“Great abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym”

“Abs are made in the kitchen” is a bodybuilding saying that has been put on posters and other items. The saying implies that great abdominal muscles can be developed through proper diet more than any gym exercise.
 
“Great abs are made in the kitchen” has been cited in print since at least October 2001.
   
“Where is this kitchen that everyone says makes abs?” is a jocular question based on this saying.
 
       
Wikipedia: Rectus abdominus muscle
The rectus abdominis muscle, also known as the “six pack”, is a paired muscle running vertically on each side of the anterior wall of the human abdomen (and in some other animals). There are two parallel muscles, separated by a midline band of connective tissue called the linea alba (white line). It extends from the pubic symphysis, pubic crest and pubic tubercle inferiorly to the xiphoid process and costal cartilages of ribs V to VII superiorly.
 
Google Groups: misc.fitness.weights
Salty Crab
Oct 23, 2001
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There’s a saying around my gym, “great abs are made in the kitchen”
 
Google Groups: misc.fitness.weights
joni
Dec. 28, 2001
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You cannot spot reduce ~ its overall bodyfat you need to shed & build some muscle by lifting weights combined with cardio (muscle burns fat) ~ great abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym ~ ab ‘doer’s’ are *donothings* for working your ab muscles ~ have a read at this site for some tips on what you should be eating & what exercises may help:
http://www.fatlosstips.com/
 
Active Low-Carber Forums
LC Sponge
Tue, Jan-15-02, 17:44
Hey Erin - no problem - I want to fiddle with another 3 pounds. I can’t get rid of the arm rests on my waistline thru exercise - and I read that “great abs are made in the kitchen not the gym”.
 
Google Books
Strength and Power Training for Martial Arts
By Martina Sprague
Hartford, CT: Turtle Press
2005
Pg. 157:
Others say that any exercise that involves the ab muscles (which are most movements to some degree) gives the abs enough training, and that it is unnecessary to do additional ab work. Still, others say abs are made in the kitchen, and you can get good abs only by dieting and not by training.
 
ABC’s Good Morning America
Jan. 3, 2006
The Abs Diet
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Dave Zinczenko, author of “The Abs Diet Get Fit, Stay Fit Plan,” said that people needed to be more realistic about weight loss. The process is not as daunting as everyone thinks. Three or four times a week at the gym is all it takes.
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In addition to exercise, Zinczenko said the key to toned abs was diet. “Abs are made in the kitchen.”
 
Google Books
March 2006, Men’s Health, pg. 54, col. 2:
SIX-PACK SCIENCE There’s an old saying: Abs are made in the kitchen— meaning, your diet plays a greater role in burning belly fat than you workout does. And a new study from Brazil supports that notion.
   
Twitter
Bex
@B_E_X
Replying to
@TheFitB
@TheFitB I agree. Abs are made in the kitchen!
9:38 PM · Oct 14, 2008·Twitter Web Client
 
CBS News
August 27, 2009 12:40 PM
Can Exercise Make You Gain Weight?
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COMMENTS
by SunDog8259 August 28, 2009 9:17 AM EDT
She is spot on. Great abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym, as the saying goes. I reached my goal weight by eating more and exercising less. Exercise is only a temporary appetite suppressor, I work out while fasting and find it can raise blood sugar.
 
Yahoo! Answers
The phrase “abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym” how true is that?
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Its 70% true, as everyone has abdominal muscles. In some people they are hidden by fat, a proper diet gets rid of the fat and allows the abs to be seen. You should supplement this proper diet with exercise to tone the abdominal muscles and to help rid the body of fat. Also its not really as important the amount of food, they eat alot but its usually healthy food. As long as you eat healthy the proportions of the food matter less, though they are still important.
 
Going to the gym is never a waste of time, you can burn off some of that food you just ate. Just make sure that you never work your abs two days in a row. Allow 24-48 hours between abdominal workouts to achieve optimal results.
 
Good luck!
1 year ago
     
Google Books
The Six Pack Kitchen: Abs Are Made in the Kitchen
Travis Lizar
Six Pack Kitche, Jun 20, 2013 - 100 pages
Healthy Cookbook with a inspirational story.
 
Google Books
Title ABS Are Made in the Kitchen: Weight Loss Accountability Tracker: 6x9 120 Pages: Navy Blue Satin Matte Cover
Author Paige Porter
Publisher Independently Published, 2019
ISBN 1090708874, 9781090708878
Length 122 pages
Subjects Health & Fitness › Diet & Nutrition › Diets