How To Isolate Transverse Abdominus Muscle

[koulaiyed]

Woa! You got some crazy reverb in that room!! Cool for singing, but not when you're trying to learn how lose your muffin top. Thanks for the vid!

[mishacello555]

Perhaps i am wrong, but doesnt this exercise and islolate multifidus....not TA ?

[VicSicily]

I might need to get somthing like this. Turns out i have spondylolisthesis/spondylosis on my L5, grade A (less than 25% slip) - i really need to support that area so I can continue with my physical work and sports training.

[dancingfirewind]

Hi Sam,

Where would I get one of these cuffs please. I teach Pilates - it would be a great tool to initially use with new clients.

Thanks.

[ProPTRehab]

@dancingfirewind this may impress clients, but the cuff is not truly necessary. It just gets a few oohs and ahhhs from clients & may be good for marketing purposes..

[HolisticSam]

@ProPTRehab ,

Or, in fact, what its meant to do, which is to provide feedback to the patient if they are doing the movement correctly, especially when NOT in the presence of the therapist.

[ProPTRehab]

@HolisticSam I didn't mean to sound negative. It can provide feedback, it's just that if you just suck your belly in a bit and/or add a lift upward, you're kicking it in, so I don't know if it's necessary. That being said, it's not something I would 'object' to doing. I most often have a multitude of other things to do with the patient in the 2++ hours they are in my clinic. If it works for you, go for it..

[ProPTRehab]

OK, sucking in isn't the right word; pull in...

[HolisticSam]

@ProPTRehab ,

Well, read your comment again, and decide the tone. And, that is not necessarily true.  Read the book. Substitution is common with the internal oblique. I focus on fixing the inside out. If they can't recruit the spinal stabilizers properly, there is already a blocking factor. I don't spend excessive time on it, my patients are in and out in 1 hour. Thanks for your comment, but if its not adding to my work, then please feel free to not comment.

[ProPTRehab]

@HolisticSam no problem. Here some comments to provide helpful info.. You might already be aware of it; in fact, I'd pretty much trust you are if you are into this type of stuff. Look up Shirley Sahrman. Good Luck

[billysue2]

@dancingfirewind why would any healthy person or those with back injury not the same as the patient group in the research require tva isolation training?Its been shown repeatedly that abdominal drawing in isnt an effective stabilising method,abdominal bracing is.See stu McGills work,the foremost back scientist in the world by far.The Tva research was done on specific back injury patients.

[HolisticSam]

@billysue2

This is the same as saying "That muscle draws in, but is useless". It has a function, and in "normal" individuals, when you bend over, the tva draws the belly button in without contraction of the superficial muscles. Additionally, you may not understand that as the fibers of the TVA merge WITH the obliques, when you brace, you ALSO turn on the TVA to some degree. Its important to develop a RANGE of options in neuromuscular control, not blindly following research.

[scarred10]

@HolisticSam bracing by definition means that the entire core front side and back,superficial and deep layers are activated.I wouldnt blindy follow anything but id be guided by it if the research was valid and reliable.

[HolisticSam]

@scarred10,

Yep. Everything works, its just a matter of context. I've used all methods, and they all work sometimes. I would always prefer to go with what "unconsciously" works, but sometimes that doesn't appear to restore, so the next best thing is making sure each muscle works, and let the patient experiment with what works for them.

[tyciol]

@billysue2 I don't think anyone's arguing that drawing in adds more max stability than bracing, but relying on drawing-in rather than bracing for stability would be the best way to isolate the TA muscle for use as a core stabilizer. This would limit the weight we could stabilize, but would probably result in greater gains in its strength compared to recruiting other stabilizers (erectors,abs,obliques) possibly in preference to TA which we might not activate as much as we might through isolation.

[scarred10]

@tyciol if you could prove TA was deficient strength or timing for an individual it would be a good strategy but I dont believe that the pressure cuff can diagnose that

[HolisticSam]

@tyciol,

Yep. My primary problem with bracing is that it is NOT natural. Its a substitute pattern. Engaging global muscle activity constantly is going to lead to overuse and likely further faulty movement imbalances in other muscles over time. The reality is, we simply don't know yet which is best.

[tyciol]

@HolisticSam Hm, a lot of different movement patterns seems like they would all have natural precidents. Like if a guy was going to punch me in the stomach, I'd want to brace. But if he was slashing a knife at it, I think I'd rather suck it in.

[pilatesscene]

If the TA is so deep why would you want the cuff to move when aiming to recruit it, not overdoing the obliques? It's the obliques and rectus resting superficially on the cuff, not TA. Real time ultrasound shows you how little superficial movement is needed to accurately recruit TA.

[HolisticSam]

The movement is VERY little. 6-8 mm Hg. That is the established range by the experts, Hodges, Richardson. Get a cuff and try it. You will see what I mean.

[pilatesscene]

Thanks sam, will do.

[golfprogress]

Great video Sam, I think I've been substituting internal obliques instead of using the TVA