Notes

Following the line of the previous article “Glute training program”, we continue to review the bibliography to offer you the keys of an efficient abdomen training.
In this entry, different studies that analyzed multiple exercises through EMG are reviewed with the aim of extracting the most relevant information that allows us to design a program for this region, and to be able to offer it in a practical way at the end of it.

Anatomy and physiology for abdomen training
The abdomen is composed of several muscles located on the anterior face of the trunk that are the abdominal rectum (RA), the external oblique (OE), the inner oblique (OI), transverse and the pyramidal of the abdomen. It's the first three that are analyzed in this work.

Abdominal rectum: It originates in the upper part of the pubis and is inserted into the 5th, 6th, 7th coast cartilages and the appendix xifoids. It is erector of the trunk and keeps the viscera in its position. Its bilateral contraction flexes the trunk and unilateral, leans it to that side.
External oblique: It originates in the ribs 5o-12o and is inserted into a line of insertion that goes from the iliac crest to the aponeurosis of the abdominal rectum. Its bilateral contraction flexes the trunk and unilateral, bends to that side or rotates the trunk to the opposite side.
Internal oblique: It originates in the entire iliac ridge, Arc de Falopio and spinal apophysis from L5 to S1. It is inserted into the last 3 ribs, appendix xifoids and the alba line (1,2).

Professionals of sports medicine and physical activity and sport have long recognized that the work of abdominal musculature is an essential component for health and sports performance.

A minimum of abdominal muscle development is necessary to maintain an adequate alignment of the axial skeleton and stabilize the movement both in the upper and lower extremities in the activities of daily life, work or sports speciality.

Specifically, the ability to stabilize the movements of the pelvic waist depends on the strength and proper resistance of the abdominal musculature (3,4).

However, to generate improvements in this muscle group, the bibliography offers us many possibilities, from the traditional Crunch or Sit up, exercises with Power Wheel (wheel) and its variants, to the new trends on unstable surfaces. To be JBH News to select the most efficient exercises, you need to know the activation level during them and evaluate their choice for a complete program.

jbhnews.com of the abdomen training
Exercises with Power Wheel
Below are two studies that measure activation in exercises with Power Wheel, comparing them with traditional exercises and others that require some kind of instrumentalization (5, 6):

EMG on Power Wheel and various exercises. The major activation occurred with:

♪ Higher RA: Power Wheel, Curved Power Wheel and Torso track.
♪ Lower RA: Power Wheel, Curved Power Wheel and Torso track.
* OE: JBH News and Power Wheel curved and Sit up.
*I: Torso track, Power Wheel and Power Wheel curved.

EMG on Power Wheel and various exercises. The major activation occurred:

♪ Higher RA: Power Wheel and Reverse crunch inclined 30o.
♪ Lower RA: Power Wheel and Hanging knee up.
* OE: Power Wheel pike and Power knee Wheel up.
* OI: Reverse crunch inclined 30o and Hanging knee up.

Exercises with Fitball for abdomen training
Regarding the analysis of exercises with the use of an unstable surface such as phytball and its comparison with other traditional modalities or variants within its use, we review 3 articles (7-9):

EMG on phytball and traditional exercises. The major activation occurred with:

♪ Upper RA: Roll out.
* jbhnews.com : Pike and Roll out.
* OE: Pike and Skier.
♪ I hear Pike.

EMG in exercises with phytball and varied exercises. The major activation occurred with:

* RA: Roll out.
*I: Fitball hip extension one leg.

EMG in exercises with phytball and varied exercises. The major activation occurred with:

♪ Upper RA: Crunch fitball.
♪ Lower RA: Crunch fitball.
* OE: 1⁄2 Power Wheel.

Exercises with different instrumentalization for abdomen training
This study examined 6 exercises with different utensils and machines marketed in the USA compares the level of activation with the classic Crunch (10):

EMG on exercises with commercial utensils or machines. The major activation occurred with:

♪ Upper RA: AB flex.
♪ Lower RA: AB flex.
* OE: Nautilus.
♪ I hear: Nautilus.

Analysis of information for the training of the abdomen
After observing the different studies that have measured by EMG the muscle involvement of different exercises in the abdominal region, the following conclusions can be drawn:

♪ The exercises performed with Power Wheel and its variants are the most active in performing a belly training, especially in the RA (11). Similar results are obtained when the Roll Out with fitball or the Torso Truck is performed compared to the exercises of the same study.
♪ About fitball, the greatest activation occurs with Roll out, Pike and Skier. In addition, the phytball increases the level of activation in the Crunch (12), provided it is located on a lumbar and non-dorsal area (13).

♪ Other exercises that stand out for their activation level are AB flex, Nautilus, Reverse Crunch inclined 30o and Hanging knee up.

JBH News : Power Wheel vs Crunch – Sit up
Power WheelCrunchSit upAlthough analyzing the results, we observe that both Crunch and Sit up, very common exercises when working the abdomen, have a lower involvement compared to other exercises (14), even when an overload is included in the case of Sit up (15), there are authors who indicate that the differences are not significant, and that the problem may be execution (16). This study specifically compares the Power Wheel with the Crunch, concluding that the greatest activation in the first, occurs in the eccentric phase, being greater in the concentric phase in the second (17).

Whatever it may be, the analysis of different studies shows that those movements with the most activation resemble in the pattern of movement. In these exercises, the main function of the abdomen is to fix and stabilize the trunk. In addition to the flexor movement that generates the abdominal contraction, another of the main functions of this, is to resist the change in length of its musculature due to the forces that are transmitted by the action of arms and legs.

This is done globally, activating the musculature of the abdominal region to distribute the applied force (18) (that is why the expression “work the lower abdomen” is meaningless). There are exercises that can induce high activation as is the case of Reverse crunch inclined 30o, with a different pattern of movement that involves hip bending and if it is elevated, bending of the lumbar spine. In order to understand that exercises can be more appropriate it is necessary to know the reference author regarding the bending of spine, which occurs in exercises like Reverse crunch, Sit up or Leg up ( hip bending).

Reverse Crunch inclined 30o. Spine and hip bending movement. McGill keys in abdomen training
Professor Stuart MCGill is a professor at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He has published more than 300 articles (many of them in journals of the highest level of scientific impact) and written 4 books on changes in the lower back through the movement and exercise prescription for this. His work has made it possible to better understand the clinical diagnosis of the column, know how it works and what its harmful mechanisms are, integrating concepts of engineering, biomechanics, anatomy and neurophysiology.

McGill points to the bending and column “when the loads on the spine are high in magnitude with the repeated bending movement, the collagen fibers are exfoliated cumulatively. Little by little the core of the intervertebral disk will work through the exfoliations and will generate a protuberance on the disk. The higher the load, and the higher the repetitions, the faster it will happen” (19). That is, the keys to reducing injury risks according to this author would be to limit those with repeated cycles of bending-extension (especially at the lumbar level) and which also include overload.

In the case of the hip, those exercises should be avoided where the force is applied by the bending muscle of the hip. This type of movement can cause discal problems such as hernias, protusion, chronic inflammation, etc. (20). This does not mean that all hip bending exercises are uncooled, only those that gather the aforementioned characteristics should be limited due to the risks that may entail their realization.

Overload hip flex and bending cycles- extensionAnalysis and proposal for abdomen training
Leaving aside the bending exercises, we have the information that offers us exercises such as those performed with Power Wheel or Roll out with fitball. These exercises generate a high bending moment, which does not bend, or otherwise, generates an anti-extension of the trunk. In this way, we can design a program based on “anti” exercises, not just in the sagital plane.

The spinal column can move on the three motion planes (sagital, anteroposterior and transversal), so we can develop a program that applies moments of strength in all directions to improve the stability of the abdomen, with a high activation in anti-extension, side anti-flection and anti-red.

Exercises of the abdomen training program
Messocicle I of the abdomen training program
Anti-extension
Anti-rotation
Side-flection
Messocicle II of the abdomen training program
Anti-extension
Anti-extension-rotation
Anti-rotation
Side-flection
Anti-flexion-rotation
Messocicle III of the abdomen training program
Anti-extension
Side-flection
Anti-rotation
Anti-extension-rotation
abdomen training program
Although it is possible to include exercises with trunk bending (Crunch) or hip (Hip flexion TRX 90o), this proposal designs a program based on moments of force on motion planes, with the idea of improving the activation of the abdomen safely and from a different perspective to the traditional proposal.

In JBH News of the abdomen, 3 mesocicles are proposed with decreasing volume and progressive intensity. After the program you must take 1-2 weeks of rest before you return to perform it to favor recovery (21). As a complement to the program it is recommended to strengthen paravertebral musculature to avoid decompensations between extenders and trunk flexors.

Mesocicle IMesocicle One(Download PDF)

Mesocicle IIMesocicle Two(Download PDF)

Mesocicle IIIMesocicle Three(Download PDF)

♪ If the stability of the pelvic waist is low, the exercises on unstable surface (bosu, TRX and fitball) should be replaced and performed on a stable basis (step or soil). If necessary, you can lengthen the first month for a few weeks.

Orientation for specific sports and abdominal training
To increase performance in certain sports patterns, information on how to modify the program to generate specific adaptations that result in improvements in the movement that occurs according to the nature of the sport itself (22). Evidently, they should also be included in those exercises that involve dynamic movements that make up the core for sport in particular.

♪ In sports with predominance of motor action above the head, with unilateral movements of the superior members. (Volleyball, basketball, swimming, paddle, tennis, etc.) Anti-rotation and anti-extension.

PadelNatación * In aesthetic sports patterns.(Fitness, bodybuilding, etc.) Anti-extension and lateral anti-flection.

Fitness * Strength and power sports. (Powerlifting, crossfit, halterophilia, etc.)Anti-flection, anti-extension, side anti-flection.

jbhnews.com . Triathlon, athletics, etc.)Anti-rotation and anti-extension.

Race* Although the program does not include anti-flection exercises, the same principles that have been applied throughout the program can be applied.

Bibliography
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19. jbhnews.com . (2013). Spine bending exercise: problems affecting health and performance. Extracted on August 31, 2015, from http://g-se.com/es/salud-y-fitness/blog/exercise-de-flexion-de-columna-the-problem-that-a-the-health-and-renderance.
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