Raise your hands if you want six pack abs.Everyone? Go ahead and put your hand down.
First, let’s acknowledge that asking this question on a CrossFit blog is ironic. No one in CrossFit talks about wanting six pack abs. Or eight pack abs. Or ab definition. It’s part of the (awesome) CrossFit culture to eschew modern fitness goals like “get six pack abs fast” and “lose weight and tone up”.
However, one look at the top CrossFitters will tell you that CrossFit & abs go together. CrossFit and great arms go together. CrossFit and great legs go together. We don’t chase aesthetics, but the method of training that we follow (ironically!) produces the aesthetics our peers (ineffectively!) chase.
Why is that? Why does the program that never talks about aesthetics seem to produce the best look? Two reasons.
1) Crossfit uses potent movements done at a high intensity. The lifts that you see in CrossFit all use your abs. Heavy Back Squat? Using your abs to keep your torso upright. Kipping Pull Ups? Using your abs and glutes to produce a powerful kip. Burpess? Oh, even burpees use your abs to get you up from the ground. Each of these movements can create a stronger response than your typical crunch or sit up.
2) Performance goals are more fun than aesthetic goals. The goal “six pack abs” is painfully dull. The goal “complete Fran in under 5 minutes” is challenging, engaging, and fun. When a person is engaged in their goal, they are more likely to actively pursue it. Working out with your friends, perfecting skills, and chasing performance is fun. Starving yourself and doing 1000 crunches is not fun. It’s not rocket science…people are more likely to continue doing things they consider to be fun, and they’re less likely to keep doing things that they consider dull.
At the end of the day, six pack abs aren’t the goal. Toned legs aren’t the goal. Bulging biceps aren’t the goal. Because (let’s be honest) those things don’t matter. The goal is to be fit, healthy, and capable of living life to the fullest. CrossFit will get you there, and you may get a few bonus perks along the way, too!