Alien Abs
By Fitness Editor Paula Jager, CSCS
If you want a set of killer abs for the summer you better have a PhD because it will take persistence, hard work and determination.
No doubt about it, this woman (?) to the right is most certainly sporting a six pack and has obviously worked hard to get it.
But for once I am going to agree with you all—that “woman” definitely looks like a man or a surreal creature. While I don’t know her I think it is safe to say that look is not possible without the use of anabolic aids. It is not natural or healthy and not at all representative of a fit persona. 99.9% of us do not strive for that.
An athletic yet feminine look however is achievable, natural and healthy through proper training and nutrition.
What is far more important overall than looking good is a healthy set of core muscles to help us function to the best of our abilities in both activities of daily living and sport. A lot of people think of the “six pack” muscles as the core but it consists of a group of muscles that function collectively.
Awesome Abs
The stomach core muscles are the transverse abdominis, obliques and rectus abdominis; the back—the erector spinae; hip core muscles are the iliopsoas, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius/minimus. Let’s take a look at each of these and their function. . .
Transverse abdominis: these are the deep underlying stomach muscles and most essential for a strong core. They act like a natural weight lifting belt offering internal support while creating a strong link between the upper and lower body. Many women that have a problem with “leaks” while jumping or running after having children will find they often “disappear” with strengthening these muscles.
Obliques: these muscles are slightly to the sides of our waists and link to the ribcage. There are 4 in total, 2 each side (internal and external). Their job is to help with rotating and twisting movement at the waist.
Rectus abdominis: the 6 pack—it sits on top of the other stomach muscles. Aside from looking good in a lean individual its main job is to keep the pelvis in line which in turn protects the spine.
Erector spinae: the small muscles that run up your spine on both sides. They keep you upright and also aid in the bending of the trunk.
Iliopsoas: aka the hip flexor muscles. They are at the top of your legs and help with flexion. They also travel through your pelvis and attach on the lower spine. Because people sit so much they are notorious for getting shortened and are a direct cause of lower back pain. In addition to being strong they need to be supple.
Glutues maximus: one of the biggest muscles in your body they are involved heavily in moving the legs when running or walking. They’re also important for good posture and a strong core. They become weak quickly with inactivity (aka sitting on them excessively). They need to be trained well and often.
Gluteus medius/minimus: small muscles that sit under your gluteus maximus. Generally weak and tight in most people. They assist in moving your legs out to the side and rotation.
Hamstrings: while technically not part of the core if they are tight they will have a negative influence on your core stability. Keep them well stretched.
As you can see the core is a combination of several muscles and many people mistakenly think all they need to do to develop an aesthetically pleasing and strong core are crunches. Wrong. Like many other things in life it is a multi faceted approach. Top of the list is heavy weight training, anaerobic conditioning, a clean diet, core exercises and to a degree genetics. Sound familiar?
Heavy weight training: nothing new here; stick to the basics—squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press and the advanced can throw in the Olympic lifts such as the clean and jerk and the snatch. KISS. Keep the weight heavy (6-10 ish or 3-6 for advanced lifters) and the form good. Perform single sets or circuit style with other functional exercises thrown in. After training the major lifts I like to follow up with some specific core work like weighted sit ups, glute ham raises, hanging ab raises, db or kb swings, back raises (extensions), good mornings, hanging leg raises, ab wheel, sledgehammer slams etc. . this list is by no means conclusive.
Anaerobic conditioning: short and intense trumps long, slow distance every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Go hard for 10-60 s then allow adequate recovery of 20 s to 2 min. Run, jump, swim, bike and row—the modality is irrelevant. IMHO it is best to stay off the hamster wheels (elliptical and treadmill). They are both very boring and non functional. Our bodies are not meant to move like that.
While not everyone strives for or desires the six pack aesthetics we certainly don’t want them covered up with gobs of visceral fat. That is extremely unhealthy and can lead to many health problems such as diabetes, cancer (especially colon), high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart disease, gallbladder problems and even dementia. Largely, your abs are made in the kitchen. . .
Nutrition: stick to meat, fish, fowl, vegetables, some fruit, little starch and no sugar in amounts to sustain activity but not body fat. Don’t be afraid of healthy fats such as coconut oil, butter, duck, chicken or goose fat, lard and tallow from pastured animals. These will give you energy and are good for you. Yes folks, no matter how good your soaked and sprouted muffins are if you’re looking to reduce body fat then you need to reduce your intake of these types of products. However; if you are already a lean machine, extremely active in either your leisure pursuits or your career and blessed with good genetics you will be able to indulge in these more often while maintaining a lean midsection. While it’s not all about caloric intake portions do matter. Especially if you want to see your abs, time for a. . .
. . . pop quiz: which of these two in the picture to the left is the woman? If you guessed the person on the right—you’re getting the hang of it!
This is a maintainable and healthy place to be that can be had with the right diet, exercise program and fit into the daily lifestyle of most people. Follow the above guidelines, throw in persistence, hard work and determination and a toned and healthy and gorgeous midsection is yours for the taking!
About The Author
Paula Jager CSCS and Level 1 CrossFit and CF Nutrition Certified is the owner of CrossFit Jaguar in Tampa, FL
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{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
If anybody’s interested in locating or visualising those muscles precisely, head on over to the Zygote Body browser (previously known as the Google Body Browser) at http://www.zygotebody.com/
That first picture is NOT a woman.
Meagan\’s last post: Grain-free Chocolate Cake.
Ohh… I HAVE seen a woman who looked like that… yes she’d taken steroids to achieve it though. She started off looking like a normal woman (before the steroid abuse) and ended up looking like a man in drag. So yeah, it is possible that a woman can end up looking like that but it does require steroid abuse.
I realize that steroid abuse does that, but this looks very different to me at least.
Meagan\’s last post: Grain-free Chocolate Cake.
What does KISS stand for? ”Keep the weight heavy (6-10 ish or 3-6 for advanced lifters)” 6-10 pounds? But less for advanced?
Basically it means to keep it simple. 6 to 10 reps for beginner to intermediate and 3 to 6 reps for advanced. The weight used will vary with an individual’s strength but should be the most one can lift for the chosen number of reps.
Thank you for the explanation because I didn’t know what 6-10 and 3-6 was either. While the information is good, I thought there was a LOT of jargon in the post that only makes sense if you are already working out gym…and if that’s the case, you probably know all this stuff already.
Glad you informed us that Alien Abs was a woman. I would have never guessed!
Ha!! Thanks for the laugh this morning!! That is definitely not a woman, unless she had a male part attached! This was timely as I have started to seriously focus on this area… thanks!
I weigh in excess of 300 pounds. Where do I start? What is even possible for me? Is there something I can read or watch which can help me get started? I walk a few days a week, but my muscles are so weak I pulled an abdominal last month and could hardly take a deep breath for two weeks. I feel so hopeless and confused. I can’t even interpret your guidelines in this article. It just seems so out of reach for me. :*(
Hi Marcia, I would start by focusing heavily on the nutritional aspect. As the weight comes off everything will get easier. I would continue with the walking starting slowly and increasing pace and distance as you can realizing you are in it for the long haul. I would start with basic body weight exercises for the strength training such as squats, lunges and modified push ups. For the core start witha basic crunch, back extension and add in isometric core exercises to help w/ awareness. If you are not sure of these just search the Internet for detailed descriptions.
Paula\’s last post: June 22, 2012
Hi Marcia. I wrote you a reply down there…. On the main part.
Hi Marcia
You’ve already started, which us more than many people do. You are walking!! That is fantastic!!! I just wanted to encourage you to keep walking, and let you know that is how I started. I did three things, and the weight started coming off very rapidly:
1. I walked no less than every other day. If I could only do ten minuts that was ok with me, I still was walking. Each week I was able to add more minutes to my walk, and eventually I was able to walk daily.
2. I cut grains and sugar out of my diet *completely*. It was really, REALLY hard to do, but I made it my priority because I kept my mind focused on the goal: being healthy.
. I cut processed foods out of my diet completely. I read that our body uses fat as a means to store toxins that it can’t eliminate. The book said that a lot of people get fat because they are overloaded with toxins, not lazy. I learned that thera are a lo
t of toxins in processed foods, so I stopped eating them.
4. I started eating fat. The good kind of day that my body needs.
I have lost over 100 pounds by doing this. I didn’t cut everything out at once. I started with just walking. Next, I cut out grains & sugar. Those two actions alone caused a lot of weight to come off and my mind to clear a lot. I remember feeling hopeless, and knowing that I couldn’t continue being so unhealthy but feeling like the target was so far away that I would never make it. That is the other thing I did. I setback reasonable short term goal that was measurable. Like “I will lose two pounds in two weeks” or “I will lose five pounds in one month”. Then I remained focused on that goal. And once I achieved it I would set a new goal. I did that with walking also: “I will walk ten minutes every other day for one week.”. Then the next week, feeling good about my goal, I might up it to 10 minutes one day and 15 minutes the next, but still walk everyday. Or 15 minutes every other day if I felt everyday was too hard. I just tried to do it daily to train my body, but keep the time frame low so I didn’t over do it.
You are already doing some of this, and I commend you for that because I know how easy it is to just give up. Baby steps girlfriend, and you WILL get there!! Keep up the good work!!! Others may disagree but in my opinion grains are not our friend. Still, if I eat grains or sugar I literally will gain pounds overnight. The book “The Low Glycemuc LOAD Diet” explains that for some of us, they are like poisons. I highly recommend that book, by the way. I also recommend “Eat Fat, Lose Fat” by Sally Fallon & Mary Enig and another one called Good Calories, Bad Calories.. I can’t remember the authors name. He also wrote a shorter less technical book called something like “Why you get fat & what to do about it”. It’s a shorter read & makes the same great points.
Best of luck to you Marcia. I’m rooting for you.
Marcia, I have just started the T-Tapp series, http://www.t-tapp.com. there are many, many testimonials and lots of success from women just like you. No impact workout. I would suggest looking into it. It is a simple workout that works on flushing the lymph system, strengthening the core, aligning the spine, and loosing inches, not weight. YOU CAN DO IT. T-Tapp is seriously an in-road for you to begin your success story. Check it out….with nutritional changes and her basic workout, I think you will be very encouraged within weeks.
Marcia, just want to say GOOD FOR YOU for starting with research! Reading this blog will help you begin to make slow, permanent changes. I would recommend you find Ashley Dianna Black on FB and learn about fascia and proper biomechanics which is the basis for human movement. Do it slow, do it right, and just keep doing it!
Oh dear, Marcia. I’m just a regular person with no training. I’ve had weight issues my whole life. What I finally realized, was that no one had ever taught me about eating healthy and taking care of myself. When I got pregnant with my first baby, I thought that I was going to get fat anyway,so I ate junk. It’s been a long road of teaching myself better ways and to care enough about myself to take the steps to change and improve my health. Last year I got a juicer and started eating a more traditional diet, eliminating processed foods including white flour and white sugar and more weight fell off. Before that I started doing yoga everyday because of my bad back, again, the weight fall off. I think it’s about baby steps and finding what works best for you. (I hate jogging and am not coordinated enough for aerobics and Pilates is just too much. ) Good luck …. P.s. i still eat chips and bake cookies(brown sugar, honey, molasses). I have found a wonderful balance and am not deprived at all. You can do this too!!
FIT = an Abacrombie & Fitch torso?
Guess what I don’t look like. …and NEVER will without a a surgical procedure.
…..sigh.
One Question: Isn’t some of this totally out of reach for those of us who have had children and our muscles have been destroyed. I for one feel that that is the case for me.
I also want to say that sometimes having “ideals” like this in our face is not entirely encouraging. A more realistic goal is perhaps better for us moms to look at. Am I the only one who feels like I’d have to ditch a ton of other things in order to look like this? And would I want to? I don’t think I want to have “abs like a man” be my goal.
Thanks.
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom\’s last post: Whole Food & Healthy Living Deals Galore! ~ June 23, 2012
T-Tapp has been a successful route many women and men have taken to reach attainable goals for themselves without a major time factor, I have 6 children with #7 on the way, I do believe better fitness is attainable, but I am honestly not willing or able to put much time into getting there (I refuse to do anything that requires leaving my house or extra funds to attain). I have found T-Tapp to be very manageable and helpful (a$35 investment).
Though there are “rep” type fitness programs that only require working out 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes. Something like Paula is describing with the on 30 sec, rest 2 minutes, on 30 sec, rest 2 minutes (for 6+ repititions). You essentially do something to the max for 30 seconds (meaning you could not bear to take another step or jump, or whatever at the end of 30 seconds). Dr. Mercola had an article on this type of workout (can’t remember the title though). Seems interesting and doable, but I went to T-tapp instead.
sorry…that looks awful:(
That’s not a women, looks like a dude in a bikini.
yes, very gross. These folks who do this have an abnormal self view of themselves, much like anorexics.
That woman in the picture has to be taking steroids! Look at her face too!
IMO, even the other photos of the women with “ripped abs” and defined arms are, in nicer words, not attractive. Woman should be soft and curvy. We should look like a woman, Not, male.
Emma, I was thinking the same thing! I’d like to have a flatter stomach with a strong core, but in no way would I ever want to look like that. To each her own!
Personally it’s a look I like
Unfortunately I’m more of the soft and curvy type…
I don’t even want “killer abs.” Hubby loves feminine softness. I’m not talking about excess belly flab….just the smooth, womanly tummy that was popular in the 40′s and 50′s.
I think those two women with the “ripped” abs look amazing. I think it’s really rude that people are saying that isn’t attractive. I think there may be a hint of jealousy in those replies. I’ve had two children and that look is definitely attainable for me. Ladies, don’t let having children be an excuse.
Do you consider calling the first woman pictured ugly to be rude? What about fat women? Is it rude to say they’re ugly?
No one is saying fat women are ugly.
People are being rude about the first woman because she has obviously taken horomones to look like that, and she doesn’t look normal. Not condoning other people’s rude comments about the ‘roid lady. It’s her body, if she wants to look like that, it’s her choice.
I totally agree! Having children is not an excuse and it is attainable. I posted previously that I have been on a lot of fitness forums online, many of which have 6 pack abs or 4 pack abs, and have had children. No, they are not steroid freaks either. Just women with persistence and dedication for their fitness. It *is* attainable, but it’s not easy and not everyone is dedicated to the fit lifestyle. If it were easy, everyone would have 6 pack abls.
I’m not saying they’re not attractive. I’m saying it’s not what I want personally. I want a rounder, curvier, less muscular body as a my goal, post-pregnancy. If you want that look and think it’s amazing and attainable, then go for it!
Nicole – gotcha. It’s all about preference, for sure.
No Kristin, there is no “hint of jealousy”. This type of quick-fire remark is cutting, hurtful, and inappropriate and I didn’t appreciate it.
Suzanne
Great article. I’ve hung out in the bodybuilding circles online on and off for a few years and this info is spot on. Lift heavy, short sets, not a lot of cardio or else you will lose muscle and muscle is what burns fat. I would have to say though, that there should be more emphasis on diet. If you eat a lot of processed food, there is always going to be a layer of flab covering your muscles. Eating whole foods like meat, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds are what is going to get you lean. I have always appreciated the feminine and athletic look over a skinny (skinny fat) look. As you age, thin just doesn’t look good on a woman anymore. Having lean muscle mass, at least to me, is like the fountain of youth – it gives you a youthful appearance and lifting makes you strong to boot. Good stuff.
I find it hilarious that this topic has come up after a slew of anti-muscular women posts have popped up in the paleo/crossfit world. While it’s totally possible to have that super lean physique with rippling muscles, this is not normal or optimal for women. Women require around 20% body fat to function properly, with that number changing only slightly for individual women. That should have been a critical point to make in this post, but was left out. No mention of the dangers of dropping below a certain fat percentage, just grinding on the idea that “ripped abs” are sexy and attainable, and everyone should strive for that. Please!
http://wellnessmama.com/5140/women-weight-manifesto
Cassandra – Good point on the body fat. If a woman has low body fat and it is affecting her health, that is obviously no bueno. But everyone’s body is different, and ideally everyone should monitor what will be healthy for them individually in the long term.
I didn’t get the vibe from the article and that this look is “ideal”.
The author states outright.,
“If you want a set of killer abs for the summer you better have a PhD because it will take persistence, hard work and determination.”
She said IF. It’s all based on personal goals, and what an individual would find aesthetically pleasing. You can still have a strong core without being uber lean.
She also states in bold,
“What is far more important overall than looking good is a healthy set of core muscles to help us function to the best of our abilities in both activities of daily living and sport. ”
My take on it was, “IF you want a strong core and six pack abs, here is what you do”.
I think that everyone should do what is best for them.
If muscles and 6 pack abs is your ideal and that’s what you want, go for it!
If you prefer a softer and curvier look, go for it!
It’s a big world, how boring would it be if we all looked alike. No matter what shape and size you are, you should be happy and most importantly, healthy.
Cheers!
While 20% bodyfat for a woman is definitely within a healthy range it is most certainly not “required to function properly”. Dropping below 10% for a woman is not healthy but body fat percentages well below 20% say 13+ are very healthy–just requires some discipline if that is what one desires.
Do you have any recommendations for women who have had their muscles “split” during pregnancy? Would this be the transverse abdominis? I have had four babies. After the first three, I was able each time to slim back down and get my abdominals back to where I wanted them. With my last pregnancy, my muscles apparently split. Now, I am back down to my desired weight, but I have this belly and am not sure what to do about it! I eat really well-pretty much how you described. I love pilates but I have not done them as much as I used to, as it feels as though I can’t even do them properly now; as if my abdominal muscles just aren’t there anymore! I would greatly appreciate any recommendations you have.
Also, what do you think of rebounding? I have considered purchasing the Urban Rebounding set, because it looks like a lot of fun, but I don’t want to waste money!
Thank you for this post!
T-Tapp will most likely be very helpful for you. I have posted this several times, here (I do not sell it). But i have found it to be sooo achieveable, the testimonials are amazing and there is a system to getting rid of the belly fat. Check it out. It may be just what you are looking for.
http://www.buffmother.com –
Michelle Berger had 4 kids in all close together, including twins and a c-section and she looks like this. She hasn’t had surgery either on her stomach (just a boob job). Don’t tell me it’s not possible, you just have to willing to change your lifestyle and do the work required to look like that. Most people are simply not willing to be that dedicated.
Not attractive
I have never been, nor will I ever be ripped. I fully admit that I have some pounds that need to come off, but ripped is not natural or traditional. Look at traditional cultures and you do not see chiseled muscles, you see overall lean bodies and smooth, clear skin with ample bosoms in the women. A picture of health and vitality, not a picture of hours and hours spent working muscle groups int he gym. They eat properly and do lots of physical movement and labor. I would love to end up with as much flesh and curves as some of our beauty symbols of 50 years ago like Monroe and Taylor. And I do know that Monroe did some weight lifting to tone up a bit, but she never lost her curvy appeal. I see these pictures of “fit” women with their ripped abs and they all have flat chests too. Is it just a coincidence or what, because I don’t want to lose my curves.
why is that man wearing a bikini??
-jason and lisa-
yuck
GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is not a woman, it’s a man…nasty!
What disturbs me is the amount of weight that lady is carrying. Your heart doesn’t care where the weight comes from whether it is muscle or fat. When you carry around that much weight, it is very difficult on the heart to pump blood. This is an abomination. It always kills me when people wonder why athletes die so young. Well, they are too hard on their bodies.
I don’t want to work hard enough for a 6 or 4 pack, but would like to get rid of my little “maternity apron” as mom use to call it. It’s hard doing any exercise for the abs when dealing with costochondritis. Does anybody know of any exercise that won’t exacerbate this?
As far as rebounding, I have a rebounder and at this pt. basically just do the “health bounce” since I have Lyme disease. I recently started jogging 15 mins. on it as NASA says it is 66% (or something close to that) more effective than reg. jogging. I am looking forward to doing more on it in the future.
jan
Hi Great article! I was wondering if you could address diastasis recti & hernia in men, children and especially in women after childbirth. This is a common block for the perfect abs, that many people are unaware of and would be great if you could mention it so that people don’t feel like failures because their ab routine is not working for them. I had six pack abs prior to having my son and it’s been difficult getting back to that. The mummy tummy method: http://www.diastasisrehab.com/
has been helpful for me though I’m still considering surgery to repair the separation.
Thank you for giving this a name! I was asking for suggestions on how to address this in an earlier comment, but I did not know its technical name. I would really like any help with this, as it really frustrates me to look three months pregnant when I am not!
That “Mummy Tummy” site is a good first step. If you need help, go to a physical therapist or a pilates instructor that specializes in “womens health”. If they hesitate AT ALL when you ask reception if they specialized in womens health, keep calling around. If they suggest crunches, sit ups, or exercises on your hands & knees or anything that works your recti muscles – run! You need to strengthen and work your transverse and obliques to make them stronger and shorter and pull together the separated muscles. Any excercise that engages your recti muscles will make the diastasis worse. You may not ever be able to do real crunches again without worsening your diastasis, if you have one
Also run if the PT or Pilates instructor doesn’t know what a diastasis recti is. They’ll have you doing stuff that will make your condition worse, or that you won’t be able to do, and may not ever be able to do. The way you feel that you can’t do crunches etc anymore because your muscles aren’t there anymore is the same with me”, and it’s true, your rectus muscles are on the sides and not in the middle anymore. diastasis” is separation. I guess it’s technically a “separation of the rectus abdominis”. On that site the lady shows crunch modifications so that you can safely strengthen your core and even has a list of specially trained instructors
Thank you SO much!!!
I have no interest in getting the abs in any of those pictures. I don’t find any of them feminine. This is more like it:
http://aipetcher.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/bikini-1954.jpg
I don’t begrudge another woman getting those 6 pack abs, but I certainly hope women don’t start beating themselves up because they don’t have them or childbearing prevents it. Aren’t women supposed to have a little more fat on their bodies than men anyway?
Kate S.\’s last post: PPPU – 6
That is an ugly guy in a pink bikini, freakish! I think a woman looks great with good muscle tone and soft curves.
Aaaaaah!
Sarah, please don’t use any more indecent photos in your posts. I really like your site and photos of someone in an itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini is not appropriate, no matter what she looks like or if trying to make a point. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Megan of RojerThat.com\’s last post: Hooray For Sunday!
Megan, I actually supplied the picture although what is posted is certainly Sarah’s decision. I apologize if you were offended but indecent? Hardly, do you ever go to the beach–most people wear a bathing suit. And btw, that’s not “teeny weeny”.
The question is not woman or man, but gorilla?
the picture is ABS-olutely gross but the article is great!