Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. Many people equate this time of year with beautiful weather, vacations, warmer temperatures, less clothing, and the beach. I think you know where I’m going with this. We are entering the dreaded swimwear season!
If you’re looking to firm your stomach, prevent or reduce low back pain, prepare for childbirth or postpartum recovery, or just want to look good at the beach, read on. The following article will teach you the importance of strengthening the transversus abdominis muscle so that you can begin to flatten your stomach this week.
Wondering what the transverse abdominis is?
The transversus abdominis, also known as the TVA muscle, is the deepest innermost layer of all the abdominal muscles and lies below the rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle of the stomach). The transverse abdominis muscle runs horizontally across the abdomen and is almost always recruited when a limb is moved.
The transverse abdominis assists in the breathing process by assisting in exhalation and helps to compress the internal organs. However, its main function is to activate the core musculature and stabilize the pelvis and lower back before body movement. It acts as a natural “weight belt” or muscular girdle by resisting flexion of the lumbar spine. In return, the TVA keeps the cervical spine in a neutral position during core training and helps improve posture, muscle balance, and stabilization. A strong TVA provides a solid foundation for any move.
So why worry about the transverse abdominis?
Since the TVA acts as a muscular girdle, it stabilizes the pelvis and provides more support against external forces. Protects against repetitive physical stress from various movements your body makes, such as turning, squatting, running, squatting, etc. A strong TVA will help you transfer force more efficiently through your muscles, rather than through your back and joints, helping prevent and reduce aches and pains caused by related forces.
That all sounds good, but what about that bikini / beach-ready body that was mentioned in the first part of this article?
Not only does a developed transverse abdominal muscle help protect the back and joints during movement, but a strong and well-developed TVA also equates to a tighter and slimmer waist.
How does TVA help a flatter stomach and what is the difference between the rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis muscles?
If you’ve ever seen a person in good shape with a washboard or six-pack stomach, they most likely have highly developed rectus abdominis muscles. The rectus abdominis muscle is the most superficial of all the abdominal muscles. It runs vertically and has the main function of bending the body forward. Whenever these muscles develop, they grow outward. This can be good, but depending on your total body fat percentage, it can also be bad. If you have a very low body fat percentage, this can create the infamous six pack stomach look. However, if you have a higher body fat content and a layer of fat over these muscles, your stomach can look like it’s bulging outward. It may not even matter that the rectus abdominis muscles are well developed and strong. If there is fat on these muscles, it will appear more bulky in the stomach region. Developing the rectus abdominis muscle and not concentrating on strengthening other areas is analogous to loosening the belt.
While the rectus abdominis muscle responds to strengthening exercises by developing outward, the transverse abdominis muscle develops inward and, in effect, as mentioned above, is analogous to tightening a belt or wearing a muscle girdle. It’s like the spanx of the abdominal muscles! So regardless of your current body fat percentage, building the transverse abdominis muscle will help flatten your tummy and ultimately help you feel better in clothes. For those who have a lower body fat percentage, a developed TVA muscle will create excellent definition and frame around your stomach to make you look and feel better without looking bulky or overly muscular. Remember, this is true as long as you eat a balanced, holistic, and nutritional diet tailored to your body type, engage in cardiovascular activities 4-5 days a week, and train for whole body strength, not just one part.
What causes a weak transverse abdomen and what are some of the problems associated with weakness in this muscle?
In many cases, inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to transverse abdominal weakness. Surgical procedures that involve cutting the abdominal wall can also create a dysfunctional TVA. Cesarean sections, hysterectomies, hernias, and childbirth are just some of the procedures that may be responsible for this weakness. During these surgeries, muscles, nerves, and tissues are cut, causing a loss of neurological drive. After these surgeries, your brain will try to recruit your stomach muscles to wake them up, but many times they don’t respond. The lack of neural drive to the core muscles can cause the belly to push out, creating a “dog belly.” This dog belly will be more pronounced the weaker your TVA and / or the heavier you are as an individual.
A weak TVA can further create poor quality and instability of body movement, often leading to early bone and joint degeneration. Exercises aimed at strengthening the TVA muscle help to reconnect the nervous and muscular systems so that the stomach muscles can function properly again and get rid of the dog’s belly.
Another cause of a weak transverse abdomen is improper core training. For the vast majority of us, abdominal training has involved flexion and extension (flexion) movements that focus almost exclusively on the rectus abdominis. For many years, people have been taught to train the wrong muscle during abdominal exercises. How many times have you been told to focus on flexion and extension exercises to strengthen your core? By doing sit-ups and other push-up exercises for your stomach muscles, you’re essentially just shortening your rectus abdominis and actually pushing your abdomen out, not pulling in, which can cause problems if you’re not training your TVA as well.
How do you get a stronger transverse abdomen?
If you fear or despise abs, you’re in luck. To develop and strengthen the transversus abdominis, you will not have to do any flexion or extension exercises. To build strength in your TVA muscle, you will need to know how to activate it through a series of abdominal “pull back” maneuvers. “Drawing the abdominal muscles” is a conscious process and requires a lot of practice, but once you do it, you will see great results.
For many people, learning how to draw abs is a difficult process. Most people are used to working their core by developing the rectus abdominis muscles through conventional methods such as sit-ups, sit-ups, and other flexion / extension exercises that push the abdominal wall outward. The concept of retracting is the exact opposite of rectus abdominis training. It is the process in which you contract the abdominal wall.
The lying down stretching maneuver is just one of several exercises that can be used to train the TVA, the most important abdominal muscle in your body. It’s a great addition to your fitness program as it will help you fine-tune your body and abs so you can feel confident and sexy in your clothes, bathing suit, bikini, and bathing suit this summer! To learn how to do this TVA exercise, type “liar drawing in maneuver” into your favorite search engine and click on the listed links for more information.
Good luck,
