Press “home”: how not to bring the stomach to such a state and why it is dangerous

Is there a better way to build abs? Many will think that twists should be done – and as much and as fast as possible. At the same time, some girls will notice a “house” in their abdomen when tense – in other words, its upward bulge. This is a consequence of the work of only the rectus muscles, while all other muscles of the cortex (oblique, transverse abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles and others) are not involved in the work.

The “house” occurs when the deep muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor, which are supposed to stabilize the position of the pelvis and the spine, and keep the stomach flat during exercise, do not activate or activate too late .

When a “house” appears, the lower back and neck are overloaded, which leads to pain and discomfort in these areas, as well as ineffective breathing and postural disorders. Without the correct work of the cortex, destabilization of the spine occurs – this is where hernias and protrusions come from.

In addition, there is a protrusion of the intra-abdominal volume, which is fraught with prolapse of the organs of the abdominal cavity and the pelvis. With the “house” we seem to be pushing the stomach and putting pressure on the pelvic floor, although with the cortex working properly the muscles should contract and move up to the diaphragm. All this contributes to the prolapse of internal organs and “bloating of the abdomen”.

Remember the main reasons that can lead to the appearance of a “house” on the press.

During tension, the main work is done by the rectus muscles of the abdomen, and the deep muscles – the transverse, internal oblique and pelvic floor muscles – do not participate in the exercise.

The tendons of the muscles of the right and left sides intertwine in this area and can be torn or stretched. In women, this happens during childbirth, and in men due to excessive tension in the press. Then a visible roll forms on the stomach, this is also a “house”.

The point here is the lack of control over movement and breathing and exercise awareness.

Lie on a flat surface with your back and bend your knees without lifting your feet off the ground. Raise your head and shoulders – that is, make a twist. If the abdominal muscles have risen along the midline and the abdomen remains soft at the sides, then you have “homemade” abs.

The body must be re-educated to use the deep muscles and allow the superficial ones to relax. And that’s what it takes!

If you think that the more you load the abdominal muscles, the better the abs will be, then this is not the case. It is much more important to feel how the movement is happening. Make sure that the stomach does not bulge during the exercises, but rather becomes more “compact”.

One of the factors provoking the appearance of a “house” is holding your breath during exercise. Feel how each inhale and exhale unfolds. Try to keep the exhale longer than the inhale. Imagine a balloon inside you: when you breathe in, it inflates evenly and when you breathe out, it deflates.

The smaller the amplitude, the greater the control over the movement.

The functional muscles of the pelvic floor will be better integrated into the work of all deep muscles, respectively, one of the factors provoking the formation of a “house” will disappear.

Since all the muscles of the body are attached to the spine, by increasing its mobility in the movements of lateral inclination, flexion-extension, rotation, we will force the core muscles to work efficiently and stabilize the vertebrae.

Diastasis is one of the factors provoking the protrusion of the “house” of the abdomen. The rectus diastasis is a stretching of the white line of the abdomen, in which the gap between the rectus muscles increases. Usually, a muscle discrepancy that exceeds 4.5 cm, or the width of two fingers, is considered diastasis.

If the diastasis is strong (grade 3-4), an operation may be prescribed. A preliminary test can be carried out independently: if there is a suspicion of a strong muscle discrepancy (more than two fingers), then you need to consult a surgeon. At this stage, it is important to avoid abdominal exercises in principle.

If the doctor does not see any pathology, then you need to think about the correct technique for performing exercises in which the abdominal muscles are involved.