The mantra of 'strong, not skinny' is nothing new. For the last eighteen months, amid the sea of green juices and avocado toasts on Instagram has been a bevy of toned, fit, women grinning over their kettlebells. Fast-forward to 2015, and it seems our fascination with fitness has gone even further, with plenty of women now lusting after a six-pack of their own.
That's right, the gym-goers holy grail is now not just for that jacked man in the weights are who grunts a bit too much and Abercrombie models - sisters are doing it for themselves. We spoke to sueprstar trainer and founder of Workshop Gymnasium, Lee Mullins, on how a regular gal can get one...
Grazia Daily: Why do you think women want a six-pack and real muscle definition now?
Lee Mullins: "With selfie-ready social media platforms like Instagram being more popular than ever, peoples abdominals are on display at the click of a button. Plus, with celebrities such as Karlie Kloss and Jennifer Lopez sharing pictures of their defined, strong abs, more and more women are now after that sculpted physique."
GD: Which of your clients are asking are after a six-pack?
LM: "I've definitely seen an increase amongst female clients in their late 20s - late 30s who are wanting to work towards achieving more defined abdominals. The interest for defined abs generally comes once clients begin to get into healthier shape and when they begin to see results."
GD: Is it harder for a woman to get a six pack than a man?
LM: "Generally speaking, yes. This is mainly due to hormones - women naturally have more estorogen and less testosterone, which means they tend to have about 5% more body fat than men - however, there are some women who are naturally lean in the abdominal area, which makes it easier to make their abdominals more visible."
GD: If we’re hell bent on getting that six pack, what moves should we doing in the gym? We’ve heard sit ups aren’t all that…
LM: "That's true, sit ups only do a certain amount. A combination of resistance exercises such as pull ups, deadlifts and bear crawls and high intensity interval training (or HIIT) are more effective at helping to define your abdominals, as these movements work lots of muscles and really activate your core. They also get your heart rate up, and so create an environment in your body to where you're burning off any fat."
GD: What about diet? What foods would we need to cut out?
LM: "Eating a clean diet is essential to helping create defined abdominals. Foods that would need to be cut out include anything that's hard for your body to digest and plays havoc with your hormonal balance. I'm talking highly processed foods and for most people, foods that are high in wheat, gluten and refined sugar aren't going to help. Excess sugar can spike your cortisol - the stress hormone - levels, which makes you hang on to weight around your midriff, and extra carbs make your body work overtime."
GD: How many times a week would we need to hit the gym?
LM: "Anywhere from 3-5 times a week, however, if you're not eating the right foods, sleeping well and managing your stress levels (thanks to cortisol again), it will be harder to achieve."
GD How feasible is it for the average woman with average fitness and body fat to get a six pack?
LM: "It's completely possible for everyone if you're dedicated on all fronts - diet, exercise, sleep etc. It requires discipline by ensuring you eat clean and heathy foods most of the time and limit alcohol and other sugary foods, along with keeping an eye on your stress levels."
GD: How long does it normally take to see results?
LM: "If you do all of the above, and follow a training program that has a combination of resistance exercises, yoga and interval training, you can get incredible results in as little as 6-12 weeks, however, it all depends on where the individual is starting at."