upper/lower abs a myth? All one muscle?

[nickorette]

Someone told me that the abs are all one muscle and they don't need to be worked in different areas, that if your doing something like crunches, then entire muscle is being worked, despite the feeling in the top of the abs.

This any true? Abs are all one muscle, so it doesn't matter what exercises you do, they'll all work the same thing?

 

[goergen1]

Your abdomen actually has 5 major muscle groups.

The "6 pac" muscles that everyone likes to see are all one muscle. The rectus abdominis. (I think that's spelled right) But that does not make up the entire musculature of your abs.

so it doesn't matter what exercises you do, they'll all work the same thing?

This is not true. Even if the abs were all one muscle group (which they are not) you would still need to vary the exercises due to the fact that your body will adapt to the motor pattern of only one exercise, causing stagnation.

 

[Karky]

5 major groups.
Rectus abdominus, obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominus.. what am i missing?

 

[goergen1]

The pyramidalis is a muscle that is a small and triangular, anterior to the Rectus abdominis, and contained in the rectus sheath.

I guess it would not be considered a major abdominal muscle.

Thanks Karky. My bad.

There are a lot of muscles in the abdominal area. Not all of them large. Yet another reason you need more than one (or one type) of exercise.

 

[Karky]

yeah, there is quite a large number of small muscles inn there, i heard an insane number once, cant remember it though.

 

[Woodt]

Yeah, but the thing you see is actually one muscle isn't it? The '6 pack' bit, not the obliques.

 

[Karky]

yeah, the "six pack" is the rectus abdominus, its all one muscle.

 

[Woodt]

Right, so theoretically, he might not have been given the wrong advice, just not enough of it.

 

[Adumb]

The rectus is actually 8, counting the lower part. All 8 packs is one muscle, but yea there's the transverse, obliques, and internal obliques. Another one people don't think about a lot is the intercostals. The intercostals are the muscles between the ribs that are worked when you inhale and exhale. I'm not too sure about this, but I've heard doing cardio also helps in seeing definition in the abs (besides fat loss) because you're breathing so much and working the intercostals.

 

[timmyg8802]

so what are some good ways to work all these areas?? i need some different exercises because i feel like ive hit a plateau with my abs....any help?