It may seem like the most obvious question in the world but believe me, without at least a basic understanding of the physiology and composition of this particular muscle group then your goal of well defined ripped abs will remain a distant dream.
There are six groups of abdominals, hence the phrase six pack, and they make up the core abdominal muscles. Your abs begin just under the rib cage and make their way all the way down to the pelvic area. On each side of your torso are two pairs of abdominals known as the external and internal obliques. These muscles are there primarily to support the movement of your spine from both side to side and the bending of your spine backward and forward. Your obliques play a key role in developing your core strength and are fundamental to your quest for lean ripped abs.
Now one extremely important fact to remember when working to develop ripped abs is that although the abs are made up of distinct muscle groups the abdominal area is in fact one muscle known as the Rectus Abdominus. Therefore it is virtually impossible to completely isolate just one area of your abs, because quite simply when you work your abs you work them all. You will sometimes hear people saying “I need to work my lower abs” or something similar~{Every now and again you will hear someone say “I have to work on my lower abs”}~Occasionally you might hear someone say ” I have to work on my lower abs” or something similar}~{On occasion you will hear someone say ” I have to work on my lower abs” or something along those lines}~{Every now and again you will hear someone say “I have to work on my lower abs”}~Occasionally you might hear someone say ” I have to work on my lower abs” or something similar}. This is just virtually impossible without working the rest of the muscle group simaltaneously.
The final group of abdominals are the Transverse Abdominus muscles. As with the external and internal obliques they are invisible from the outside, they do however, play just as pivotal a role in your quest for lean ripped abs as the other groups. They are mainly responsible for ensuring correct body posture. A good analogy would be to look at your transverse abdominus as your own built in weight belt.
I firmly believe it is vital to stress just how vital to your long term health strong abs can be. Ripped abs are a great goal to work towards, not just aesthetically but because strong abs contribute to good core stability which goes a long way to reducing potential problems in later life. Weak abdominal muscles will contribute towards problems such as lower back pain or indeed any other postural issues. Strong abs will go a long way towards reducing the risk of injury when you train or indeed just help to build your core strength when performing everyday activities.
It is also important to remember that the abs are muscles just like any other and as such they will require a period of recovery after a workout. The good news however, is that given their unique fibre composition they actually require slightly less recovery time than most of the other major muscle groups. Devise your workout plan around your ultimate goal, whether that be just to build strength or to develop awesome ripped abs, and stick to it rigidly. All the best.
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