Are 6-Pack Abs Unhealthy?
When the pursuit of “shredded” leaves you miserable
Six-pack abs are the holy grail of leanness — male or female. We see pictures of “shredded” athletes and wonder if we’ll ever achieve that level of fitness. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), you’ll need to lower your body fat to about 14 to 20 percent for women and 6 to 13 percent for men to achieve an “athletic body fat” range. For comparison, average body fat levels are considered 25–31 percent (women) and 18–24 percent (men).
Some fat is essential for maintaining good health. Experts believe fat has two main purposes. One is to store excess calories for later use when we’re hungry and need energy. The other is to release hormones that control metabolism.
There are five types of fat; brown, visceral, white, subcutaneous, and belly. Subcutaneous fat lies directly underneath the skin and is typically what keeps your ab muscles (no matter how well developed) from revealing themselves to the world.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “abs are made in the kitchen,” you’ll understand no amount of sit-ups or crunches will get you to a six-pack level of athletic prowess. Mostly, abs come from eating less, leading to a host of problems few people ever discuss publicly.
