Fat, abdominals and sumo - Maru

[Kaikitsune Makoto 210]

I wonder if Musashimaru has very weak abdominal muscles!? Even with most obese people subcutaneous fat hardly exceeds certain quite modest limits as most of the fat is allocated in a structure called omentum majus which is an apron-like fat storage "hanging" from stomach and covering the whole of bowls and then the abdominal muscles are located on TOP of this!!! Now abs are connected to ribs, sternum, iliac bone, pubic bone which definitely stay deeper down even in case of obese people. Hence my fear is that Musashimaru has his abs very much streched and this causes weakening due to physiological facts! I wonder if this is true. All anatomical facts would support this theory and I recall that some doctor in Japan suggested that one of rikishi's problems with too much fat is the ensued weakness of the abdominals compared to lower back muscles. Only reason for this could the fat because I am sure leaner rikishi have strong abs as sumo is hard for waist and they also work out abs during training. I also doubt that obesity in well-trained rikishi is really such a major factor in weakening the abs as there must be nature's safety cushion principle in action and even quite remarkable fat amount in stomach isn't enough to truly strech the abs with such intensity that the physiological weakening and lengthening would occur but with rikishi whose stomachs are really huge like Konishiki, Akebono, Musashimaru, Kainowaka etc. the amount of fat may exceed abdominals' tolerance and resistance against streching. Any ideas?

In pregnant women, same thing occurs. Uterus and the intrauterial featus are located beneath the abdominal wall (which consists of skin, subcutaneous fat, abdominal muscles, peritoneal membrane) and logically this should cause quite a strech to abs and since pregnant women hardly have nearly as good abs as rikishi do, I am sure the strech will weaken the muscles but I can't be sure. Maybe the mothers of this forum can illuminate how it goes (Neener, neener...)

[Yoavoshimaru 0]

Hypothetically speaking: if a rikishi could choose either big fat body or strong abs, which would he choose? Don't they want to be big (= fat in most cases) for better pushing power, better stability?

[Onnagumo 4]

In pregnant women, same thing occurs. Uterus and the intrauterial featus are located beneath the abdominal wall (which consists of skin, subcutaneous fat, abdominal muscles, peritoneal membrane) and logically this should cause quite a strech to abs and since pregnant women hardly have nearly as good abs as rikishi do, I am sure the strech will weaken the muscles but I can't be sure. Maybe the mothers of this forum can illuminate how it goes :-)

This seems to be true, although they say you can keep it within certain limits if you make sure your abs are good before you get pregnant. Mine are a disaster :-P, like a rubber band that has been stretched too much for too long. After I had my first son (3,5 kg, 50 cm) my stomach wasn't exactly flat anymore, but everything returned to acceptable measures (Laughing...) again. But after the second (5 kg, 56 cm.... you don't want to know what I looked like in the days before he was born) my body now would probably remind you of Otsukasa (eh, let me tell the whole truth here..... apart from the abs thing, I'm not exactly thin either ;-) and I am only 1.63 m tall) Luckily I don't have back problems, which is what many women get because their back muscles have to work much harder when the abs are bad.

I could have plastic surgery (if I lose some weight first) but I'm not yet sure if that's what I want. I have two beautiful sons, and yes, it shows on my body, but I don't know if that really is something I should be ashamed of.

[Yoavoshimaru 0]

It's a very personal judgement, how you feel about yourself. Don't bow to external pressures too easily (In a state of confusion...)

[Kaikitsune Makoto 210]

Hypothetically speaking: if a rikishi could choose either big fat body or strong abs, which would he choose? Don't they want to be big (= fat in most cases) for better pushing power, better stability?

This would be a topic for a whole book you know (Blinking...)

The interrelationships between weight and power, weight and stability are far from simple. p=mv will work in heavy rikishi's favour if his v is enough and if his weight is a problem for his foe but when you add mobility in the equation, things get complicated.

Strong abs versus big fat body is a bit too hypothetical (In a state of confusion...)

Luckily I don't have back problems, which is what many women get because their back muscles have to work much harder when the abs are bad.

And in general too. Imbalance between abs and lower back is detrimental. Strong abs in sumo will give well-needed support to lower back muscles in stress. Sensitive contraction of abs provides back muscles with extra solidness when they work. Hence it is easy to see how weak abs can cause also back problems not only because lower back must work more but also because abs don't assist in supporting lower back WHEN it works hard.