Abs have long been considered the “Holy Grail” of fitness. If you are on social media, you are likely bombarded with images promoting flat stomachs and washboard abs. It is considered a symbol of strength, health and sexual appeal. Getting to that point where you can see them is as much a function of having a low bodyfat percentage as it is to having well developed muscles under there. You can have world class abs, but if you have a layer of blubber hanging over your waistline, no amount of crunches will bring them out. What will do it is a minimum of 3 weight training sessions a week consisting primarily of compound movements, 2 to 3 sprint/interval sessions, moderate caloric restriction, ample sleep and minimal stress. For men, you are looking at a body fat percentage of < 10% before you really start seeing them; for women, closer to 15%.
A number of women genetically can’t or voluntarily don’t develop a 6 pack as the very low body fat percentages required to show this level of definition are extremely difficult to reach and can have negative side effects if maintained long term (e.g., malnourishment, altered menstrual cycles). This is why most very lean women will develop three vertical lines of definition running down the middle and both sides of their stomach. It is a much healthier alternative and it looks great. Men can get much leaner without experiencing the negative health side effects that women do. Regardless of your gender, I would strongly caution against restricting your calories below 500 kcal of what your typical daily intake would be. You should keep your metabolism high and your hormone balance in check. Severe calorie restriction will slow down your metabolism and lower testosterone. You are much better off keeping your calories at a reasonable level and upping the intensity of your training to promote fat loss.
Once you are lean enough, here are two great exercises you can do at home that will bring your abs to the surface. I like both of these exercises because they place a tremendous amount of stress on your abdominal wall, while your spine maintains a neutral position throughout each movement. They are much safer than any crunch or sit-up variation where your spine is forced to flex. Flexing places a substantial amount of pressure on your discs and sets you up for injury.
The first exercise you can do at home is called “Stir the Pot”. Make sure you have mastered the front plank before tackling this one.
The second exercise you can do at home is the “Stability Ball Roll Out”. You can also perform this exercise with an ab roller or a barbell with a plate on each side.
It is important to remember that we are all genetically different. There is a small percentage of people who can eat whatever they like and walk around with a six pack, year round. Then there are those who are genetically predisposed to being overweight and although they can keep their body fat levels in a healthy range through diet and exercise, their genetics will impede them from ever seeing their abs. The remaining 80% of us can get there, but only through hard work and sacrifice.