Healthy back exercise: hip raise
Part 8 of 10
We’re nearly there on the exercises and number 3 of the series works on our abdominals (stomach muscles). There are three main muscle groups that we need to work on that are included within the stomach muscle category.
Main Muscle Groups
There is the ever famous ‘rectus abdominis’ or better known as the “6 pack” which runs along the front of our stomach area. The next are the ‘obliques’ which are a set of two muscles either side of the “6 pack” (four in total). They are the internal and external obliques that cross over each other and allow us to twist and bend to the side. Finally for our purposes there are the ‘transverse abdominals’ which are the less well known of the three and yet in my opinion and the opinion of many other professionals are the most important. This muscle is under the obliques and the “6 pack” and is one of the most important muscles for supporting your core, creating a lot of support for your back. The best way to describe it is it is to say it is like a belt which acts similarly to the weight lifters’ support belt. They wear that because it strengthens up their core (their waist), this allows them to lift significantly more weight than their core muscles would usually allow.
These three sets of muscles give great support for our backs. As for the aesthetics – the transverse abdominals are the ones that help create a flat stomach and not the “6 pack”. The “6 pack” helps, but it is the transverse abs (abdominals) that draw everything in tight like a belt. Going back to the “6 pack”, there is a lot of talk of your upper abs and lower abs; this refers not to the inner and outer abs that we have just covered but to the sections of the “6 pack”.
Working One Muscle
Well, this exercise will work the lower abs but I want to make it clear that it is one muscle, so rather than calling it your lower abs it would be more accurate to call it the lower portion of your “6 pack” because whether you work on the lower or upper part of this muscle, you work the whole muscle with just more concentration on one end or the other. With crunches, sit ups, twist crunches etc. you work on all the stomach muscles, but primarily the upper portion as that is where the movement is starting from. With today’s exercise, the Hip Raise, the movement starts from the lower area, which means working the lower portion of muscles more. It is an essential exercise for a firmer, flatter stomach and more importantly, in this case, it helps to strengthen the stomach more completely and in turn gives greater support for your lower back.
As always before you start this exercise it is important that you understand some fundamental training techniques which you will find on part 6 under training tips. Once you have read these apply them to the next exercise.
Exercise 3
For this one yet again you will need no expensive gym equipment, just yourself and a comfy flat floor.
In theory this exercise is very simple; however as with a lot of exercises there is one right way and many wrong ways. It is a difficult one to explain but I will try my best.
Start by lying on your back then get your legs into a vertical position. To save excess stress on your back do this by bringing your legs into your body first and then push up from here. Now with your body in the “L shape” position the idea is to raise your hips off the ground. Raising the hips is the aim although not necessary. Don’t think you have to raise your hips to complete the exercise. It is far better to get the stomach muscles tightened by trying to get the hips up than using any other form of cheating to achieve this. Remember technique. Place your arms by your side for balance, suck in your tummy muscles and slowly curl your hips up from the floor (a bit like a crunch but in reverse). You know you will be doing it right if you feel the exertion in your stomach area. Remember it will be difficult but try and keep the movement slow.
Do 20 repetitions of this exercise, and as you get better then add another set of 20.
First the “do not’s”
Now the “dos”
Next post will be the 4th exercise in the series of healthy back exercises.
