Will ab workouts give me a six pack?

Not on their own. Ab workouts make your abs stronger and bigger, but whether you can see a six pack depends mostly on how much body fat covers them. You can have strong abs under a layer of fat and weak ones that show because you're lean.

Everyone already has a six pack. It's a set of muscle segments at the front of your stomach. What decides if you see it is how thick the layer on top is.

What you can control

• Body fat. For many men the abs start to show around the low-to-mid teens in body fat percent, and for many women a few points higher in the low 20s. Individual variation is big.
• Muscle size. Training abs hard with weight makes them thicker, so they show at a higher body fat level.
• Overall training and activity. Lifting and walking or running help your general body composition.
• Food. Eating a bit less than you burn, over a sustained period, is how body fat comes down. A moderate approach you can hold is better than a harsh one.

What you can't control

Where your body stores fat is largely genetic. Some people get visible abs while still carrying a little around the stomach, and others keep fat there until they're very lean. Your ab layout also differs: some people have asymmetric or four-pack segments, and that's just anatomy.

Does spot reduction work?

No. Doing hundreds of crunches doesn't burn fat from your belly. Fat comes off based on your overall energy balance, not the muscle you worked. Abs are a muscle like any other, and they respond to training that gets harder over time.

An ab routine that makes sense

Two or three times a week, after the main lifts:

1. Hanging knee raises or reverse crunches, 3 sets of 8 to 15
2. Cable crunch or weighted crunch, 3 sets of 10 to 15
3. Plank or side plank, 2 sets of 30 to 60 seconds
4. Dead bugs, 2 sets of 10 per side

Make them harder over time by adding weight or reps, the same way you would for any other muscle. Heavy squats, deadlifts and carries also work your core a lot.

For the daily movement part, League of Fitness gives you a match each day against someone near your level, and walks, runs and lifting sessions from Apple Health all count toward it, so moving every day has something riding on it.

The realistic plan

Lift regularly, move daily, eat enough protein (see how much protein you need) and keep your food reasonable. Give it months, not weeks. If you're thinking about how far to go with leanness, pay attention to how it affects your energy, mood and health. A doctor or dietitian can help if food has become stressful.