Where's my six-pack?

Did that title catch your attention?  No, I’m not in a disoriented drunken stupor looking for more beer.  I’m referring to those evasive six-pack abs. You know, the ones you always see plastered on magazine covers and that you have been coveting and working towards off and on since your teen years.  You may have begun to wonder if the people you see with those ripped midriffs are just genetically superior beings or whether you are not doing the right exercises to be the envy of your neighborhood pool party this summer.  For better or for worse, the answer may be a little bit of both. 

Generally, the average person has not been approaching the search for the six-pack in the most effective way.  I have clients comment that they are doing tons of core strengthening exercises, but their abdomen doesn’t appear to be getting any firmer or more defined.  You may hate to hear this, but the fact is that you can do crunches all day long, but if you have fat around your abdomen, you are never going to see those strong muscles underneath, and doing crunches or sit-ups, in and of themselves, will not get rid of that fat.  My husband likened this to a box spring and a mattress.  You can have a really good, supportive, high quality box spring underneath your fluffy, pillow-top mattress, but it’s the shape and texture of the mattress on top that you actually feel and see. 

OK, so if you would like to work towards more defined ab muscles, what should you be doing? 

First, a little “Fat 101”.  There are two types of fat: subcutaneous and visceral.  Think of subcutaneous as the fat we can see.  It’s stored under the skin in the areas of the thighs, hips, buttocks and abdomen.  The visceral fat is the fat we can’t see.  It’s stored around your vital organs in the chest, abdomen and pelvis. While subcutaneous fat is the type we are generally most concerned with ridding ourselves of, experts say visceral fat can be more dangerous to your health.  Everyone has both types, but how and where it is stored depends on your genes, lifestyle factors (such as stress and whether you get enough sleep), age, and gender.

As you go in search of those hidden six-pack abs, you will need to employ two strategies to reduce the subcutaneous fat covering them up.  You won’t be surprised by the things you will need to focus on to achieve your goal: diet and exercise.  Does this sound familiar?  "There is no magic bullet, diet plan, specific food, or type of exercise that specifically targets belly fat. But the good news is belly fat is the first kind of fat you tend to lose when you lose weight," says Michael Jensen, MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinology specialist and obesity researcher. Studies have shown sleep and stress management to also positively affect weight loss.  Fortunately, losing weight will reduce both subcutaneous and visceral fat from your body. 

With respect to diet, there is no diet or food that specifically targets weight loss in your abdomen.  Thankfully, however, as noted by Dr. Jensen above, when you lose weight it typically comes from that area first.  Start by striving for a high plant-based diet.  Ideally, half of each meal should consist of fruits and vegetables with the protein and whole grains being the sides, and not the main part, of the meal (in spite of the fact that our culture typically reverses these proportions).  You can eat very large portions of plant based foods for a fraction of the calories you would consume with other foods.  They are low in calories and high in volume and fiber.  If your stomach is full of high volume, low calorie food, there is less room for other “bad stuff” that will add to your weight (and the fat that covers up your abs).     

With respect to exercise, similar to your diet, there is no exercise that targets fat loss in a specific zone.  However, simply sitting on the recumbent bike at your gym reading the newspaper is unlikely to help.  Moderate exercise like brisk walking, hiking or jogging is better.  In addition, incorporate high-intensity cardiovascular activity to your routine occasionally.  Adding high-intensity cardio will boost your metabolism even after you have stopped exercising.  A full body strengthening routine at least two days per week is also a good idea.  Strength training will increase your muscle mass and your body burns more calories, even when you are at rest, when it has more muscle mass.         

Finally, do genetics also influence your toned or flabby midriff?  If you've worked your stomach muscles and lost body fat and you still are not showing your flat, defined abs, don't be terribly surprised.  I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but some people will never see that six-pack they have been striving towards because that’s simply not how their body is structured.  For many people, their genetic make-up causes their body to store a higher portion of the body’s total fat in the abdomen region than in other parts of the body.  In addition, due to genetics, for some people the total body fat level required to reveal defined abs is lower than what they can sustain with their current lifestyles/schedules.  Finally, for some people, the body fat level required to reveal defined abs is lower than what is healthy for their body to function.  

Personally, before I did my first Optimal Health Detox Program, I believed that I would never have a flat, tight stomach after having two children.  I now realize that what I was passing off as stretched out skin on my abdomen was really excess subcutaneous fat.  However, I have also had to accept that, while my stomach is much stronger, flatter and tighter than it was two years ago, I will never have the visible, defined abs that some people have due to my genetics and the way that my body stores fat.  If I look back to my youth, I never had that flat abdomen, even before two children.  In the end, you get the body you get and you do the best you can with it! 

Regardless of whether or not you locate and can display that six-pack, a strong core supports your body and can help alleviate lower back issues.  Not to mention, a healthy weight, diet and exercise has endless health benefits, gives you more energy and helps you to look and feel better.   Just get started with small changes and let me know if you need some help!