amount of activity in the lower abdominals.
• The trunk curl, reverse curl, twist curl, and v-sit all
resulted in similar amounts of upper abdominal activity.
This study suggests that you can put greater emphasis on
the upper or lower abdominals depending on the exercise you do.
But it certainly doesn't show that you can work the lower and upper
rectus abdominis separately.
More interesting still, Professor Stuart McGill, an expert in
spine function at the University of Waterloo in Canada, points
out that a distinct upper and lower rectus abdominis does not exist
in most people [1].
"There’s a muscle called pyramidalius, which is a lower
muscle that overlays the bottom beads of rectus, but only in some
people - it's an optional muscle," says McGill.
In other words, those using EMG who claim there is an upper and
lower rectus abdominis might simply be monitoring pyramidalius.
Personally, I don't think it's necessary to make any special attempt
to "isolate" the lower abs.
I usually train my abs twice a week, using a variety of different
exercises. In one workout, for example, I might do cable woodchops,
hanging leg raises and standing cable crunches. In the next workout,
I'll use a few different exercises, such as barbell rollouts or
swiss ball reverse curls.
I also believe that all the talk about the "upper" and "lower" abs
ignores what is probably the most important part of getting your
abs to show.
"The truth is, getting six-pack 'killer' abs has almost nothing
to do with training," writes Tom Venuto, author of Burn
The Fat Feed The Muscle. "It has everything to do with
low body fat."
If you've seen pictures of Tom, you'll know he has some of the
best abs in the business.
"Some people might argue that I was just blessed with good
genetics in the ab department, which may be true," says Tom. "But
based on my experience with others who have less favorable genetics,
I still believe that developing the abdominal muscles is easy.
The hardest part is getting your body fat low enough for your abs
to show."
About the Author
 My name is Christian Finn. I run a private "members only" website designed to help people burn fat, build muscle and get strong.
If you want accurate, honest and in-depth reviews on the latest "hot topics" in the world of fitness, you're confused by all the conflicting advice out there, or you just want some training routines that will give you better, faster results, click here now to learn more about how I can help you.
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References
1. Lehman, G.J., & McGill, S.M. (2001). Quantification of
the differences in electromyographic activity magnitude between the
upper and lower portions of the rectus abdominis muscle during selected
trunk exercises. Physical
Therapy, 81, 1096-1101
2. Willett, G.M., Hyde, J.E., Uhrlaub, M.B., Wendel, C.L., & Karst, G.M.
(2001). Relative activity of abdominal muscles during commonly prescribed strengthening
exercises. Journal
of Strength and Conditioning Research, 15, 480–485
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