abdominal muscle
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
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abdominal muscle
Any of the muscles of the front and side walls of the abdominal cavity. Three flat layersthe external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominis musclesextend from each side of the spine between the lower ribs and the hipbone. The abdominal muscles attach to aponeuroses, connective tissue sheaths that merge toward the midline, sheathing the rectus abdominis muscle on each side of the midline. The abdominal muscles support and protect the internal organs and take part in exhaling, coughing, urinating, defecating, childbirth, and motion of the trunk, groin, and lower limbs.
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Oxford Food & Fitness Dictionary:
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abdominal muscles
Four pairs of muscles, often referred to as the stomach muscles, that support and protect the contents of the abdomen and help you to breathe out forcibly. (The technical names for the four pairs of muscles are the rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and the transversus abdominis.) Strong and healthy abdominal muscles support the back during lifting by stabilizing the vertebral column. If the muscles are weakened by lack of exercise they become pendulous, forming a ‘pot-belly’. Despite claims to the contrary (see spot-reducing), the only way to develop a flat stomach is by combining an appropriate diet with regular exercises to strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles. Suitable exercises include the abdominal hold, crunches, and curl-ups.
Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine:
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abdominal muscles
Four pairs of muscles (the rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and the transversus abdominis), often referred to as the stomach muscles, which support and protect the contents of the abdomen and contribute to forceful exhalation. Strong and healthy abdominal muscles support the back during lifting by stabilizing the vertebral column. If the muscles are weakened by lack of exercise they become pendulous, forming a ‘pot-belly’.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Oxford Food & Fitness Dictionary
Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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