You want six pack abs? Of course you do. I know you do, don’t try and brush it off like you are above it. I do, I can admit it. We all like to see the results of our hard work in the gym. But six pack abs can be are elusive. You need to be checking a lot of boxes to really visually see ‘em.

Let’s take a step back and examine what most people are talking about when they say they want six pack abs. The abdominal muscle group lies between our ribs and the bottom of the pelvis and is charged with helping us bend forward and to each side. This muscle group is also key is protecting our internal organs and supporting good posture. Our abdominals are divided into three functional groups. The transverse abdominus is the group that is the deepest (meaning closest to our organs). This muscle runs across our tummies side to side and is largely responsible for posture. These are what are targeted during a plank. The obliques are the middle groups and run diagonally from the bottom of our ribs to the top of our pelvis. These groups support all twisting and rotating motions we make, help transfer force from our lower body to our upper, and are targeted during bicycle crunches. The rectus abdominus is the most superficial of the abdominal muscles. It runs vertically from the bottom of the ribs all the way to the base of the pelvis. These fold us forward toward our legs and are targeted during standard crunches.

The rectus abdominus is specifically what we are seeing when someone has a well defined six pack. However, getting there requires a lot. First, you need to be training that particular muscle. That means crunches. And loads of them. It should also be said that loads of them doesn’t mean bust out 1000 once a week. Nope, you gotta spread that out across lots of different workouts every other day or so. Second, you need to be eating clean. Squeaky clean. No refined wheat, no sugar, no dairy, no alcohol. No fun. (I am all for eating clean the majority of the time, but you have a life to live, too.) Third, cardio. Fat burning cardio. Most of us have a layer of fat between the rectus abdominus muscle and our skin. It’s gotta go if you want to see that six pack. And most of us still won’t see the six pack. That layer of fat is stubborn. It’s usually the one of the last places fat will disappear.

I hope you noticed that those checkboxes got increasingly more difficult to work on. I mean, crunches several times a week, ok. Eating really really really clean, a bit harder. A ton of cardio? That’s where most bug out. And then genetics throws a curve ball. Part of the reason that layer of fat is so stubborn is because it helped human-kind survive over the millennia. Meaning it is going to withstand what we throw at it.

So, rather than concentrate on whether you can actually visually see your six pack, pick some different milestones. Maybe judge by how a certain pair of pants is fitting or by how long you are able to hold a plank without falling down. Because here is the thing… If you are putting in at least a better than average effort at crunches, clean eating, and cardio, your abs are probably plenty strong. And after all, strong is awesome.