Before we start, I am going to come right out and say something shocking… (at least to those of you that are reading my shit for the first time) I HATE DOING ABS! That’s right, out of every muscle group on my body, the one I hate doing the most are abs, yet oddly enough my 6 (almost 8 now) pack is probably the best feature on my frame.

Isn’t that a mind fuck? The thing is, because I hate it the most, I slam it the most. I get all my aggression, frustration, and stress out during my ab workout (and my heavy bag). I grunt and pant and just give it my all… why? Because of the following 5 reasons;

1. Abs Are Just Plan Sexy

I figured we’d get the superficial nonsense out of the way first – it’s no surprise that having ripped abs is just plan attractive to both the sexes, and this is the primary reason why the abdominals are the most desired muscle group on the face of the planet. Having great abs shows signs of strength, power, dominance, good health and even confidence. It’s an instant health-indicator and let’s us judge the physicality of a person in an instant.

Hmm.. 8 pack, almost there

We also subconsciously know that having great abs isn’t a walk in the park, therefore a person that sports and good washboard stomach is probably very disciplined… at least that’s what I pick up when i see a woman with a sexy stomach. It’s like “damn.. that girl must take good care of herself, which means she’s a confident, independent woman which means I’d like to hit that up!”

If you dig deeper, we also subconsciously know that a lean healthy woman will be a better, stronger and more fit mother of our children then a chubby lubster. (Edit: Now I don’t mean nicer or more caring, just more physically fit to raise children. A fitter mom can run after her kids, or run with the kids and chances are if she’s taking good care of herself, there is a good chance that her habits will be passed down to her off spring) This is the kinda shit that’s hardwired into our male brains, so don’t you dare hate.

Also, just look at ANY fitness product that promotes weight loss or “well being”; there is almost always a visual cue that points directly to an under paid model with an awesome 6 pack. Always. Why? Because this marketing tactic works, and will continue to work until the fundamental structure of the human body changes to something freaky.

On a side note, a great pair of abs are also an asset to have when someone at a party inevitably yells “BODY SHOTSSS!” – How do I know? Because Baileys on skin feels extremely sticky the next day :\

2. A Strong Core Keeps You Safe

You need to start thinking of your abs as the foundation of your entire body. Without it, you’ll eventually crumble, in more ways than one. For example, if you have weak abs, then back injuries are almost guaranteed to surface. Active or not. I’ve also known dudes with a relatively strong upper body muscles and decent legs but they lack the strength in their core and end up with weird ass injuries.

Now because I feel the need to fire a metaphor directly into your forehead, think of how stable a skyscraper would be if built on sand. How long do you think that shit will be standing? If you said “not very long”… pat yourself on the shoulder. You done good!

There was a study done by the US Army, and what they found was interesting. The men who were able to perform the most situps (70+ in 2 minutes) were about 5 times less likely to suffer from lower body injuries than those who couldn’t even reach the range of 40-50. Also, the men who did awesome in the push-us and 2 mile run test were rewarded with no such protective benefits.

Can you say “Abs for the fucking win!”

3. Your Sex Life Will Improve

Ahh, “finally” you say “A REAL reason as to why I should focus on my abs!”.

Hey man, whatever gets you motivated is cool with me, but yes, great abs will greatly improve your sex life… and in more ways than one! The first benefit is obvious for both parties – increased stamina and strength. For the dudes out there, you should know that powerful hip thrusts don’t come from the legs, they come from your abs. So what that means is that you’ll not only be able to go harder, you’ll be able to go for a lot LONGER. The latter is, in my opinion much more important. But hey, why not have the cake and eat it too right? (Preferably in naughty ways)

But wait…there’s more! An awesome core will keep you safe and able to try out different positions that you never dreamed of pulling off. It will also give you the control and rhythm you need to make shit work. There is a reason they say “it’s not the size of the ship; it’s the motion of the ocean baby!” Remember that, cuz there is some real truth to it.

4. Live Forever – Almost

The fact that your abs are showing is a quick way of expressing to the world that you have low body fat… which means that as long as you don’t make an extremely high volume of stupid decisions in your life… you’ll live for a long time to come.

The relation of large waists and small lives has been well documented. There is a SHIT load of research that proves, time after time that people with a spare tire around their bodies have a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, heart attacks and other un pleasant illnesses. Even cancer is known to favor the fatties… who have a 30 percent high risk of getting it than their leaner and meaner counterparts. Scary stuff.

Now obviously, having great abs does not make you invincible, there is a difference between “lowering your chances of cancer” and “never getting cancer for as long as you live”.

5. Abs Will Let You Dominate In ANYTHING

“Did he say anything?” – Fuck yes, I said anything. Any sport or physical activity that you can dream of can be improved greatly in the presence of awesome abs.

In baseball you can pitch faster and bat home runs like it’s nobody’s business.

If you’re into MMA, you can torque body faster for bone crushing kicks and jaw demolishing punches.

If you play hockey,  you can slap shot like a bullet.

In football, you’ll be able to tackle like a fucking tank.

In tennis,  you can ace their faces.

In volleyball you can jumper higher, leap faster a spike that shit before they even see it coming.

Indeed, having great abs will improve your overall athleticism beyond what the normal folks are capable… and this feeling is like a divine super power. Not to mention, you’ll also get hurt less often which means  you’ll be able to ENJOY your favourite activities for years to come.

So Get Working

And there you have it, five solid reasons why you need to get cracking on your core muscles. You don’t have to ENJOY doing abs, in fact you can dread and hate it, but let me tell you something (and this is coming from a guy who hates doing abs, remember) the benefits that you will receive from the effort you put in will far outweigh all the pain of going through an ab workout. For you business geeks and marketing nerds, let me put it to you simply – your ROI will shoot through the fucking roof!

There is absolutely no other muscle group which delivers the same level of health benefits and confidence boosting self esteem spikes like the abs. They are the foundation of your body, and therefore the foundation of your life. So do yourself a favor… work the shit outta them!

- FitJerk

P.S – Stay tuned for next week where I’ll be showing you one of my favorite ab routines. Just one word of caution – Bring your fucking A game.