The Transverse Abdominal Muscle: Our Body’s Spanx
Hi, everybody! Boy, that was an exciting month of Circus shows passing through Atlanta, but for now, it’s back to our regular scheduled blog program of exercises, recipes, etc! This week, we’ll be focusing on my favorite muscle, the transverse abdominis, also known as the TVA muscle. As the deepest, innermost layer of the abdomen, the TVA lies right underneath both the obliques (the side abs) and the rectus abdominis (the six pack abs). The transverse abdominis runs horizontally across the abdomen and acts as a corset in order to protect the spine. This giant muscle aids in the breathing process by controlling exhalation and compression of our internal organs; however, it also stabilizes the pelvis and prepares the entire core to move more efficiently, which thus protects the spine and lower back. Some experts have equated the TVA muscle with a natural weight training belt or our body’s very own Spanx! Sooooo…why do we care about the transverse abdominis in terms of Circus? Oh, I don’t know, maybe because it’s the LIFE FORCE of everything that we do with our bodies!!! Want to invert on the silks/rope or lift your legs up to the trapeze/lyra bar? Engage that TVA muscle! Want to do contortion with control instead of flopping into a chest stand like a wet noodle? Engage that TVA muscle! Want to even THINK about holding a handstand without an arched, banana back? Engage that TVA muscle! See??? The transverse abdominis is EVERYTHING in Circus!
So, how do we get a strong TVA muscle? Well, the most important and fundamental exercises for this muscle that we do in our warmups at Akrosphere are the plank and hollow body. I believe that we’ve already spent a good two weeks of blog posts looking at the plank exercise, but for the hollow body, the most important thing is to press the entire lower back onto the floor and flatten the tummy. Flattening the tummy can be done by squeezing the ribs in, coughing, laughing, etc! The important thing is to expel air from the diaphragm and keep those muscles contracted. Hmmm, I see a hollow body blog post in the making…more on that to come… In an event, if you want to learn more about this powerhouse muscle, check out this article by Bamboo Core Fitness: https://bamboocorefitness.com/the-transverse-abdominis-the-spanx-of-your-abdominal-muscles/
Alright, that’s it for me, at least for this week. And I’m no mind reader, but again, there may be a blog post about the elusive “hollow body” coming your way soon! I’ll see you all soon in classes for Parent Watch Week!
Big Circus Smiles,
Angelica 0=)