Abdominal Function: Do we need to re-think our approach?

by Chuck Wolf

All too often the thought of “training” the abdominals comes as an afterthought in the fitness program. Frequently done at the end of the exercise session or as an active recovery between sets of other body part training, we think 3 or 4 sets of endless abdominal crunches will provide the necessary impetus to strengthen the abdominals adequately. Much of recent literature discusses the multi-joint, multi-planar movements in functional training, should we re-think our approach to training of the abdominals to benefit their optimal function?

Human Movement Traits

Characteristics of human motion encompass movement within a three dimensional environment. Nearly all the joints and muscles in the body move in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes. Each movement has a degree of flexion/extension (sagittal plane motion), abduction/adduction (frontal plane motion) and rotation (transverse plane motion). Some actions have more influence of one plane versus another, but nonetheless, at each joint there is motion in all three planes during free motion. Based upon this premise, exercise and training programs should incorporate movement patterns in the three planes of motion and not isolate a joint or muscle group in only one plane of motion. Any time we limit action of an exercise to one plane of motion, the exercise is not functional in respect to human movement within all three planes of motion.

Re-Thinking Muscle Actions in Motion

All muscles have similar actions that must decelerate motion before it can accelerate motion, and in most activities needs to overcome gravitational forces. When examining human function, muscles do not create motion, but muscles decelerate or control actions while they are being lengthened or loaded. As the lengthening occurs, energy is stored as the muscles are being “primed” for a propulsion or acceleration of movement. In reality, the muscles act to control the motion during the entire cycle of events, but do not necessarily initiate the action. For example, if a person is going to jump, he or she often takes a short step and allows gravity to cause them to dorsiflex at the ankle, flex at the knee and hip, spinal flex slightly, all to prepare the body for flight. As this preparation is taking place, the muscles are decelerating the downward force of the body weight caused by gravity, and storing energy as they are eccentrically lengthening or “pre-loading”. The body must be able absorb the downward forces from gravity as well as the weight of the body itself, and simultaneously create a reaction from the pressure placed against the ground as the player transforms into a leap. During the transformation, the player must react from a deceleration phase and convert the stored energy into an acceleration phase and allow the muscles to react by concentrically shortening muscles that propel him or her upward. The plantar flexion of the ankle, knee and hip extension, along with spinal extension are a concentric moment that propel, unload, and accelerate. Without the “pre-load” in all three planes of motion, the player will not “unload” with an efficient and forceful leap. Imagine trying to jump without the pre-load phase, it would be weak, inefficient, and non-functional.

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