Refrigerator Wisdom: Abs are made in the kitchen

The first time I heard the expression, “Abs are made in the kitchen,” I was watching a highlight video of the 2015 CrossFit Games. Here were some of the fittest athletes in the world - all with washboard abs, all lifting incredible amounts of weight, all serious athletes. Yet, one of these strong and ripped athletes, Matthew Fraser, who went on to win the CrossFit Games in 2016, made the statement.

I promptly wrote it down and posted it on the refrigerator. A longtime on again/off again cross fitter myself, I noticed that as I turned 50, my abs were trying to hide behind, umm, well, a little belly bulge. I needed the reminder to eat healthier foods.

In writing this column, I googled the phrase and discovered it was not original to Mat Fraser. And, some have called it a fitness myth on the grounds that only exercise will make your abs strong – diet might keep you slim – but it will not strengthen the muscles.

True enough. Some folks have skinny waists but no visible abs. They might be eating the correct foods but they are not strengthening their core. Others might have a strong set of abs that is hidden by a belly of fat. Prime example – NFL linemen.

Back in our kitchen, my husband noticed the sign and said, “You can make abs for dinner, I’m making pizza.”

When I tickled his doughy belly, he tried a different angle, “Crunches in the kitchen are fine but burpees will cause my soufflés to fall.”

This from a man who’s never made a soufflé in his life.

In the end, we agreed – you do need both exercise and nutrition to show off the abs. And the sign is a reminder to us both to not only burpee more often, but also to heavy lift the heavy veggies.