If you’re looking to strengthen your deep core, this is going beyond your six-pack abs. One of the main muscles we will be focusing on that makes up your deep core is the transverse abdominis (TrA). A strong deep core is a pillar of overall health and functional fitness. Strengthening the TrA is essential as it not only upholds proper alignment but also protects vital organs and acts as your inner back brace. This post will review the anatomy of TrA, as well as how to strengthen your deep core with guided exercises.
**This is not medical advice. Please consult your medical provider for more information.
Importance of the Transverse Abdominis
It is important to note that the “deep core” refers to more than just one muscle. The “deep core” includes transverse abdominis, QL, internal obliques, multifidi, the pelvic floor, and the diaphragm! All of these work together to help stabilize the spine. Now, more on TrA…
The transverse abdominis (TrA) is often a forgotten part of the core muscles. This muscle lies deep to the other abdominal muscles and has a distinctive role. It spans from the lower ribs to the pelvic bones as the fibers run horizontally. It acts as a foundational inner back brace, supporting the body through daily tasks and athletic competition. It’s main job is to stabilize!
Strengthening this deep core muscle can help reduce the likelihood of injuries from happening. That’s why this muscle is very important for athletes, labor workers, and regular gym-goers. TrA will compress the abdomen as it contracts which lends a hand in respiration and keeping us upright, which is why it is a very important postural muscle. Recognizing its function is key to unlocking ways to help our bodies.
Activating Your Deep Core (Start Here By Learning to Breathe!)
Activating your deep core, specifically the transverse abdominis, starts with focusing on the subtle engagement of this muscle. The secret to this is learning to breathe efficiently and effectively prior to turning this muscle on. It is key to activate TrA while maintaining your regular breathing pattern to avoid a valsalva maneuver.
The video above shows a proper breathing pattern known as diaphragmatic breathing. It is very common to want to breathe from the upper chest. In order to do this properly, place one hand on your chest and another on your belly. Make sure your ribs stay down and you anchor your spine into the ground.
Take a deep breath in from your nose. Try to fill your belly up with air by making the hand on your belly rise first before the hand on your chest. You want to fill the entirety of your belly before you start filling up from the upper chest. Your lungs are large organs and they can expand very well. By breathing deeply from your belly, you are expanding from the lower portion of your lungs before filling up the upper portions.
As you exhale through your nose, the hand on your chest should lower first (the opposite of how you started). You want to try to keep the air in the lower portion of your lungs as long as you can. Once the chest has fallen, continue to exhale as your belly falls too. This is how you breathe efficiently with your diaphragm.
Being able to breathe effectively lays the groundwork for your core to work well and contract as needed. You must have a strong foundation before diving into your core workout routine!
Related Articles on Core Work
- Diaphragmatic Breathing: How to Breathe Correctly
- Why Deep Breathing is Important for the Pelvic Floor
- Forget Crunches! There are Better Ways to Improve Core Strength
- Core Strengthening Exercises to Reduce Back Pain
Why Stomach Vacuuming is Not Recommended
I’m sure some have heard about sucking in the belly button towards the spine in order to activate your core. The reason I do not like to use this method is because this is the opposite of the movement we actually want. Remember that the TrA stabilizes the spine along with all other muscles around the abdominal cavity. This includes the diaphragm, pelvic floor, other abdominal muscles, and paraspinal muscles. All of these muscle groups need to work eccentrically together for efficient stabilization. If one muscle is off, the entire chain is thrown off.
Eccentric activity of all of these muscles creates a stable base and the intrabdominal cavity has equal amounts of pressure in all directions. If you suck your belly button in towards the spine, there are uneven forces around the entirety of the abdominal cavity.
Imagine a soda can that hasn’t been opened yet. All of the carbonation is held inside and it is evenly pushing around all edges of the can. Now if you drop this can and a dent forms, this disrupts the balance of the forces pushing against the edges. The area of the dent will have a greater force into it. When creating a stable base through your intrabdominal pressure (IAP), you want equal amounts of force spread in all directions. This is what creates a strong core.
Core Progression Exercises
Once you get the hang of diaphragmatic breathing, give the next three exercises a try. These work as a progression, so start with the first one until it becomes easier before moving onto the next. This will help you slowly and incrementally to teach you to strengthen your deep core muscles and lay the foundation for reducing back pain, improving athletic performance, and more!
Supine March
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Take a deep breath in through your belly and activate your deep core.
While maintaining your core activation, lift one of your knees up to just above your hip. Then lower it back down. Lift the other leg to the same height and lower it down. Keep alternating like your are marching in place. The goal is to keep your core engaged and to not allow your ribs to flare or your lower back to arch off of the ground.
Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
Unsupported MarcH
The next progression is to get both of your legs off of the ground for a short duration. As you did in the exercise above, you will be marching in place but in a different sequence.
Start on your back with your knees back and engage your core. Lift up one leg so your knee is above your hip. Keep that leg in the air, then lift the other leg up to the same position. Both legs should now be in the air in a 90/90 position.
Then lower the first leg you brought up, followed by the second leg. The tendency will be to arch the back as you lower your legs. Keep your core strong and your breathing regulated.
Perform 2-3 sets of 10 reps.
Triple Flexion
Start in the same position as before – on your back with your knees bent. Activate the TrA muscle and maintain your breathing. Once you are ready, lift your legs up so your hips and knees are at 90° angles.
Keep monitoring that your core is activated with your fingers while holding this position. If it is hard, start with holding your legs up for 5-10 seconds at a time with maintenance of your abdominal brace and gradually build up to 30-60 second holds for 2-3 sets.
TL;DR
This post reviews the foundational elements of how to strengthen your deep core. It goes over the anatomy of the “deep core” with emphasis on the transverse abdominis, how to activate your deep core muscles, and exercises to strengthen your core.
Tera Sandona is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and the founder of PT Complete. She helps high-achieving women break out of cycles of chronic pain, stress, and burnout through her Regulate and Rebuild Method, a sequenced approach that addresses the nervous system first and builds strength second. Her work focuses on helping women finally understand their bodies, rebuild strength, and create lasting resilience that fits real life.
