The Role Of The Abdominal Musculature
The term ‘core’ is about as misunderstood a term in exercise as I can think of. The general population still thinks that crunches are core exercises!!
Crunches and sit-ups with your legs locked are amongst the worst exercises to do for your back!
The diagram above is of what is known as “the inner unit.” These muscles work together to help stabilize the spine.
During most activities, the primary role of the abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree of rotation of the trunk. In other words, prevent movement.
Lumbar Rotation
Remember the joint-by-joint model we discussed in part 2?
It’s the thoracic spine (the region that supports the rib cage) that’s the segment with the greatest rotational abilities. The T-Spine can rotate as much as 30-45 degrees in each direction, whereas the overall orange or rotation of the lumbar spine is approximately 13 degrees. So, once again, if we lose T-spine mobility we risk rotating from the wrong part of the spine, which leads to irritation and pain. (The exercise below left is a T-Spine rotation exercise)
END OF PART 3
