Internal Obliques

The internal obliques are a pair of deep abdominal muscles. They lie just above the transverse abdominal muscle and underneath the external oblique.

Anatomy of Internal Obliques

The muscle fibers of the internal obliques run from various places at and around the front of the hip to the lower ribs and the connective tissue part of the rectus abdominus. The fibers run in a direction that creates an inverted V shape.

The internal obliques affect the spine, ribs and pelvis. The lowest part of internal obliques works with the transverse abdominal muscle to contain and support the abdominal contents.

Functions of the Internal Obliques

The upper and lateral fibers of the internal obliques have several important functions:

• flex the spine,
• support the abdominal contents,
• plays a role in breathing - it acts as an antagonist (opponent) to the diaphragm, helping to reduce the volume of the thoracic (chest) cavity during exhalation. When the diaphragm contracts, it pulls the lower wall of the chest cavity down, increasing the volume of the lungs which then fill with air,
• rotate the spine, and
• laterally flex the spine

For some of these actions, the internal obliques work with other abdominal muscles. This is especially true of the rotation and lateral flexion motions.

For example, the right internal oblique and the left external oblique contract as the torso flex and rotate to bring the left shoulder towards the right hip. For this reason, the internal obliques are referred to as "same side rotators."

Exercises for the Internal Obliques

Miracles for Men encourage proper training of all abdominal muscles. This will improve posture and also give your body increased strength. Some of the simple exercises that one can do include sit ups and crunches.

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