Why Do Some People Have Abs (and How Do You Get Them?)

Many people are after rippling abs, and they head to the gym to get them.

So why do some people have abs while others don’t? 

And what can you do to get the six-pack look?

Let’s dig in.

Everyone Has Abs!

First, everyone has abdominal muscles, whether you can see them or not.

The rectus abdominis is one of several “core muscles,” and it’s the one most people are focused on. The muscle bands of the rectus abdominis run from your rib cage to your pubic bone. 

While everyone has a rectus abdominis, body fat can obscure the muscle. This does not necessarily mean a person is unfit. Some people without visible abs are very fit—they just happen to have more body fat over the abdominals.

In other cases, fit individuals achieve lower body-fat percentages and the abs become visible. Some do this on purpose to achieve aesthetic goals. For others, it’s just a “side effect” of good training and sound nutrition.

It is possible to have visible abs and perform poorly in the gym because body-fat percentage isn’t a defining fitness metric. 

Yes, some higher body-fat percentages are concerning from a health standpoint, but some ultra-lean bodybuilders have so little body fat before competitions that they struggle to perform physical and mental tasks.

According to menshealth.com, male athletes and fit people will generally have body-fat percentages between six and 17, with 18-24 considered acceptable. 

Many resources adjust these percentages according to sex and age, so the best plan is to consult a coach who can measure your body fat, tell you what’s ideal for you and then provide a plan to get to the right number.

So How Do You Get Abs?

If you’ve read this far, you know that while you can train the abs with exercise, they become visible when you reduce body fat. That’s accomplished with a great workout routine and sound nutrition.

Remember, it is possible to develop incredibly strong yet invisible abs. If you want visible abs, you must train regularly and eat the right amounts of the right foods—enough to support activity but not high levels of body fat. 

It’s impossible to tell you how much to eat without talking to you, but a general prescription would be to eat vegetables and lean protein, while limiting consumption of processed, fatty foods and foods with lots of added sugar. 

In the gym, you’ll want to do general fitness activities to burn calories. We recommend a mix of strength-and-conditioning work. 

You’ll also want to train your abs. You can do specific exercises for the abs—crunches and planks, for example—but the abs are also active in many compound movements, such as squats and deadlifts. We recommend you use both isolation and compound movements to train the core muscles.

But remember this: You will not be able to outwork a poor diet. A rigid fitness regime that’s combined with fast food and beer won’t produce abs. 

And some people never get abs even though they get very fit. If your genetics just don’t allow you to get visible abs, that’s OK. Focus on other goals that matter to you!

For the average person, abs start to appear when an excellent workout routine is supported by an outstanding diet, though the timelines depend on starting point, genetics, training consistency and other factors.

So can you get visible abs? The answer is “probably”—if you do the right things.

We specialize in helping people accomplish all sorts of goals through fitness and nutrition, and we’d be happy to talk to you about the best way to get a six-pack. 

To book a free consultation, click here to schedule a time best for you.

You will sit down with a coach. and we will help you come up with a plan to improve your fitness overall, and help you get abs by a great side-effect.

Why Do Some People Have Abs (and How Do You Get Them?)

-Coach James