How To Get "Six-Pack Abs!"

An interesting news blurb I came across today.

Let me provide you with a quickie science lesson:

In humans, fat is mainly distributed in two different ways – subcutaneously and viscerally. Subcutaneous fat refers to the fat we all normally think of; belly fat, arm flab, etc. Simply, it’s fat that’s stored immediately underneath the skin. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is stored around the internal organs; in other words, it’s fat that pads your viscera.

Here’s the big distinction: You can see subcutaneous fat. You can’t see visceral fat. However, both of them together make up your total body fat.

What implications does this have for a fitness-minded individual who dreams of six-pack abs?

Plenty.

First off, understand that people store (and consequently, burn) fat in different spots. That doesn’t just mean belly vs. hips anymore – you know the science now. Some individuals will store more fat viscerally, while others will store it more subcutaneously. The flip side is also true.

Maybe this has happened to you, or a friend of yours:

Dutifully, you make the necessary dietary changes, exercise, drink copious amounts of water, etc. You apply these changes consistently, and over time, you end up losing 15 pounds of body fat. But, although you look a little smaller, your belly fat hasn’t changed, nor has the fat on your arms. What happened?

You might have lost mostly visceral fat. So right now, you’re walking around with the most-ripped kidneys and gallbladder ever seen, but the body hasn’t yet felt compelled to tap into those fat stores on your lower abdomen.

A friend of mine bemoaned the fact that he was measured as having 10% body fat, but had no visible abs to speak of. Shouldn’t he have an outline, a faint whisper of ab muscles? A “two-pack”, at least?

Not if all his remaining fat was stored subcutaneously rather than viscerally.

For illustrative purposes, I’ve posted a shot of UFC fighter Andre Arlovski, who is 12.7% bodyfat.

Genetics can truly be coldhearted sometimes.

Here is the reality of how to get six-pack abs:

1) Eat to sustain a fat-loss environment. For the very lowest levels of body fat, some unhealthy measures (severe restriction, repetitive menus, reliance on supplements such as protein shakes) might be required. During the lead-up to a contest, professional bodybuilders consume more vitamins and supplements than The Pump uses in a day because their diets are far too restrictive to support health.

2) Strength train. I wouldn’t expect to make too many strength or muscle gains during this time. When dieting down to extremely low body fat levels, you are primarily seeking to curtail your losses in both strength and muscle size.

3) As needed, maximize metabolism by performing adjunctive exercise, i.e., interval training, GXP, etc. If you’re not getting to your goal and your diet is no longer modifiable, then increasing your expenditure is the only alternative. Performing them in short and intense work bouts makes it a little better – at least there’s some metabolic load there.

4) Emphasize recovery. I can’t say it enough – your body makes its changes in the post-exercise period, not during or immediately after the workout. Microscopic damage takes time to repair. Overdoing it with 2x/day workouts or endless, useless cardio is counterproductive. Don’t forget to give the body the time it needs to rebuild. It helps to sleep, too.

5) Assess and stay focused. You need to set goals and make them. You need to track how far you’ve gone from your last baseline. These things need to be done and reviewed on a consistent, recurring basis. Don’t forget, getting results is the best motivator of all!

To make this crystal clear to you, here are some folks who possess six-pack abs, all attained through different training methods and diet approaches. Why do I make a point of this? Because I want to drive home the point that so long as it is scientifically sound and well-adapted to the individual, many approaches can get you to your goal. What is paramount is your motivation to achieve your goal and the will and discipline to stick to it.

Above: Andy McCutcheon, fitness model and martial artist – 3.4% bodyfat

Above: Mr. “Ripped” himself, Clarence Bass. He was 41 in this pic! 2.4% bodyfat

Above: 1971 Mr. America Casey Viator – test subject #1 in the Colorado Experiment – 3% bodyfat.

Above: Some random picture I found on the Web – 7.58% bodyfat

Whoops, almost forgot another important point: All these people have something else in common, other than six-pack abs – body fat percentages in the single digits (in fact, at 7.58%, I’m the “fatty” of the group). In order for the abs to show through, you simply must be at your leanest possible.

Ok, you’ve got the knowledge, now go for it!