The abdomen is the part of our body that contains all the structures between the chest and the pelvis. It includes a host of organs including the stomach, small intestines, colon, rectum, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, appendix, gallbladder, and bladder. Coming from the Latin word “abdodere” which means to hide, the abdomen is the part of the body where whatever we eat is being hidden. As such, to lose weight or to simply get in great shape, an excellent abdominal trainer will be necessary.
The abdominal muscles or commonly known as the “abs” has different groups including the sheet of muscles that covers the abdomen. It is split into six segments which if an individual has strong abdominal muscles and low body fat, gives a “six pack” appearance. Since the abdominal muscles are involved in every single movement we perform, having such a body with “six pack” abs doesn’t only increase the appealing look of an individual but it also signifies the individual’s fitness.
Abdominal muscles can be divided into three different main groups, namely, the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, and the internal and external obliques. The group which assists sideward bending and helps in stabilizing te trunk when the head is raised in supine position or laying back is the rectus abdominis. This group stands out especially when an individual has a strong muscle development and low body fat because they are the long flat band of muscle fibers commonly known as the six pack abs. The second group which is known as the deep layer of muscle that supports the internal structure and organs of the abdomen is called transversus abdominis. Being a respiratory muscle, this functions in the compression of the internal organs as well as in the forceful expiration of air from the lungs. The third and final group of abdominal muscles is the internal and the external obliques. These are the frontal muscles that run down the side o of the abdomen. They help in bending and side rotation movements and aids in trunk flexion. All these three different groups of abdominal muscles, as one should always remember, require different types of abdominal trainer.
Standard and reverse crunches, seated fitball crunch, bicycle maneuver, broomstick twists, dumbbell side bends, low pulley side bends, and roman chair side bends, for example, are a great exercise for rectus abdominis and external and internal obliques. Rectus abdominis and external obliques can also be trained with exercises like situps with bent knees, incline bench situps, incline leg raises, machine crunches, and leg raises. Transversus abdominis muscles on the other hand may be trained with hollow out or suck in stomach exercises.
Different forms of abs exercises equipment can be used in performing the different abdominal training exercises mentioned earlier. These abs exercises equipment come in different sizes, prices, and ranges form light work-out to belly bursting routines depending on ones level of endurance and body type. Some of the more popular abs training machines include the Ab Wheels, Ab Straps, Ab Rockets, and belly coaches.
Exercising your abdomen is very important not only look good but also to be in great shape and good health. Maintaining in good shape is no easy task, but knowing where and how to start can make your goal of loosing weight easier to achieve.
The writer is a fitness instructor at a local gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. He makes use of various bauchtrainer-or ab trainer fitness machines to help his students attain a great body.