How Important Is Having The Perfect Abs To You?

Throughout my time in fitness and competing, I noticed a key trigger for gaining the attention of admiration — and the key had great-looking abs.

They stand out like a sore thumb on stage, glossed with oil and tanned up, looking lean and defined.

The average person might believe that sacrifice, hard work, and becoming obsessed are required to have such abs.

But, if so, are these people who must have a six-pack willing to undergo cosmetic intervention to bypass these excruciating ‘hard work’ phases?

Perhaps that’s the case, and 55 per cent of people who already exercise are willing to undergo some non-surgical intervention to get some abdominal visibility.

Do you fall under this category as well?

We all know abs are invisible because of belly fat and perhaps abs that aren’t toned.

In addition, some people are more genetically inclined to store fat on the abdomen, making it hard to show the hard work behind that insulation layer.

Six pack ab definition is the result of low body fat.

Then we also have to add hormones, genetic makeup, and what sex you are.

Women store more fat on the hips and backside, and men store fat in the belly area, a genetic hormone difference between the sexes.

Women, in particular, might have difficulty attaining the perfect abs due to estrogen levels.

Unfortunately, when menopause starts rearing its head, even the leanest person might start to develop a belly.

Obsession with the perfect abs or body eventually takes its toll on our emotional, mental and physical health.

Having a six-pack ab formation isn’t everything, and it’s cracked up.

Coming from a competitive body-building background, I know all too well that obsession can harm your physical and mental health.

It doesn’t matter how much mental grit you possess — it can still affect your well-being.

Sometimes, the capacity to look a certain way is completely out of our hands — although having a goal of what you want is not a bad idea.

However, this can become a large problem if you undergo extreme dieting or have an unhealthy fixation on what the ideal body should look like.

Healthy doesn’t necessarily have a six-pack, though, and the lines seem to be blurred because of the endless streams of health professionals and Instagrammers showing their abs off several times a day.

We’ve forgotten along the way that every person is an individual who will respond in different ways when it comes to exercise and nutrition.

Part of the journey is accepting what you’ve been blessed with while being open-minded about how far you should push yourself.

Being in the body-building industry has taught me that pushing your body too much can have severe consequences. For example, I struggled to lose weight for over five years because of the lengths I took to become lean for comps.

Ab formation isn’t about how many crunches you can do; rather, it results from your nutrition, hormones and genetics.

I don’t think I have to tell you that eating whole foods, protein, lots of vegetables, good carbs, and fats is the way to go.

But, being consistent with your nutrition, pre-planning your meals and sticking to your food plan is a must.

Then we have to add some exercise — light cardio and weight training.

Deadlifting and pull-ups have done more for my ab definition than any ab crunch.

For the women reading this — we have a bit of a unique disposition regarding abs.

Hormones, periods & lack of sleep might leave us in a water retention mess. But that’s all part and parcel of being a woman.

I’m yet to know what effects menopause will have on my body, but when I find out, I’ll let you know! Hopefully not that unwanted pouch; so many women keep talking about it.

After all, isn’t having a great body all about being healthy and maintaining a balance during your lifetime?

There is no sense in having great abs when your liver breaks down from all those fat burners.

Stop making vitamin companies rich, and start filling your life with healthy, rich foods and experiences.

Keep this in mind — health is the ultimate level of wealth you could have in life — and it’s the one thing that will see you through the good, bad and tough times.

So treat it well and be kind to it. Better still, treat yourself with kindness & have gratitude for the health you already possess.

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