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Visible abs is a valued commodity in popular culture. It sells movie tickets, magazine covers, blogs, articles and has become a calling card for competence in the fitness and wellness industry. The paradox is visible abs does not necessarily mean stronger, more robust or more capable abdominal muscles.
It tells you that the person has the discipline, restraint and commitment to eat at an energy intake with little room or surplus for storing as fat. Some of us are also gifted with better genetics in the form of elegant muscle insertions, length and a tendency to store relatively less fat around the midsection.
What visible abs do not tell you is how strong, quick, powerful an athlete is.
Case in point, you will watch Lasha Talakhadze clean and jerk & snatch ungodly amounts of weight that no bodybuilder or powerlifter could hope to lift with as much precision or speed.
What he might not carry are distinct abdominal muscles. But not being seen does not mean they are not doing their job. Far from it. He has enough abdominal muscle and every other muscle possible to stabilise over 200 kilos lifted in the blink of an eye from the ground to a position over his head.
You will see the same trend among heavyweights in combat sports. Some of the greatest punchers and fighters such as Mark Hunt and Tyson Fury carry deceptive looking body composition.
Watch any athlete weighing over 100 kgs who lifts weights and they will not be as svelte as folks weighing less than 80 kgs. But clearly the added size and girth is a pro when it comes to being stronger and generating power.