Training Your Abs: Functional vs Beach Season Look

Training Your Abs

Your abdominal muscles play a very important role in your body. They help to stabilize your whole core and trunk, and protect your internal organs. Many people just think of abs as the muscles we want to show in time for beach season. Although it is a very aesthetically pleasing muscle, we have to make sure we are working it in a functional manner.

Anatomy and Function of Your Abs

Every year tons of new ab workouts and programs come out with the newest way to blast your tummy fat and “tone” up your abs. It’s best to have a little bit of an understanding about your abs so you don’t jump into the next trend.

Rectus Abdominus is the most commonly known abdominal muscle. It is the muscle that people refer to when they say they want the washboard ab look. It is long and flat and extends between your pubis and ribs. Your rectus abdominus helps with flexion (bending over towards the middle of your body) and also helps to stabilize your trunk during movement.

Obliques are on the sides of your rectus abdominus. Your obliques help with rotation from your torso, flexion and sideways bending movements.
The Transversus Abdominus is the abdominal muscle also known as the TVA. Your TVA muscle fibers run horizontally like a weight belt. Additionally, it helps with breathing, stabilizes your spine and protects your internal organs.

Beach Season Abs

A lot of the time, people only train their rectus abdominus in hopes of trying the get the washboard ab look. It is important to hit all sections of your abdominal muscles. Furthermore, everyone already has abs. In a lot of cases it just depends on your body fat percentage. Generally around 10 percent depending on the individual is when your abs will show. If you want to get those perfect beach body abs crunches alone will not get you there. You have to work to get your body fat percentage down and your nutrition also has to be on point. The expression “abs are made in the kitchen” has so much value to it.

Check out the video below going over the importance of Abdominal training and different exercises you can do!