Abs Sticking Out

Lately, I've noticed that my abs bulge in sPL&HBP and it bothered me a bit.

I used to suck the belly in during handstands and planche to avoid my back from arching and I think it isn't a good thing I stopped this habit. 

I tried sucking it in today and I was surprised at how HBP/PE2 became so much easier.

I met Ido Portal 8 months ago and he told that sucking abs towards the spine doesn't help to flatten the back and that we need to squeeze the abs instead.

I wonder... Is it or is it not important to suck belly in during planche and especially during handstands? 

It is a matter of semantics.  It is not so much a matter of sucking the abs in, but contracting them inward and downward in order to fully activate the transverse abdominus.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Idk.. I just PPT and that does the job.

Coach Sommer said:

It is a matter of semantics.  It is not so much a matter of sucking the abs in, but contracting them inward and downward in order to fully activate the transverse abdominus.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thanks Coach!! I'll keep contracting the abs this way then 

I looked for TA muscle activation-I can't really tell the difference between sucking the abs in and contracting them inward, however. When I pull the belly in towards the spine, I can actually feel the muscle contracts/rises up(a little below the middle of two ASIS)

Remember not just contracting inward; inward and downward.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

As you exhale, contract your core. Rather than contract your core around your abdomen while you are holding your breath and your diaphragm is expanded.

An idea we used in yoga was to try to pull the lower belly and pelvic floor together.

Pelvic floor?

Hollow Man said:

Pelvic floor?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelvic_floor

Rayne-William said:

As you exhale, contract your core. Rather than contract your core around your abdomen while you are holding your breath and your diaphragm is expanded.

Rayne, does this mean that as you inhale, the abdominal contraction must "loosen"? Or should we try to breathe in the chest to maintain total contraction? Steady breathing gets very difficult, esp. in longer sets.

I know I'm bumping a month old thread, but this "inward AND downward" notion could be elaborated for the wiki project FL/PE1 entry.

Where is this wiki project located? I'd love to look at it.