What do all of the top models and most movie stars have in common? The answer is six pack abs. A defined midsection is considered the Holy Grail of fitness. If a person has defined abs, that person is usually considered to be in exceptional shape. I believe it has something to do with the fact that the abdominal area is the last place to lose body fat, so if a man is defined in that area he is probably in great shape overall. The crazy thing is that if you go into most gyms, I would estimate that less than 5% of the trainees actually have a six pack. The challenge lies from the fact that people have a misunderstanding of what it takes to achieve this awesome look.
Will Working the Core Muscles Give You Great Abs?
These days if you go into any gym, you will see a large focus on "core exercises." Personal trainers have people doing all sorts of crazy exercises on exercise balls which supposedly forces the body to stabilize itself using "core muscles." Focusing on the core muscles supposedly tones the abs to achieve a six pack abs. I see personal trainers devoting close to 1/2 of the client's time focusing on exercises which work the core. The funny thing is that I see people do this week in and week out and none of these people get any closer to getting six pack abs.
Will Performing Tons of Crunches Give You a Washboard Stomach?
Another school of thought is to work abs hard every day. There are tons of exercises which focus on the abdominal muscles. Many people use various floor exercises such as crunches or sit-ups. People also use machines in their quest for six pack abs. Some people recommend working the abs every day or every other day. Some tell you to use high reps and no weight or heavy weight like every other muscle. I see tons of people do this week in and week out and guess what...very few of those people have six pack abs!
Learn from Someone Who Has Six Pack Abs.
I have a very defined midsection year round, but it wasn't always that way. I followed the above recommendations and failed to get that six pack look. Believe it or not, a back injury helped me figure out what works best to get six pack abs! Let me elaborate...I sustained a back injury 5 years ago and was unable to perform any crunch movement without pain. I was bummed out, because I had a vacation to Cancun planned 8 months later. I wanted to look great in a swimsuit and have firm six pack abs. I had to give up on working my abs directly for 8 full months! I was convinced that my abs would look flabby. A crazy thing happened...I had amazing six pack abs in time for my vacation and I didn't do one ab exercise for 8 months!
My Approach to Getting Six Pack Abs.
Okay, since that time I haven't worked abs directly at all and my midsection looks better than ever. I am convinced that having six pack abs showing is 95% about your body fat percentage and maybe 5% or less about working the abs. You see, all of us already have a nice six pack...it is just hidden under a layer of fat. I guarantee that if you get your body fat to 10% or lower, you will have amazing six pack abs for the world to see. My recommendation is to drop your ab workout and spend that time on cardio. You want nice abs? Hit the Treadmill or the Elliptical Machine. Seriously, it the only way you will ever see those abs.
