6-pack abs—they’re the centerpiece of possibly all fitness marketing, ever. I bet multiple billions of dollars have been put behind ads and programs that promise them.

Action figures and comic book heroes alike have been designed with shredded abs.

We’ve been led to believe that abs are the holy grail of an aesthetic physique. And while they are cool to look at, they’re largely irrelevant in how a physique is perceived.

When I say “six-pack abs,” I mean what the kids these days call “shredded.”

While everybody’s a little different, to get true six-pack definition, most men need to be around 8% body fat or less. You’ll see some ab definition at 12%, and more at 10%…but when most people picture a six-pack, they’re thinking 8% or below.

Something like this:

And while that dude has a killer physique…

Most guys don’t carry nearly that much muscle. And if they were to get to that low of a body fat percentage, they’d be thoroughly disappointed.

I know because I’ve been there—more on that below.

The Truth: You Can Ruin Your Physique Chasing Abs

It’s entirely possible to ruin your look in the quest for abs.

Conversely—it’s also possible to have an attention-magnet of a build without ever dropping below 10% body fat.

How?

Because your unconscious mind doesn’t care about body fat percentage.

It’s scanning for proportions.

And in a man’s physique, one proportion matters more than all the rest: the shoulder-to-waist ratio (in women, it’s the hip-to-waist ratio).

We perceive a man as healthier, stronger, more virile, and more capable when he has a pronounced V-taper: broad shoulders that taper down to a narrow waist.

More specifically, the closer a man’s shoulder-to-waist ratio gets to 1.618, the more we unconsciously elevate his status.

That number—1.618—is the golden ratio, and it’s been celebrated in art and design for centuries.

This Isn’t a New Idea

The “Spear Bearer” is a statue from 440 BC that bears these proportions. The sculptor, Polykleitos literally wrote a treatise called The Canon detailing ideal human proportions, and the Spear Bearer is his physical embodiment of that.

Michelangelo’s David? Built to golden ratio specs.

Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man? Another homage to proportion-based aesthetics.

And more recently…

Remember Daniel Craig in Casino Royale? He wasn’t shredded down to 6 pack ab status…yet he had a physique that grabbed the attention of millions of viewers.

What This Means for You

You don’t need to be 8% body fat to be the most jacked dad at the pool this summer.

In fact, for most guys, going too low actually works against their proportions.

Why?

Losing fat requires a calorie deficit. The leaner you get, the more aggressive that deficit has to be—and the harder it becomes to hold on to muscle.

At a certain point, you start losing more size around your shoulders than you’re losing around your waist.

That throws off your ratio.

Case Study: Me

Here I am at 194 lbs and ~10% body fat. I had zero alcohol and very few restaurant meals for 12 weeks before this photo:

Naturally, though, because I’m obsessive, I had to keep on pushing to see how far I could take it.

Here I am at a ridiculous 183lbs and a hair over 8% body fat (I did a dexa).

I had to lose 11 more pounds (after already losing 20!) for just slightly more ab definition. I still wasn’t six-pack shredded, and I looked visibly smaller overall.

Two Big Lessons

1. The Law of Diminishing Returns

Here’s how I break it down:

• 20% → 15% body fat:
  Easy with consistent training. You’ll look athletic and muscular.

• 15% → 12%:
  Requires systems and consistency. Your abs will start to show. Doable without being a monk.

• 12% → 10%:
  Hard push. Less social freedom. You’ll start losing muscle. Tough to maintain if you have kids, a business, or a social life.

• 10% → 8%:
  Requires suffering. You’ll look smaller in clothes. Your face starts to look gaunt.

✅ Sweet spot for most guys? Around 12%.
Lean enough to look elite, but sustainable with skill and systems.

2. What You Look Like in Clothes Matters More

Sure, my abs looked sick when taking selfies in the bathroom

But with a shirt on? I looked like I didn’t even lift. I felt scrawny

That’s the trap. I was directing my discipline and mental energy toward a goal that wasn’t delivering the result I actually wanted.

What I Did Next

I had read about the golden ratio before- Brad Pilon talked about it back in 2010. But for some reason, the concept finally clicked with me in 2022.

I took pressure off of myself to have visible abs and focused on building shoulder mass instead.

Within a few months, my abs were gone…but I was looking noticeably more muscular

My weight eventually stabilized at about 15lbs heavier than my “lean” weight, but it was easy to maintain. Here are the numebrs:

• My waist went from 31” to 34”

• My shoulders went from 48” to 52.5”

• My shoulder-to-waist ratio? Still 1.54—and I look better.

No visible abs. But:

• I look more muscular in clothes.

• I feel more confident with my shirt off.

• I maintain this look on 3000+ calories per day.

Here I am in 2024 having easily maintained this physqiue for 2+ years while regularly socializing at restaurants, BBQ joints and breweries.

Want to Find Your Golden Ratio?

Here’s how to measure it:

• Measure your shoulder circumference at the widest point (around the delts).

• Measure your waist circumference between the ribs and navel.

• Divide shoulder ÷ waist.

Final Takeaway

There’s a sweet spot for everyone.

When you’re choosing a physique goal, ask: