For many of us, we are more likely to get a 6 pack from the cold beer and wine store than for one to appear in your stomach region.   Just an FYI before you read any further, I may be a bit harsh on those that try to tell you it is something everyone can achieve if they just eat right and do the correct exercises.   There are some salesmen that will try to tell you that genetics DO NOT play a role in your quest for a flat stomach, these people are morons.   I am a firm believer in goal setting; both in the fitness world and life in general.  If your sole goal is to get a 6 pack from your fitness training regimen, you may consider seeking the aid of a psychologist because there are more things important in life, plus the disappointment of not being able to be my friend may be crushing and will require the help of a professional. 

                The 6 Pack Truths:

• You must be lean! My guess is your body fat percentage will need to be well under 11 percent for the abs to show. Keep in mind, there are the odd exceptions to my guess.
• Genetics do play a role. I just returned from a weekend trip to Shushwap Lake where it was a shirtless circus. Not that I was staring, but I did note 100's of men with their tops off. With the guesstimate of 11% being the magic number for one to see abs, I have to wonder why I saw so many meat heads that looked like they were in shape and some had chiselled abs, some you could see slightly and some not at all. We all know that the male ego requires that you work specifically on your chest, biceps and abs, so why were there so many varying degrees of abs? The same reason some guy's chest look like a wet blanket and their legs look like they were riding a chicken. Like any body part, your genetic makeup plays a role as to how we store fat, where we are more likely to gain muscle mass etc..
• Have you ever read the fine print on one of the infomercials that sells products that can shrink your waste and give you the toned tummy you have been looking for? You will usually find some crap that sounds like this; "Results are not guaranteed and may vary", "The prescribed exercises must be done in conjunction with the diet that comes with this device". My guess, the diet consists of eating about 800 calories and starving yourself.
• A six pack is sexy. I can't deny this! There is nothing wrong with having this as a goal. So long as it is in conjunction with a balanced program. If a physical feature for one body part is your driving force for working out, you may have some other concerns you should be dealing with.
• Doing 1000 sit ups and ab exercises a day will not give you what you are after. If you wanted a smaller ass, would you do 1000 ass exercises to make it smaller? I hate to break this to people, but if my goal is to put weight on, we will do a ton of reps and sets (for all body parts) to achieve hypertrophy.
• Your body must be lean and target training your abs will not help you get a 6 pack. You must have a balanced mix of correct diet, cardiovascular work, interval work and strength training to become leaner.
• The muscles that make up your abdominals are the same as other muscles in your body. Why would they be worked in a different fashion?
• A six pack does not always mean a strong torso. I have quite a mixture of clientele ranging from those that have well defined abs to those that look like they have a tub of uncooked donut batter wrapped around their midsections. Just because the outside looks good, doesn't mean the inside is strong and just because the outside doesn't look great, doesn't mean the inside can't be strong. From a functional standpoint, your inner unit (muscles we don't see on the surface) are quite often more important in stabilizing the torso, but because they are not seen, they get neglected. Work both the inner unit and outer unit if you want to be strong!

By no means am I trying to make fun of people that dream of a 6 pack.  I am just trying to slap them with a little piece of reality.  Sure, if you want to dedicate your life and training to make a certain body part look desirable in your eyes, go crazy.   This article doesn't just have to be about the 6 pack.  It's the same for those in search of the perfect ass, biceps, chest or face for that matter.  The fact is, if you want to be healthy and try to reduce chance of injury, balance your program out!  Life is too short to spend your evening s doing sit ups.  Strengthen your entire body, include cardiovascular work and eat healthy and you will reap the rewards of a healthy life.  But then who cares about that.........

Yours in Strength,

Joe McCullum