▁the ▁" ab dom inal ▁mus cle " ▁or ▁" abs ", ▁is ▁a ▁pa ired ▁mus cle ▁running ▁vert ically ▁on ▁each ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁anterior ▁wall ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁ab d omen , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁some ▁other ▁m amm als . ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁parallel ▁mus cles , ▁separated ▁by ▁a ▁mid line ▁band ▁of ▁connect ive ▁t issue ▁called ▁the ▁linea ▁al ba . ▁It ▁extends ▁from ▁the ▁pub ic ▁sym ph ysis , ▁pub ic ▁cr est ▁and ▁pub ic ▁t uber cle ▁inferior ly , ▁to ▁the ▁x i ph oid ▁process ▁and ▁cost al ▁cart il ages ▁of ▁rib s ▁V ▁to ▁VII ▁superior ly . ▁ ▁The ▁proxim al ▁attach ments ▁are ▁the ▁pub ic ▁cr est ▁and ▁the ▁pub ic ▁sym ph ysis . ▁ ▁It ▁attach es ▁dist ally ▁at ▁the ▁cost al ▁cart il ages ▁of ▁rib s ▁ 5 - 7 ▁and ▁the ▁x i ph oid ▁process ▁of ▁the ▁stern um . ▁ ▁The ▁rect us ▁ab domin is ▁mus cle ▁is ▁contained ▁in ▁the ▁rect us ▁she ath , ▁which ▁consists ▁of ▁the ▁ap one u ros es ▁of ▁the ▁later al ▁ab dom inal ▁mus cles . ▁B ands ▁of ▁connect ive ▁t issue ▁called ▁the ▁tend in ous ▁inter sections ▁traverse ▁the ▁rect us ▁ab domin is , ▁which ▁separ ates ▁this ▁parallel ▁mus cle ▁into ▁distinct ▁mus cle ▁bel lies . ▁The ▁outer , ▁most ▁later al ▁line , ▁defining ▁the ▁" abs "