What is the six-pack muscle called?

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The the six-pack muscle is called the rectus abdominis. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a long, flat muscle running down the front of the abdomen.

Summary

The the six-pack muscle is called the rectus abdominis. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a long, flat muscle running down the front of the abdomen.

What it is

  • A long, flat muscle running down the front of the abdomen.
  • Divided by three horizontal fibrous bands (tendinous intersections) into the visible 'six-pack' segments.
  • Bends the trunk forward.

Where it is

  • From the front of the pubis up to the lower ribs and sternum.
  • On either side of the midline.
  • Enclosed in a fibrous sheath formed by the aponeuroses of the flank muscles.

Sources

According to Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918, public domain):

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