Five paired muscles make up the anterolateral compartment of the abdominal wall, including the rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, transversus abdominis, and a lesser-known muscle that you might not even have…
AEL is based on the understanding that a muscle is able to exert more force (+20-50%) during a lengthening contraction than the coupled shortening contraction. In other words, it’s easier to lower a load than it is to lift it.
The sit-up and the crunch are commonly performed exercises for targeting the rectus abdominis (RA) muscles, a.k.a. the six-pack muscles . . .
