By Julie Tupler, RN | Updated September 20, 2026
If a ridge pops up along the middle of your belly when you sit up, your two rectus muscles may be apart. That separation is called diastasis recti. The ridge is a clue—not a diagnosis.
What is making that ridge?
Your rectus muscles are the two long muscles people call the “six-pack.” A strip of connective tissue sits between them. Its name is the linea alba.
I often compare this tissue to plastic wrap. A new plastic wrap is firm. But if you keep pulling it sideways, it becomes thin and weak. When the rectus muscles move apart, the tissue between them stretches. Then pressure from inside your belly can push forward through the middle.
That is why you may see a ridge when you sit up, cough, lift, or do a crunch. The pressure is looking for the weakest place to go.
Do not train the dome
Many people see the ridge and think they need more crunches. I teach the opposite. A crunch can push the belly forward and put more force on the stretched tissue.
If you see the dome, stop the movement. Do not keep doing repetitions and hope it will go away. First learn how to bring your deepest abdominal muscle—the transverse muscle—back toward your spine.
A simple way to check
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Let your belly relax. Place your fingers across the center of your abdomen. Lift only your head, very slowly. Keep your shoulders on the floor.
- Check at your belly button.
- Check halfway between your belly button and breastbone.
- Check halfway between your belly button and pubic bone.
- Notice both the width of the gap and how deep your fingers sink.
Do not check over and over. One careful check is enough to learn what is happening. A trained Tupler Technique® provider can also check the distance between the muscles and the condition of the connective tissue.
How I teach people to start closing the gap
The Tupler Technique® has four parts that work together: transverse exercises, using a splint as part of the program, using your transverse muscle during the day, and getting up and down without pushing the belly forward.
This is not about sucking in your stomach all day. It is about teaching the muscle to move in the right direction and taking repeated pressure off the middle tissue.
Try this movement habit today
Before getting out of bed, roll onto your side. Let your legs move off the bed. Use your arms to help you come up while gently bringing your belly back. This protects the midline better than doing a straight sit-up.
When the bulge needs medical attention
A diastasis is not the same thing as a hernia. You can have one, the other, or both. Get medical help if the bulge is painful, hard, suddenly larger, changes color, or comes with vomiting or fever.
Learn what your belly is telling you
Get Julie Tupler’s tips for understanding diastasis recti and using your abdominal muscles with less forward pressure.
GET TUPLER TIPSJulie Tupler sources used
- Together Tummy, Chapters 1, 3, and 4 — Julie Tupler, RN
- Losing Your Mummy Tummy — Julie Tupler, RN
- What Is Diastasis Recti? — DiastasisRehab
