Ahhh yes. Abs.
Many of us are infatuated with them. Many of us have suffered through hours upon hours of gut-wrenching pain in our pursuit of them. Many of us have failed to find them.
For all of you out there twisting and turning under the overhead lighting in your bathroom, here is how you'll achieve your goal...
Stop giving a crap about them.
Here's what I mean. If your GOAL is to get 6-pack abs, you will likely lose interest and give up on your pursuit months -- or even years -- before you reveal your chiseled mid-section to the rest of the world through a perfectly posed mirror selfie (bonus points for #nofilter).
Here's what happens when you hit the gym only to get 6-pack abs...
Day 1: Abs? No.
Day 2: Abs? No.
Day 3: Abs? No.
Day 4: Abs? No.
Day 5: Abs? No.
Day 6: Abs? No.
Day 7: Abs? No.
Day 8: ....No....Just...No!...Stop it.
It doesn't take a genius to see a pretty discouraging pattern here.
You may or may not achieve your goal of having 6-pack abs, but one thing is certain: Your singular focus on aesthetics is likely going to be a super frustrating and miserable process, rife with self-loathing and poor body image.
What if there was a better solution? What if you started hitting a CrossFit box, and eating a clean diet for the sole purpose of being more fit (instead of obsessing over your abs)?
Day 1: Healthier? Yes.
Day 2: Part of a community? Yes.
Day 3: Learned a new skill? Yes.
Day 4: Earned a much needed rest day? Yes.
Day 5: More confident? Yes.
Day 6: Laughed with friends? Yes.
Day 7: Found a movement you're pretty good at? Yes.
Day 8: Resting/Impatiently waiting for the next WOD to be announced? Yes.
Day 9: Did something you had no idea you were capable of? Yes.
Day 10: Talking constantly about CrossFit? Yes.
Day 11: Still talking constantly about CrossFit? Yes.
Day 12: Noticeably stronger? Yes.
Day 13: ...yada yada yada...So. Much. Yes.
This will go on and on until someday, 1 of 2 things will happen...
1. You'll be getting out of the shower on some random Wednesday, and very casually notice..."Hmm...(shrug)...I have abs."
Or...
2. You'll get out of the shower on some random Wednesday. You WON'T notice that you DON'T have 6-pack abs, and you'll run happily off to the rest of your day without giving your lack of abs a single thought.
Why? Because you'll be stronger, healthier, and more fit. You'll love your body for what it can do. You'll have significantly lowered your risk of disease. You'll experience more, and miss out on less. You'll have a better view of what you're capable of. And abs? Well, whether you have them or not, they'll pale in comparison to the functional fitness lifestyle you've fallen in love with.
So, what's the moral of the story? Stop trying to develop 6-pack abs. Be fit. And let the abs show themselves at their leisure. :)
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