The Female Abs Anatomy

It is important for you to have a deep understanding of the intricacies of the female abs anatomy so that you can have a general grasp of which muscles you are targeting when working toward a sexier midsection.

The rectus abdominals - It runs vertically to the pelvis from the lower ribs. It is a long, flat muscle spanning the front of the abdomen. These muscles control forward bending. This is the muscle people mistaking refer to as the upper and lower abs. In fact, it's all in one muscle, the rectus abdominals. Some exercises will work more of the upper or lower portion of the muscle, but you can choose to train one or the other exclusively, as it's one muscle, not two.

The external oblique - They are attached to the rectus abdominals, which run diagonally downward from the lower ribs to the pelvis. These broad, thin muscles help bend the spine from side to side (spinal flexation) Therefore, these are the muscles that you want to tone when you want slimmer sides.

The internal oblique - These muscle lie below the external obliques and are smaller than their external counterparts. They curve upwards to the lower ribs and also are recruited for rotation.

The transversus abdominals - The transverse abdominals concentrates in the bikini area. This deep vertical muscle contracts when the other three are working. It can't be targeted by itself in your workout but it is toned when you work your other abdominal muscles. It holds your internal organs in place, supports your spine and is activated during breathing.

Exercise physiologists and mind experts say that it's always a good idea for you to visualize what muscle you want to engage before executing each move. Take a second to mentally imagine each exercise before doing it, picturing which muscles are involved. For example, doing side twists will engage the obliques. This will help your form and make sure that you are contracting the right muscle, making your ab workouts more effective.