A lot of you are not going to be happy with this post, I fear I may crush many people’s dreams with it.

So often I’ve heard people tell me they want a 6 pack, it’s one of the most common goals bar weight loss at the gym. The problem is that many will never achieve this goal. Sad but true.

It’s fantastic to have goals to work  towards. Some of you may achieve them easier than others (yes genes do have an impact on some people’s results) but it doesn’t mean give up, just understand that it may take a while!

Firstly let me explain the make up of the core region, it does not only consist of the washboard layer on top.

1. Transverse abdominis – your ‘inner unit’ a band-like muscle which wraps around your stomach through to your back. strengthening this part of the core will increase core strength, stability and have a drawing in effect (yay flat tummy!)

2. Internal & External obliques – these muscles are responsible for all your rotating movements. They run up and down from your ribcage to your pelvis and can be targeted with side exercises i.e side plank/bend

3. Rectus abdominis – your aesthetic part of your ‘6 pack’ region running from your ribs down to your pubic bone. It is the top layer of the core region.

4. Pelvic floor muscles – often overlooked as part of the core it is actually a very important part. a sling like group of muscles from the front of your pubis to the back, responsible for supporting your organs and continence.

Ok so by looking at that you’ll understand that there’s a lot more muscles to consider in the core area. All play a part if you want the 6 pack.

If this is the goal you’re chasing I would highly recommend you start working from the inside out. Figure out what activating your pelvic floor muscles feels like (see my article on pelvic floors) and start here. Then work your way to the transverse abdominis, I rate this as one of the most important set of muscles in the body, it is responsible for a lot more than you realise. You use it more often than you think, you couldn’t stand up without these muscles. They’re working all the time, while you stand, walk, squat, sit upright, bend, pick things up, push things, grab things – you use it all the time! By strengthening these muscles you are not only increasing your ability to do things with ease but you are also flattening your stomach.

Next comes the obliques finally followed by your rectus abdominis. It’s important to strengthen the whole core region, if you were to only work the top layer by doing crunches and sit ups etc. it will create a shortening effect and may affect your posture. Without working the inner core you may only be creating a balloon effect, where you do not flatten your stomach you simply harden what you’ve got and have a puffed out appearance.

Now that you understand the core and how it is made up and how it functions I need to tell you something… The 6 pack is incredibly hard to achieve and maintain. I’m sorry, here is the next blow… it pretty much comes down to diet.

Why? Imagine your body fat on your stomach like a backpack, you can strengthen and feel great but unless you take the back pack off you’re never going to see the muscles underneath.

Now don’t feel defeated, if it is a 6 pack that you want and you are determined to do it, then go for it! Here’s how:

1. Don’t just do core exercises, you are better off by doing big bang for your buck heavy exercises where the core is working hard i.e dead lift, chin up, push ups, than by doing a zillion crunches. These exercises are also condusive to weight loss as you are using more muscles, burning more fat and putting on lean muscle. From there you work on your core from the inside out, starting with the transverse abdominus, internal and external obliques and then finally the rectus abdominus. There are loads of core exercises that target these muscles, you want to focus on quality and in conjunction with bigger exercises.

2. Look at your nutrition. If you want a 6 pack depending on your size and weight and body composition you may need to lose a serious amount of body fat. Notice how I didn’t say weight?? You shouldn’t care about weight you should care about your body fat percentage. I’ve seen slim girls that are over 35% body fat. Good nutrition with structured exercise is key to dropping body fat and revealing your abs.

3. Seek help from a professional. Don’t waste time guessing, get expert advice on how to achieve your goals quickly and safely. It may cost you money but it will help you achieve your goals.

So there you have it. The core is such a cool group of muscles that work without you knowing a lot of the time. The look of a  firm set of abs isn’t bad either 😉 (thank you Ryan Reynolds!!)

 

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