Rectus Abdominis Muscle

Rectus Abdominis Muscle is a paired muscle that runs vertically down on either side of the frontal wall of the abdomen. Rectus Abdominis is commonly known as the “six pack” and is a pair of two parallel muscles. These muscles are separated in the middle by a connective tissue known as the linea alba. The linea alba extends from the pubic bone to the lower costal cartilages. The pair of muscles is protected by layers of tendon known as the rectus sheath. Three fibrous bands called tendinous inscriptions divide the rectus horizontally and these fibrous bands are placed by the 5^th, 6^th and the 7^th rib.

Tendinous Inscriptions

Tendinous inscriptions divide the abdominal muscles and are the reason behind the perfect “six pack” shape of the abs. Normally there are three tendinous inscriptions, however due to excessive workout there might be four tendinous inscriptions or fibrous bands. In such a scenario a person develops “eight pack” rather than “six pack”. It is extremely rare that five tendinous inscriptions are found and in such a case a “ten pack” shape is created. Rectus abdominis is an extremely important muscle and is used in the flexing of lubar spine whenever a crunch is performed. The abdominis muscles play an important part in the respiration system of a human being as they assist in breathing whenever the person is suffering from shortage of breath. Another important function of the rectus is that it keeps all the organs intact, whenever a person is doing exercise or lifting heavy weights. It is also responsible for tilting your pelvic forward in order to keep your back straight. It is extremely important to have a strong rectus abdominis as it prevents you suffering from hernia as it doesn’t allow the organs to protrude. A week rectus abdominis may result in hernia in which the abdominal wall weakens.

Abdominal Muscle Strain

An abdominal muscle strain is basically an injury that occurs to one of the muscles of the abdominal wall. Abdominal muscle strain is commonly known as pulled abdominal muscle and it occurs quite frequently whenever the muscle is stretched far more than what it should have been. Due to muscle strain, muscle fibers get torn. Normally small tears occur within the muscle, however in serious cases the muscle can also get ruptured from its attachment.

Building Abdominis Muscles

Building Abdominis Muscles is extremely important nowadays in order to have a good body physique and in order to remain fit. Lower abdominal exercises are extremely useful in order to build abdominis muscles, however it is important to realize the composition of the abdominis muscles in order to figure out which exercises serve you the best. Our anterior abdominal walls are made up of four muscles known as the transverses abdominis, internal and external obliques and the rectus abdominis. It is important to understand the setup of the abdominis muscles in order to determine the most suitable exercise for your body.

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