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The title of Michael D. Geary’s book suggests it is just a tome to help someone obsessed with six pack abs, but in actuality, it is much more comprehensive and scholarly than the title and hype suggest. Skeptical by nature, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the popular e-book written by the ubiquitous certified nutrition specialist and personal trainer. There are just so many advertisements, infomercials and emails pushing the “easiest” or “simplest” or “only way” to improve something about ourselves that we don’t like. I thought this book might be one more empty promise product.

Evidently these products sell because there are billions of dollars spent by Americans every year trying to develop a swimsuit-models body and particularly the rippling midsection. Even though we renamed them to make them less offensive, love handles continue to haunt us. An easy method to develop a flat stomach is the holy grail of our current culture.

Mike Geary comes right out of the gate and lays this notion to rest; no one can develop six pack abs no matter how hard they work out, if they have too much body fat. Noticeable abdominal muscles are more a function of leanness rather than development. In other words all the machines, gadgets and wraps in the world aren’t going to help you get a flat stomach unless you are very lean. This is not as comfortable a concept to people who are selling, and profiting off of gadgets and devices to work the midsection, but it is undeniably true.

Six Pack abs become visible when someone’s body fat percentage drops enough that they can be seen. For a male if his body fat percentage is much over 10, he is going to have to loose weight; for women it’s about six points higher.

After establishing this truth, Geary goes on in subsequent chapters to explain the importance of diet and the various effects of certain foods on your metabolism and subsequently your ability to loose weight and most importantly, fat. It is all very thorough and clearly written and he has a wonderful diatribe about the evils of processed foods. Many others writers and nutritionist have carried this water before Geary, but even so, it’s always nice to hear your convictions being reaffirmed.

Some other good tidbits from Geary:

• The abs – rectus abdominis muscles that form the visible ridges are all one muscle – there are no “upper” and “lower” abdominal muscles
• Eating the right fats can actually help make you leaner
• It is beneficial to occasionally blow the diet and overeat
• To help keep your metabolic rate high eat five or six small meals as opposed to three large ones
• Avoid eating anything made with hydrogenated oil
• Tea can have a beneficial effect on fat loss efforts as can spinach broccoli and beans as well as cayenne and chili pepper

It is a bit disappointing that “The Truth About Six Pack Abs” is not sourced. There isn’t a single footnote, endnote or an index. So although the information is very well presented, it would be beneficial to be able to research further on some of the topics. No doubt, Geary learned it from somewhere.

Another weak link in the book is the specific instructions on exercises. There are illustrations, but in some cases only two photos per exercise. I’ve been working out for about 30 years, so I had no problem following along – but the one exercise with which I was completely unfamiliar, I wanted more info. So I can imagine that a beginner will need some additional help.

There is bit of the irony in the book; it is promoted as a no abs-workout program, but there are photos and guidelines on proper technique for doing various crunch exercises. Geary does explain that these are not the most important aspect to developing that washboard stomach, but it is a bit humorous.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. And not just for someone who is looking to develop six pack abs, but also for anyone who wants to tone up and is concerned about his or her overall health. If you are looking for an easy to way “get ripped” without changing your lifestyle, this is not the book for you, but if you are looking for a program that works and a book the speaks the truth, this is it, if you can handle it.