Adherence
Exercise programs lasting 4 weeks or longer, performed 3 times per week, with sessions of at least 30 minutes, and utilizing specific local abdominal exercises (such as supine bridge with abdominal drawing-in maneuver) are associated with greater improvements in lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) thickness compared to other prescription variables.
To improve the thickness of your lateral abdominal muscles (Transversus Abdominis and Obliques), focus on quality over quantity. Perform specific exercises that target these muscles, such as a supine bridge combined with an abdominal drawing-in maneuver. Aim for 3 sessions per week, with each session lasting at least 30 minutes. Ensure your program runs for at least 4 weeks to see significant changes. Avoid overtraining these specific muscles with high frequency or excessive volume, as this may not yield better results than a moderate, focused approach.
This review has found that exercise programs of ≥ 4 weeks duration, those involving three sessions per week, each session being of ≥30 minutes duration and those containing specific local abdominal exercises may be associated with improvements to LAM thickness in healthy participants.
Why this rating
The study is a systematic review of 14 studies (395 participants) with good methodological quality, but it is limited by heterogeneity in exercise types and lack of data for all muscles/conditions.
Source
A dose response analysis of exercise prescription variables for lateral abdominal muscle thickness and activation: A systematic review
Caitlin Lauren Siobhan Prentice et al. · Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · 2024
DOI 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.01.016
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