The six-pack is a shy, elusive thing that, although doesn’t serve any functional purpose, is used by some keep-fitters as a measure of personal progress – rather in the way that standing on those bathroom scales is. On the naked, athletic body, a six-pack can look as sharp as a Tom Ford suit or a Vivienne Westwood gown. But, when you think about it, there aren’t many people who make a daily appearance in their best outfit. Our best is usually reserved for special occasions, and our masterpiece is only displayed in peak condition.
A washboard tummy requires a delicate balance of nutrition and exercise technique, so anyone who maintains a glowing six-pack must admit to keeping a vigilant regime. They don’t train hard only to eat carelessly. (A baggy top will conceal a guilty meal. I should know. I have several!) So the short answer is: you already have one. Stop covering it with fatty food choices, and you’ll see it.
But as a personal trainer, I want to know why a flat, ripped tummy is such a frequent request. I’ve been asked by a broad spectrum of gym-goers over the years (mostly women), aged from 18 to almost 80, but not one of them could say why this particular goal is so important – much less why it has become, for them, one of life’s battles.
Google returns almost 600m results to the question “What is the ideal body shape?”. And many of those results, rather than address the anxiety behind the enquiry, attempt to answer the question. The problem is, in doing so, we fitness advisers perpetuate this mass insecurity.
Such an inquiry reveals a desperate lack of self-acceptance that should surely be addressed rather than indulged. The human body is highly engineered for optimal function. It is not an ornament. There is no perfect weight. If the pursuit of a healthy-shaped body could be promoted as an internal goal rather than an external one, we might see that our aesthetic rewards are a natural occurrence of a healthy, balanced lifestyle; and perhaps, this way, we can encourage a healthier mindset for young people to aspire to.
I get my professional kicks when I see advancement in the people I help, but my perks are usually related to movement or improved hormonal activity, which is what ultimately leads to fat loss and muscle gain. Excess fat is stored in the body as a waste product, whereas muscle protein keeps our metabolism highly efficient and helps our bodies to function better. From this perspective, it’s easier to see that physical fitness should be the primary pursuit and that the aesthetics are simply an indication that we’re living the right way – a healthy way.
For those people still determined to obtain that cut figure of a Love Island contestant – it is possible. It’s just hard work. If you have addressed your diet and started an exercise regime, belly fat can be the last stubborn hurdle, and shifting it can seem unattainable. It isn’t.
Crunches and sit-ups will do a great job of toning the rectus abdominus: that’s the washboard stomach muscle we can often see airbrushed on magazine covers. To obtain those ripples, we first need to be mindful that we don’t “top up” belly fat with our dietary choices. Most of us know how to do that – who worries about the fat content of an apple? The body cannot self-generate fat and store it in unsightly places; we just need to avoid putting it in to our system. Once we’ve addressed that, we can then target the waistline with some static exercises that hone in on the transverse abdominus (TA).
The TA is a hidden wonder. It’s a large, deep sheet of core muscle that provides a solid foundation for the surrounding heavier muscles, including the obliques (aka love handles), the rectus abdominus (washboard) and our lower-to-mid back muscles. Once we strengthen the TA, it becomes a magnetic anchor for the surrounding muscles. Training the waist from the inside out zips you up.
The TA is the type of muscle that responds better to isometric (static) stimulation, so a good exercise for targeting your TA is the plank. In the full plank position, a person is suspended by four narrow points of the skeletal frame, the elbows and no more than four toes (though I guess the forearms and fists are chipping in a bit too). The only thing preventing the middle section of the body from caving in is that deep sheet of muscle resisting gravity and holding everything in place.
It must be remembered though, a six-pack serves no practical purpose, has never been a hero, brought peace, inspired true happiness, or provided love and comfort in times of need. These are all virtues that we possess, and which can’t be improved by fitness training. A well-toned six-pack does have a power of attraction. But unless you’re a swimsuit model looking for an agent, drawing attention to your buff waist might not be something that’s missing from your life.
• Emma Oko is the founder of OKOactive.com. She is a personal trainer and bio-mechanist
