Good to know - Beach figure and six-pack: why it's okay not to have them
The German summer is barely recognizable as such. The German Weather Service has analyzed its nationwide weather stations and concluded: Never since 1881 has there been such rainy consecutive twelve months in Germany as in the period July 2023 to June 2024. Cold and above all wet, in a nutshell, unattractive. With every rain shower, the longing for sun, beach, and sea grows. And just in time for the start of the travel season, typical lines reappear at the kiosk and on the internet: "Six-pack in six weeks." Or: "This is how your belly muscles get bikini-ready." It's all about beach body, belly fat, and waistline – for both men and women.
One may wrinkle one's nose at it, but that's the way the world is. In particular, because we are constantly confronted with highly polished images in our daily lives. I'll admit it, I've had the dream of a washboard abs, too.
But how sensible is it to strive for a bikini body and six-pack? Above all, so close to the start of the vacation? Can it even work? The answer is unfortunately a clear no. In most cases, it will go wrong. The promise of a stolen core in a few weeks is not only unrealistic but also unhealthy. To train your abdominal muscles so that they clearly show within a few weeks, a brutal and one-sided diet must be followed in most cases. It's not sit-ups, crunches, and planks that make belly fat shrink. It's ultimately the diet.
Achieving a beach body only works for those who burn more calories than they consume. Muscle training alone is not enough. Especially since, as with sit-ups, it only activates a few and small muscle areas. Anyone who really wants to lose fat must also reduce calorie intake. Nutrition scientist Karsten Köhler says: "Who wants to lose weight, must burn more calories than they consume. Otherwise, it doesn't work." And here, too, caution is advised. A radical diet with harsh calorie restriction is of little help. On the contrary: It will most likely lead to the feared "yo-yo" effect.
However, the human body is extremely cunning when it comes to protecting its own reserves. Hunger – besides acute thirst – is the most powerful drive that evolution has given humanity. No one dares to challenge it without consequences. The body then does what it always does when energy is scarce: it slows down the basal metabolism, that is, the energy we need to maintain vital functions such as heartbeat, breathing, and temperature regulation. Once the diet is over and sufficient food is consumed again, it even lays down even more reserves.
Who wants to lose weight sustainably needs patience – and the willingness to fundamentally change their nutrition. Above all, a plant-based diet with a lot of vegetables, fruit, healthy oils, fish, and occasionally meat can be the key to long-term success. According to a study by the Ben-Gurion University in Israel, it is exactly this nutritional approach that leads to the most effective weight loss.
To make the muscles in the abdominal area visible, the body fat percentage should not be higher than 14%. Even for young and well-trained men, this average is 18% in this country. For women, it is even 25%. To reduce it healthily, a few weeks before vacation is not enough. This goal can only be achieved by consciously denying the body food and relying on one-sided nutrition – which, as previously described, is not a good idea.
Healthy nutrition lets the belly fat shrink
Women have it harder naturally. They have a higher body fat percentage and are also subject to stronger hormonal fluctuations. Depending on the menstrual cycle, they store more water. If the body fat percentage drops too much (and too quickly), various health problems may occur. For example, a deficiency of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals often occurs. In such cases, the menstrual cycle is often disrupted. The body tries to save energy in every way.
So what should be done? To make the – by the way, extremely unhealthy – belly fat shrink, healthy nutrition and strength training should be combined. A special feature of strength training is that one not only burns strong calories and fat during the activity but also in the hours that follow. According to a study by the University of South Australia, one burns approximately 300 additional calories in the 14 hours after training. The training sessions should not be shorter than 30 minutes and should take place several times a week.
Furthermore, it's not enough to just train the abs to get a Six-pack or a narrow waist. Only full-body training builds more muscle mass – and that burns more energy even in rest.
In addition, strengthening the muscles in the abdominal area – both in the front and the back – is a good idea beyond the Six-pack. The abdominal muscles stabilize the entire body. Whoever has strong muscles there, visible or not, suffers less from back pain. And for runners and runners, studies have shown that a stable muscle corset and the associated stability are very effective in preventing injuries.
Regardless, a Six-pack is a challenge in life, just like physical fitness in general. If you rest, they both disappear quickly. Without training, the muscles shrink after eight to ten days. Muscle proteins are broken down, energy stores are plundered. If the break lasts longer, the body even lays smaller nerve and blood vessels dormant, which previously supplied the muscles.
- Despite the rainy weather in Germany, the longing for sun, beach, and a six-pack never fades away, especially during the start of the travel season.
- Nutrition scientist Karsten Köhler emphasizes that achieving a beach body requires burning more calories than consuming, not just intense abdominal exercises.
- Women have a natural disadvantage when it comes to reducing belly fat, as they have a higher body fat percentage and experience stronger hormonal fluctuations.
- Combining healthy nutrition and strength training is key to achieving a leaner waistline and reducing belly fat, according to a study by the University of South Australia.
