Abs and genetics

[jabo]

For the first time in years Iv finally gotten sub 10% body fat. (8-9% according to some trainers at my gym) I can see my abs but for some reason I don't get that indent down the center making it look like a true 6 pack. Is this something I can change with certain excercises or is it genetics?

 

[hammerfist2]

Diet diet diet....
Although I have a friend that even when he is very lean his abs dont really pop out much.
My abs are one of my few blessings. They show pretty easy and are usually vascular too, but I started Martial Arts at 8yrs old and been conditioning my abs forever. Still without good diet they will disappear.
I do supersets now :
Planks, crunches, sledge hammer then repeat.

 

[Demondosage]

it's the last thing to come in. Get your bodyfat under 7% and you should start seeing that

 

[jabo]

Diet diet diet....
Although I have a friend that even when he is very lean his abs dont really pop out much.
My abs are one of my few blessings. They show pretty easy and are usually vascular too, but I started Martial Arts at 8yrs old and been conditioning my abs forever. Still without good diet they will disappear.
I do supersets now :
Planks, crunches, sledge hammer then repeat.

Thanks, So your saying that even though I'm lean it could be the foods I'm eating causing them not to show as much? Do you do any weighted excercises or will that make them big and bulky looking?

 

[sin]

It could be that your linea alba (connective tissue separating the left and right rectus abdominus) is thin and thus you don't have the "valley" between the two. This can't be changed with exercises. Hypertrophy of the abs may make this indention a bit more prominent but it isn't going to get wider.

 

[hammerfist2]

Yes the food could be an issue but as long as you continue to drop bodyfat they will start to show no matter what.
Maybe cut back carbs a bit more.

I stay away from weighted ab exercises. All high intensity and pretty much to failure. I always feared growing a larger mid section. I dont have big wide shoulders so I got to keep my small ass waistline.

 

[Blacken]

It is diet and genetics. Diet you can control don't think too much into it. Also congrats on finally starting to see the abs.