Why-Can’t-I-See-My-Abs

 

 You’ve followed all the rules for getting six pack abs.  You perform high intensity training to burn fat.  You know you can’t spot reduce belly fat.  You know crunches are worthless.  You know your body fat is below that magical 10% point at which six pack abs are generally visible.  Yet, your abs aren’t visible.  Is your body fat tester broken?  Are the only people with six pack abs genetically predisposed to have them?  These are the types of questions that go through my head as I now have a visible outline of abs but not quite the beloved six pack abs.  However, I’m not overly concerned.  Why?  Well, there may be some truth to the above questions, but I’d like to offer a couple simpler answers.

Every Body Is Different

The simplest explanation as to why someone with 10% body fat can see their abs but you can’t see yours is that you have a different distribution of fat than they do.  This is where genetics can somewhat play into things.  but it does influence how low your body fat has to be.

For example, at 10% body fat, I have 13lbs of body fat.  Where is this 13lbs though?  I’ve always had skinny legs with barely pinchable fat.  Therefore, my body fat tends to gather around my stomach.  I don’t know the distribution, but let’s say that 10lbs of my fat is around my belly.  Someone else with a similar body with 10% body fat and 13lbs of fat might have more fat on their legs.  Their belly fat might only equate to 5lbs.  That 5lbs can make all the difference for a visible six pack.  Therefore, I might have to get my body fat down to 7-8% before I have a really visible six pack.

A More Likely Alternative: Loose Skin

While the distribution of fat may be one of my problems, the other problem is less obvious.  Not too long ago, I weighted 15-20lbs more than I do now.  I’ve had great success losing weight with the majority coming from fat loss, but what about my skin?  My skin is still loose because it had to contain 15-20lbs more weight.  An extreme example of this is someone who has lost 100lbs+ or has had liposuction.  These people generally need surgery to tighten their skin to fit their new frames.  However, on a smaller scale, the skin will naturally adapt on its own.


Visible Six Pack Abs

The challenge with getting visible six pack abs is that you have to work extremely hard to get to low body fat levels.  While most people say 10% is the magic number, that might be different for your body.  Additionally, you need to give your loose skin time to adapt to your leaner body.  Therein lies the biggest challenge of all.  After all your hard work to reduce body fat, you have to continue to work hard to maintain a low body fat level to give your body adequate time to adapt.  Just remain confident that your ab muscles are in fact there and that you will someday have visible six pack abs.

Not Your Average Fitness Tips

  1. Don’t worry if you don’t have a visible six pack despite low body fat levels.  If you keep working hard, you will see your abs in time.
  2. Fat distribution varies by individual.  Don’t assume 10% is a magic number for a visible six pack.
  3. Loose skin is your biggest problem if you lost a lot of fat.
  4. The biggest challenge to getting visible six pack abs is that you need to maintain a low body fat level over time.  Be patient.