Emily Ratajkowski has one. So does Jasmine Tookes, and the entire Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show posse, now that I think about it. However, most women don’t, have never, and probably will never obtain one. I’m talking about “ab cracks,” the furor-causing fitspo phenomenon subtly taking over your Instagram feed.
First coined in early July, the ab crack is essentially the divide between your abs (well, between some people’s abs) that’s basically the six pack’s less-flamboyant cousin. In the last few weeks, the #abcrack hashtag has accumulated thousands of posts on Insta and Twitter, knocking #thighgap off its pathetic perch as the most unattainable workout goal to obsess over.
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According to celebrity trainer Joey Thurman, the ab crack actually has a clinical name and it’s pretty much reserved for people willing to live at the gym and give up carbs for life. “What you’re referring to is the linea alba,” Thurman told me. “This is the fibrous tissue between the abdomen that generally shows up when you are incredibly lean and have great abdominal definition.”
In addition to exercising really, really hard (more on that later), anyone chasing a defined, um, linear alba, should sleep more and eat less refined foods. “Without proper sleep, your body will be inflamed, you won’t burn as much fat, you will crave more calories—and the bad ones—and your cortisol levels will be elevated, limiting any sort of fat burning,” Thurman explained. He also says the most important part of getting to actually see your abs is diet: “Avoid any processed carbohydrates and added sugar—so nothing from a bag, no bread, no cereal, and no sweets. Also, drink lots of water, because if you don’t drink water, your body holds on to it.”
Of course, you’re not going to get off that easy—ab cracks of hashtag-worthy proportions are also sculpted at the gym. So while you’re mulling over whether an ab selfie is worth giving up pizza, click through the slideshow for the 14 ab exercises recommended by celebrity personal trainers.
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