A workout to build your midsection

The midsection sits on the front and sides of the lower half of the
torso, originating along the rib cage and attaching along the pelvis.
It is composed of several muscles:
The Rectus Abdominus: is commonly known as the "six-pack"
muscle of the abs. Thin bands of connective tissue give it that
appearance. It helps to flex the spine (bringing the rib cage closer to
the pelvis). This is seen in the abdominal crunching movement. When the
movement is reversed, the Rectus Abdominus acts to bring the pelvis
closer to the rib cage (e.g. with a leg raise movement). Exercises for
building these muscles are: Crunch or Sit Up and Seated Leg Lifts.


Intercostals: Lie between the side of the rib cage.
It comes into play when you flex the torso and twist from side to side.
It helps in elevation and depression of the ribs. Exercise to work
your intercostal muscles. Exercise to build these muscles is Air Bike
or Bicycle Crunches. For the exercise, put your hands beside your head.
Be careful however to not strain with the neck as you perform it. Now
lift your shoulders into the crunch position. Bring knees up to where
they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to
the floor. This will be your starting position. Now simultaneously,
slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right
leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow
close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out. Go
back to the initial position as you breathe in. Crunch to the opposite
side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your
right knee and exhale. Continue alternating in this manner until all of
the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed.


Seratus Anterior Muscle: It is the ridge like
muscles which run from the upper 8 or 9 ribs at the front-side of the
ribcage – covered by the arms when by the side – and attach to the
wing-like bone at the back of the shoulder blades (scapula). Lie between
the front abs and lats. They help in pulling of the scapula forward and
around like in the motion of throwing a punch. Exercises to build this
muscle are Incline shoulder raises and Overhead shoulder raises.

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Transverse Abdominus often referred to as the TVA-
is the deepest muscle of the core (meaning it's underneath all the
other muscles). It wraps laterally around the abdominal area. Acts as a
natural weight belt, keeping your insides in. This muscle is essential
for trunk stability as well as keeping your waist tight. Therefore,
activating this muscle enhances you posture and prevents back pain.
Studies have found that people who activate their TVA prior to lifting
heavy object are less likely to experience back problems. When
performing ab workouts, if you exhale when you flex your spine, you will
be activating your transverse abdominal muscle along with your rectus
abdominus. In addition to your regular ab workout, this simple exercise
should be performed 10 times daily. Take a breath in. As you exhale,
pull your belly in, as if you were trying to draw your navel to your
spine. Hold your belly tight for ten seconds. Eventually, it will enjoy
staying that way! One of the best exercise for your transverse is Body
Pike. To do this exercise get up on your elbows and toes and hold your
body in a straight line for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Keep your butt even
with the rest of your body and breathe. This will work your transverse
abdominals to draw in your stomach.

The External oblique
run diagonally on the body, allowing for angled movement. Work to rotate
the torso and stabilize the abdomen. Exercises to work these muscles
are Side Bends and Oblique Crunches.

The Internal Oblique
One way of training your transverse abdominis involves nothing more than
a piece of string. Draw your stomach in (don't hold your breathe), tie
the string around your stomach loosely so that when you relax your
transverse abdominis you feel your stomach press upon the string.
Throughout the day try to maintain your position of drawing in your
stomach, the string will act as a sign that you are relaxing the
muscles. You will find that if you maintain correct posture this will be
infinitely easier, which brings us to the next step in the pursuit of
that flat hard stomach.

In order to build a clearly defined midsection all these muscles need to
be worked along with a cardio routine supported with a healthy diet.

SAMPLE WORKOUT
• Crunches: 3 sets of 12 reps (30 seconds of rest)

• Bicycle Crunch: 3 sets of 12 reps (30 seconds of rest)

• Oblique Crunches: 3 sets of 12 reps (30-45 seconds of rest)

• Body Pike: 2 sets of 10 rep( 30 sec of rest)

NOTE:
• Midsection training should be in the moderate rep range for best
growth. No more endless reps of crunches and sit up like you've done in
the past. Focus on sets in the 8-15 rep range. Harder the better.

• Before and after doing abdominal exercises, it is important to
stretch. To stretch your abdominals, lie on the exercise mat face down
in push-up position. Push up with your arms, keeping your pelvis on the
floor. Next, stand up and do a whole body stretch, clasping your hands
above your head and pushing your palms toward the ceiling.