>>55477913yeah but... core strength for anterior flexion really isn't the most important function of the abs. i mean... it's stupid to rank functions i guess but just look at how your abs are structured. your transverse abdominis, internal obliques, and external obliques which altogether make up the very very vast majority of your abdominal wall are essentially lateral rotators. your transverse abdominis is the deepest and also the one with the most surface area and so is necessarily the most important and can basically generally pull you in any direction, and has a direct connection to the aponeurotic tissue in your lumbar region, while also lining your pelvic rim. your internal obliques are ipsilateral contractors and your external obliques are contralateral contractors that work with your internal obliques on the other side to move there. like... if you're talking about core strength, when it comes to abs, they really exist mostly to rotate. if you want to develop strength in flexion and extension... it's your back. your lats specifically, and frankly it's still more important imo to consider the lats as something that should alternate back and forth.
your rectus abdominis is like a set of 8 hamburger patties wrapped in the plastic that is your rectus sheath, which the rest of your abs essentially tug on. because of their shape, and the fact that all eight of them are cleanly separated from each other, they act as sort of 'waypoints' between the external and internal obliques of opposite sides. this function, in my opinion, is much more important a part of the abs than anterior flexion.
add all of this up to the biomechanical issues that plague desk warriors such as anterior pelvic tilt and kyphosis, and it seems clear to me that an over developed rectus puts you at a much higher risk for lower back pain. if your core is supposed to be strong, then you shouldn't arbitrarily develop what happens to be the most aesthetic muscle, and then develop it in the direction it's least important. it's like... making one wheel on a car bigger than the other three.
