Ripped abdominals? Athletes say it's not worth it

Having a pack of six visible is about work and sacrifice. It has nothing to do with tricks and sit-ups. Although it may seem good to have abs, is the benefit worth it? We talk to fitness models and bodybuilders.

There are men who, due to their genetics, are quite easy to achieve this feat. All it takes is a smart diet and exercise regularly to reach that level. For other men it seems almost an impossible mission.

Do you think that having defined abs increases the attraction of the opposite sex? Know that this is totally wrong. In a study conducted by Men's Health magazine, only 2% of women like a man with defined abs; 21% prefer men with flat stomachs; the other 79% are satisfied with a normal belly. But what is more important for women after all? Moderate-sized face, personality and muscles. The abs were in fifth place. Women prefer very muscular biceps, rather than abdominals.

"I drink about 20 drinks a year," says David Kimmerle, a 37-year-old fitness model from Los Angeles. "You don't work if you drink," he says

"To keep my six-pack before the photo shoots, I would spend weeks feeling constantly hungry - even after eating meals," says Ben Carpenter, a fitness coach and model from Oxford, England.

"I gave up the idea that the food should be delicious," says Gino Caccavale, a personal trainer from New York.

"Since I can remember - since the beginning of my adolescence - I try to flex my core to wrap my muscles from the second I wake up to sleep at night," says Stephen Hughes-Landers, an athlete from Estbourne, United Kingdom.

“Having a definition of ab often means having to refuse invitations, saying no to friends,” says Stephen Power, a personal trainer and fitness model from London, UK.

Although abdominal obesity has negative health consequences, the difference between a flat stomach and a six-pack will not make you healthier. Exercising and eating a strict diet will help improve your health, but the loss of these last abdominal pounds alone will not add years to your life