Training for a group of six? “As long as there is fat on it, it will not appear.” | correct

Singer Nick Childer keeps people busy with his six packs. Half of Volendam’s Nick and Simon duo appeared on the magazine cover this month men’s health† Schilder trained five times a week for three months and became a vegetarian. The result: he lost thirteen kilograms and received six packs in return.

It earned him praise, comments and criticism. Among other things, that the cover photo will be fake. It’s not necessary, says behavioral psychologist and sports coach Johnny Bovinga. “In theory anyone can have a six-pack, because we all have abs. It’s true that it’s easier for some than others. But anyway: you have to give a lot for it.”

If you want a six-pack, you’ll have to do more than just a lot of abdominal exercises. “You can train whatever you want, as long as there’s fat on it, it won’t show up,” Buivenga says. “Local fat burning is a myth, so you also have to look at nutrition. Abs made in the kitchen†

Whether Schilder’s phrases are depicted or captured in photoshop is not very important to Eric van Voorth. The painter emphasizes classic stereotypes, says professor of eating disorders in the department of psychiatry at LUMC. “When you’re 20, you can look like this. What if you compare yourself to a Schilder in your late thirties? Then there’s a chance you think: This is the only way I can be successful and attractive. So such an image does not contribute to men’s overall well-being. “.

This is exactly why we won’t soon be seeing Buivenga shirtless on social media. According to the psychiatrist, six packs should not be a reason to exercise. But most importantly: If you start exercising to lose weight, you can begin to see exercise as a necessity or a punishment. If you once enjoyed a cake or beer, you might be thinking: Now I have to exercise to make sure I don’t gain weight. As a result, you can begin to see sports as a punishment. Such a six-pack never comes and you are disappointed and because of that your motivation to exercise disappears.”

“It’s the pursuit of a paradigm that is elusive for most people,” says van Voorth, an expert in eating disorders. ,, Certainly not if you are of painter age. With such an ideal, you could go off track and develop an eating disorder.” The scientist asserts that someone must really have a weakness. We suspect that this weakness is in the genes. Most who start a diet, stop at some point. Some don’t and then it becomes an eating disorder.”

Young people who spend hours each day on social media are particularly at risk, says Van Wuerth, who is also director of GGZ Rivierduinen Eating Disorders Ursula. “If you’re basically following a lot of skinny, well-trained people on social media and the algorithm is aware of that, it won’t make you any happier.” This applies not only to men, the six pack is also common to women. “I don’t think this is a positive development.”

According to Van Furth, if exercise encourages a healthier lifestyle, that’s okay. “But also be happy with yourself. There are quite a few die-hard athletes who eat less and less variety. By eating a lot of protein, you are making your body do contradictory things.”

Buivenga says it was a successful experiment for Schilder. That’s nice for him. But the best reason to exercise is to have fun.” You don’t have to focus so much on those abs heavy lifts And Nucleus-In principle, these exercises sufficiently train the abdominal muscles. Various studies have shown that a heavy concentration of six packs containing, for example, crunches It could lead to injuries.”