The SEXIEST Abdominal Muscles

The sexiest abdominal muscles aren’t the ones you think! Everyone loves the 6 PACK abs- or the Rectus Abdominus. While that is an important muscle, the deeper muscles of the TA, Transversus Abdominus are REALLY the HOTTEST!!

Why? Because they protect your spine and support your posture. They are a global stabilizer, designed to hold or brace the spine before movement takes place. Once they are engaged (turned on), then movements can be performed safely.

I wish this was something that we all learned in gym class as kids. If you ask most people, they have never heard of the TA. I hadn’t either. But I’m going to make it my mission to teach as many people as I can. Because it can be life changing.

So many people have come to me with back pain and “core weakness” and they have never heard of their TA. And if you have never heard of it, or gotten to know how to engage it, it might have taken a little vacation on you.

Although it is a “postural muscle” and we all should be using it at a low intensity all day, everyday, sometimes we over ride it and it gets weak and “lazy”.

It’s the first thing we teach people in Pilates. When people feel it for the first time they are amazed at how cool it feels to activate it. It’s also the easiest way I know to help people. Now matter what injuries they have, if I can teach them to engage their TA’s they will feel better and it won’t bother their injury. It can only help them!!

There are a few steps we teach:

1- Breathing to expand the ribcage

2- Forced exhalation to recruit the diaphragm (which is also an abdominal muscle).

3- Gently drawing the belly button to the back bone to activate the TA (Transversus Abdominus). It’s a low

intensity, high duration muscle so you just want to think about using 30% intensity. Don’t “bear down”.

4- Activating the pelvic floor by drawing it up with the exhale.

This video will lead you through the steps.

I promise, your life will never be the same if you haven’t been using them and you find them!!

Learning Pilates is an excellent way to reinforce the use of your TA’s on a regular basis.

Check out our Beginner Intro Schedule if you would like to learn Reformer Pilates at our KC studio.