Like an archeologist dusting away accumulated sediment in search of artifacts, I am committing myself to uncovering my abdominal muscles that are enveloped in fat. I want to become an Instagram model who flaunts a six pack and tells you, "You, too, can have a six pack AND eat pizza…if only you sign up for a risk-free trial of my online program!"
All japing aside, I want to rediscover my abs because they are a guide. By making the visibility of defined abdominal muscles a goal, I am creating a compass to keep me on the path of good lifestyle choices. Obviously, making my core stronger can only be good. What is more important, though, is the reduction of both the problematic excess subcutaneous fat that covers my abs and the dangerous visceral fat that surrounds organs underneath my abs. Reducing the fat is achieved through consistent cardiovascular exercise and healthy eating habits. Also, I will need to balance the withering effects of cardio with resistance training to build and maintain muscle mass.
Beyond being a guide, abs are a gauge. I will stray from the narrow path from time to time. I’ll overindulge in cookies, donuts, gelato or cake. I’ll devour a chimichanga and wash it down with a margarita or polish off ravioli and baskets of bread soaked in olive oil. I will skip a run or pass on lifting weights. Occasional deviations can be tolerated. However, health problems arise when from time to time turns into time after time. By monitoring my abs I’ll be able to intervene to save myself…from myself. Washboard abs = good choices; no washboard abs = bad choices.
“What gets measured gets managed.” – Peter Drucker
To assist in my goal to rediscover my abs, I am setting a complementary goal to reduce my body fat percentage. Per the U.S. Navy Body Fat Calculator, I am around 19% body fat. After playing with the variables on the calculator—weight, neck (measured above the Adam’s apple), and waist (measured at the narrowest point just above the hip bone and below the lowest rib)–I’ve set a goal to get to 15% body fat. 15% body fat will be difficult to attain, mostly because of the required waistline reduction. However, with discipline, I will make it happen. Once I reach 15%, I’ll assess if I want to go further. Generally, Professional athletes have less than 10% body fat, which is too low for me, but maybe somewhere between 10 – 15% would be desirable and possible.
5’10”, 45 Years Old, Male
| Today | Goal | |
| Body Fat | 19% | 15% |
| Weight | 161 lbs | 155 lbs |
| Neck | 14.25 inches | 14.25 inches |
| Waist | 34.25 inches | 32.25 inches |
My current Body Mass Index (BMI) is 23.1, which, according to the CDC, puts me in the “healthy category” (18.5 – 24.9). We’ll see what happens with BMI as I progress toward abs of steel.
How about you? Do you have any physical fitness goals? Why or why not?
With Love,
P. Gustav Mueller, author of The Present
p.s. My catchy title for this blog post got an 82/100 on the “headline analyzer”. Who knows–maybe it brought YOU here!
Relevant links:
Which Is Worse, Subcutaneous Fat or Visceral Fat? by Shaziya Allarakha, MD and Pallavi Suyog Uttekar, MD, MedicineNet
These are the Body Fat Percentages You Need to Achieve to See Abs, by Edward Cooper, Men’sHealth, UK Edition