After years of hot Pilates and some attempts on the reformer, I thought I had pretty decent core strength. But after my beloved TikTok algorithm showed me a video by creator Ana Wolfermann, who spent $2,000 on physical therapy learning how to properly engage her core, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been engaging my core the wrong way for my entire life? With nearly 500,000 likes and many stitches from physical therapists and Pilates instructors, Wolfermann explained how her abs were actually doming (a.k.a bulging out) during workouts, rather than feeling flexed and tight. The more she talked, the more I could relate.
Thinking about it, my stomach does tend to dome during planks and while standing neutrally, despite having some upper ab definition. After speaking to experts on how to go about properly engaging my core, it seemed like I’d been targeting the wrong muscles all along. I had abandoned my transverse abdominis (TA or TVA).
