the muscles of the abdomen, the series of muscles located on the lower front midsection of the torso. The main purpose of these muscles is to contract the body forward and they usually have a range of 6 to 8 inches. Building strong abdominal muscles usually helps to alleviate back pain. The highly sought after six pack of abs is a condition where the abdominals are strengthened through exercise and all fat is eliminated from the abdominal area in order to show off a "washboard" looking stomach.

or "abs" - the collective name for the muscles on the front of the torso, below the chest. They are part of your "core" and when weak contribute to back pain