Six pack abs and low back pain.
In the realm of injury rehab which includes low back pain prevention and treatment, there are many exercises that are extolled as imperative for proper function. Most of these are granted the high honour of being called “CORE” exercises.
Stabilize your core. Strengthen your core. Turn on your core. Activate your core.
I’m sure all of these are very familiar statements that you’ve heard when dealing with your low back pain.
The problem with many of these is that they don’t actually take into consideration the functional anatomy of the involved or recruited structures.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the muscles that make up the abs…
The rectus abdominis or “six pack” muscle is essentially formed by two bands of muscles which are further sectioned into 8 “rectangles” by intersecting tendons.
Separation of the abdominal muscle
So why is the structure so important?
For starters, the structure of anatomical body-bits is defined by the purpose of those body-bits.
Form follows function.
According to Dr. Stuart McGill in Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance the “rectus, by virtue of its beaded architecture, is not made to create force over a range in length-yet it is currently popular to perform curl-ups over a gym ball for example.”
In even more basic words, by its design, the six pack muscle was not designed to perform sit-up type motions, if it were, it wouldn’t be sectioned the way it is.
Instead, it would be two long uninterrupted bands of tissue (much like the hamstrings muscle on the back of the thigh).
So if it isn’t made to crunch, what’s it made to do?
Based on it’s elegant design, the abs were made to RESIST motion and transfer power from the hips.
One of the best exercises to train this quality is the front plank as demonstrated in the following short clip.
Yours in planking.
Dev Chengkalath
