Beware of six packs!

Cristiano Ronaldo, Hrithik Roshan, Tom Cruise—where can you tell the similarities between these three men from three different worlds? When their pictures or advertisements come up on the TV screen, the first thing that comes to mind is their shapely bodies and 'six packs'.

Six pack is very popular thanks to media. Now the hype of making a six pack is not limited to actors or sportsmen. A six pack is the goal of almost everyone who is fitness-conscious. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be like your favorite actor or sportsperson after seeing his six pack. But creating a six pack like the models shown on the screen is not healthy, it can be a major health risk.

There is no substitute for exercise for a healthy body. Push-ups, sit-ups, morning and afternoon jogging or cycling—all are beneficial. None of them have any adverse effects on the body. Rather, as it keeps the body healthy, it also keeps the mind fresh and cheerful. But a six pack is a completely different matter. It is not possible to create a six pack by just exercising in the morning and afternoon. Rather, a strict diet is required, along with a systematic lifestyle. We have to create a balanced life, where exercise will be the main goal. In some cases 80 percent of six pack depends on diet.

To build a six pack, you first need to shed most of the body fat. It also contains good fats. It may sound like it is good for the body. But nothing in excess is good. To create a six pack, you need to reduce the amount of body fat below 10 percent. In case of women it is again 15 percent. If the amount of fat is more than this, usually the abdominal muscles will not develop.

Abnormal reduction in body fat affects the normal functioning of the body. It may seem that fat in the body is the root of all problems, but the reality is not. Fats play important roles in regulating body temperature, maintaining hormone levels, and making enzymes. According to a guideline from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a healthy-active man needs 10 to 15 percent body fat and a woman needs 15 to 20 percent body fat. Otherwise normal physiological functions are affected. But that much fat is too much fat for a six pack. So the trainers ordered to blow that too.

A six pack on a movie or TV screen is another step up. Most of the muscles shown in the bodies of the stars are achieved through extreme diets. Cristiano Ronaldo reduced his body fat to 6 percent to achieve his six pack, which is impossible for the average person to achieve and maintain.

Same goes for actors. The strict diet starts about three-four months before the shirtless scenes shown on screen. From food to water intake is specified in that diet. So that the body absorbs all its fat and the six packs of the actors appear prominently on the screen. From Henry Cavill as Superman, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine to Bollywood's Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan—everyone has gone through this strict rule.

Actor Sylvester Stallone, who created the six-pack trend across Hollywood in the eighties, did not touch water for three days before filming the famous fight scene in the movie 'Rocky 3'. Drinks 25 cups of coffee in one day just to make himself look muscular on screen.

Six pack is not important for the body. The process of making it is also unhealthy. It does not have any particular benefit or function beyond its external beauty. On the contrary, as difficult as it is to achieve a six pack, it is even more difficult to maintain it. There is no alternative to exercise for the health of body and mind. But the standard of that exercise should be a healthy body. It is your responsibility to ensure that the health of the body and mind is not lost in the pursuit of a fit body.

Source: Men's Journal.com