Sep 20, 2026 · 14 min · 9 segments
It's a listener Q&A episode — two questions, no fluff. First: why core muscles don't show up no matter how hard you train them. Second: why "doing everything right" for your health can still leave you…
Aesha TahirHost
I've been trying to get stronger for the last 10 years and I've tried everything.
I want to know why my core muscles aren't strong despite my efforts and why those muscles don't show despite working out consistently.
So Layla, this is such a great question because a lot of my clients come to me for this reason.
And a lot of the patients I've talked to, they always have this question front and center.
So this is a question I believe is going to help so many of our listeners and viewers.
Of course, there are some minor ones too, which are not included in this definition, but the three major muscle groups are rectus abdominis, obliques, and gluteal complex.
And most people who do consistent core work build real strength and muscle mass in those muscle fibers and these muscle groups.
Okay, so I'm talking about the body fat percentage because that is the main gatekeeper.
Abdominal definition, which we are talking about the six-packs or the eight-pack muscles, right? That's what we're really talking about.
Now, abdominal definition typically starts becoming visible around 15 to 19% body fat for men and around 20 to 24% for women with more distinct shredded visibility.
So even lower than 15% is where you will start seeing those serratus anterior muscles and or eight pack muscles instead of six pack.
For women, it would be between 15 to 19% body fat, where you really start seeing that visible tone in your musculature.
So you can have well-developed abs and still not see them if there's a layer of subcutaneous fat or the fat that sits under your skin over the abdominal wall.
I've been trying to get stronger for the last 10 years and I've tried everything.
I want to know why my core muscles aren't strong despite my efforts and why those muscles don't show despite working out consistently.
So Layla, this is such a great question because a lot of my clients come to me for this reason.
And a lot of the patients I've talked to, they always have this question front and center.
So this is a question I believe is going to help so many of our listeners and viewers.
Of course, there are some minor ones too, which are not included in this definition, but the three major muscle groups are rectus abdominis, obliques, and gluteal complex.
And most people who do consistent core work build real strength and muscle mass in those muscle fibers and these muscle groups.
Okay, so I'm talking about the body fat percentage because that is the main gatekeeper.
Abdominal definition, which we are talking about the six-packs or the eight-pack muscles, right? That's what we're really talking about.
Now, abdominal definition typically starts becoming visible around 15 to 19% body fat for men and around 20 to 24% for women with more distinct shredded visibility.
So even lower than 15% is where you will start seeing those serratus anterior muscles and or eight pack muscles instead of six pack.
For women, it would be between 15 to 19% body fat, where you really start seeing that visible tone in your musculature.
So you can have well-developed abs and still not see them if there's a layer of subcutaneous fat or the fat that sits under your skin over the abdominal wall.
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