Many people do not realize that only 2 percent of the world's population can claim to have six pack abs. With our current diets and food choices, obesity is on the rise and getting a lean, mean set of abs seems to be becoming more elusive.
For a 6-pack, the number is around 60%. About 15% of the general population have 4-pack abs, while 2% can only ever achieve a 2-pack. Then, even rarer than the 2-pack is a total of 10 or even 12 abdominal muscles, meaning 5 or 6 bands of the connective fascia.
? The number of Americans with 6 pack abs are 1 in 25,000… 9% of the 118 million households in the US are millionaires (net worth) about 1 in 10. Our body is the temple of God (1 Cor 6:19). For men, if you're around six to 17 percent body fat, your abs should be noticeably visible.
Experts say that while it's a challenge for both men and women to get six-pack abs, it's "difficult particularly for women," says De Leon. "Due to the larger muscle mass of men and their higher levels of testosterone, it is easier for them to have sculpted abs."
Many of us believe that six-pack abs are only meant for the genetically blessed. But the truth is, everyone is technically capable of getting abs because we all have ab muscles naturally, it requires time, discipline, and hard work to reveal them.
The unhealthy side of a six-pack
While rippling abs are taken as a sign of peak fitness, the ultra-low body fat it takes to get them can have seriously unhealthy side effects: Phillips says they include fatigue, a compromised immune system, vitamin deficiencies, muscle wastage, and organ shrinkage in severe cases.
No matter who you are, the appearance of your abs is largely based on your genetics. “How visible they are, how they're shaped, whether they're aligned or crooked—it boils down to your DNA,” says Mike Israetel, Ph. D., sports physiologist and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization.
Your timeline to a six-pack depends on the body fat percentage you're starting with. A good rule of thumb (and a safe one) is to aim to lose 1 to 2 percent of body fat per month. So, unveiling your abs can take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years.
Six-pack abs do not mean you have a strong core. It is easier to get washboard abs than having a strong core. Clean eating and the right balance of body-fat percentage are enough to show you results. Abs just give our abdomen a nice shape.
It's easier to be a millionaire than get six pack abs. (Look it up) .. The number of Americans with 6 pack abs are 1 in 25,000. 1 out of how many are millionaires?
But what many people fail to realize is that the abs are just like any other muscle. If you choose the right abs exercises and get stronger with them over time, the abs will grow. And this will then, inevitably, improve the overall look and visibility of your six-pack. And research is in agreement with this.
Good news, guys! Over 75% of women prefer FLAB to abs: Sex therapist Tracey Cox explains why women DON'T want chiselled perfection in their bed. Three in four British women would choose a man with love handles over one sporting a six-pack.
If someone has a six-pack, their stomach muscles are very well developed. He has a six-pack stomach and is extremely well-proportioned.
You have too much body fat.
The single most important aspect when it comes to getting your abs to show is having a low body fat percentage. All humans have abdominal muscles that can be made more visible with training – but ultimately to see your abs you need to be at 10% body fat or less (18% or less for women.)
Your pants and/or shorts are looser in the waistline.
It is the easiest and most effortless way to notice your progress on the journey to a washboard stomach. If your pants are fitting more loosely or if you have to tighten your belt, then you are losing fat around your stomach.
How Lean Do You Need To Be To Have Abs? You should be able to see visible abs at around 17% body fat for men and 24% for women.
If you regularly perform abs workouts and back that up by eating a healthy diet, your upper abs will quickly start to emerge. Unfortunately the rest of your abs won't simply follow. The upper abs are the first to show and the easiest to work, because most of the best-known abs exercises target them specifically.
And less than 1% of people studied could have 10 pack abs. Apparently, it's also possible to have 2 pack abs, but that's just as rare as a 10 pack.
You must have a very low body fat percentage for visible abs
This isn't a case where someone is lacking muscle. You can see many professional athletes with an unbelievably strong, muscular core, and yet they don't look lean at all. Generally, a male will need to be under 12% body fat to have those instrgram-ready abs.
Though abs workouts do make many individuals of all ages somewhat taller when performed properly and on a regular basis, they do not in fact increase the actual length of the exerciser's bones for the most part – that is, unless the exerciser is still within the pubertal stage of their life. What is this?
Six-pack abs are typically hard to the touch, as they are the result of a well-defined and toned abdominal muscle group.