I am doing abdominal muscle training at home, but my lower back feels more burning than my abdominal muscles. What gives? After all, you may need to learn how to activate your abdominal muscles.
Activating your abdominal muscles is essential to strengthening them, but it’s not the same as flexing them. Whether you want visible abs or not, these muscles are important for more than just aesthetics.
Strong abdominal muscles “support all muscle groups better,” explains Jim White, an exercise physiologist, registered dietitian, and ACSM-certified personal trainer.
“If you’ve ever picked up the wrong bag of groceries and ended up with sore muscles for weeks on end, you know that your abdominal muscles may need some work to provide better support,” White says.
Let’s learn how to activate your abdominal muscles and try some movements.
What is abdominal muscle activation?
While flexing your abs is part of building your abs, you also need to “tighten your abs so that they feel tight and safe,” White explains. and that means the top and Lower abdominal muscles.
“If you don’t work every part of your abdominal muscles, you won’t see any growth in your abdominal muscles,” says White.
If you’re not used to working your abdominal muscles:
- Expand your belly while taking a long breath.
- As you exhale, pull your stomach in with a little force and feel your abdominal muscles tighten.
White suggests adding the following steps to get a feel for your abs.
“You should feel your lower abdominal muscles supporting your lower spine,” says White. Once you activate your upper and lower abdominal muscles, you can perform your core training as desired.
If you’re feeling more stiffness in your neck and back than in your abs, try the following:
- Start in a crunch position.
- Flex the top of your abdominal muscles.
- Push your hips in lightly.
- Pull your belly button toward your spine so your lower back touches the floor.
You’ll know you’ve succeeded when there’s no gap between your hips and the floor.
Don’t be afraid to pause between each rep and reassess your abdominal muscle activation. It’s better to perform fewer reps and high-quality reps than to do more reps that strain your back and neck.
Activate your core for more effective training
“The core is responsible for stabilizing all the muscles,” explains White. “If you don’t activate it, you can become overly reliant on other muscle groups” and not train the muscles you’re targeting effectively.
Proper core training can also help prevent injuries. Tightening your lower abdominal muscles will help prevent strain on your lower back.
Delegating the work of your abdominal muscles to other muscles “can lead to strains and other injuries,” White warns.
And if you neglect to activate your abdominal muscles, “your abdominal muscles won’t do what you want them to do.”
5 Abdominal muscle activation exercises
Not sure if you’re training your core properly? Start with these moves. This will help you narrow down your targeting.
1. Climber
Resist the urge to rush through repetitions. Continue to move slowly so you can keep your core engaged and in control of your movements.
- Start in a push-up position. Keep your feet together, core engaged, body straight from head to heels, and hands lower and in line with your shoulders.
- Lift your right foot off the floor. Keep your back flat, butt lowered, and bring your right knee toward your chest while keeping the rest of your body still.
- Return your right leg to the starting position and immediately repeat with your left leg. That’s one rep.
- Alternate legs and do the same number of reps on each side.
2. Dead insect
To really learn how to activate your abdominal muscles, start with a dead bug. This is harder than it looks. To fix, straighten your legs (but don’t lower them to the floor). You can also keep your knees bent and lower until your toes touch the floor.
- Lie flat on your back and push your back down so there is no space between you and the floor or mat.
- Bend your knees to 90 degrees and lift your feet off the floor. Keep your knees directly above your hips and raise your arms straight toward the ceiling.
- Lower your left arm behind your head and at the same time extend your right leg long in front of you. Lift both off the mat.
- Return to starting position. Repeat a few times, then switch to your left leg and right arm.
- Move as slowly as possible here and never let your back leave the floor. Focus on keeping your core engaged, rather than how much you move your arms or legs.
3. Front plank
If you have access to a mirror, use it to check your form for this exercise. Make sure that no part of your body is out of line.
- Get into a push-up position, but place your weight on your forearms rather than your hands (your elbows should be directly under your shoulders).
- Keep your feet together, but you can separate them a little if you want to make the movement a little easier.
- Squeeze your glutes and tighten your core (imagine someone is about to punch you in the gut), keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels. At the same time, try to push your forearms into the ground and actively pull your elbows toward your toes.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds, longer if possible. Make sure your spine is straight and avoid caving in your stomach or arching your back. Rest when you notice your back starting to arch.
4. Side plank
Since your back isn’t flat on the mat, it’s difficult to see your abdominal muscles activated in this movement. Before you begin, activate your core by flexing your upper abdominal muscles and drawing your belly button toward your spine.
- Sleep on your left side with your legs stacked or staggered. Keep your left forearm perpendicular to your body on the mat, with your fingertips pointing in the direction you’re facing.
- Engage your core to drive your feet into the ground and lift your hips off the ground. Raise your right arm in the air and make sure your left shoulder is pushed down and away from your ear.
- Keep your body straight and strengthen your core. If you want more stability, lower your left knee to the mat.
- Start by holding for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
5. Bridge
This move is great for learning how to engage your lower abdominal muscles. Move slowly and focus on quality, not quantity.
- Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Engage your abdominal muscles by drawing in through your belly button, tighten your glutes and push your hips up. Your body should form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Place your head on the floor and keep your eyes facing the ceiling.
- Hold this position for a breath and repeat the rise and fall.
