‘STRONG not skinny’ used to be the mantra wellness-obsessed celebrities used to live by.
But that look is seemingly not in vogue at the moment.
Maura takes the crown for Queen of the Ab Shredders at the Fashion AwardsCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
The Love Island star attributed Pilates and Yoga for her core credentialsCredit: Splash
Rita Ora looking lean on holidayCredit: Instagram
The extreme new trend the likes of , Holly Ramsay and Rita Ora are showcasing is the ‘Ab-Shred’ – and it takes a terrifying amount of time, exercise and careful dieting to achieve.
“The Ab-Shred takes things a step further from just being slim with a flat stomach,” says Will Duru, personal trainer and founder of fitness app 12Reps.
“Now, celebrities are showing off extremely chiselled, muscle-flashing abs; essentially, they look shredded.”
Maura Higgins, 35, recently as she flaunted her incredibly lean midsection in a Robert Wun white bralette and pinstriped skirt.
“You’re slaying it,” wrote one fan. While others called her “gorgeous”, “iconic” and “just wow”.
One commentator begged: “Drop your ab routine plz”, while another said: “Drop the core routine – I’m begging you!”
Maura’s new figure is a world away from her (still incredibly enviable) Love Island physique. She appeared on the ITV2 reality show in 2019 and quickly became a national treasure with her wit, bolshiness and humour.
Maura in 2019 when she was on Love IslandCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Maura Higgins shares post showing off figure as she drops her ab workout routineCredit: Instagram
When asked , Maura, who is a size 8, confessed: “No secret, just balance and consistency. I eat clean most of the time but I never restrict myself from the foods I love i.e. pasta/pizza!
“Lots of and yoga have made a huge difference to my body. I’ve finally found what works best for me.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work but it’s all about finding what feels good for your body.”
In a separate interview she admitted: “I’ve honestly been working my (tiny) ass off the last few months! It’s not been easy but this is the best I’ve felt in such a long time.”
And this is key – this look is one that can only be attained by wealthy women who have access to top trainers, luxe gyms, healthy food and, importantly, the time to workout.
Holly Ramsay, now 25, showing off her ‘wedding month’ absCredit: Instagram
Holly Ramsay’s bikini body on eve of 22nd birthdayCredit: hollyramsayy/Instagram
Will says: “It takes more than a few weeks of sit-ups and crunches to get abs like you see on these women and some people are just more genetically predisposed to having abs too.
“Your core is made up of different muscles; the obliques, which run down the side of your middle; the rectus abdominis, which forms the classic six-pack; and the deep transverse abdominis, which acts like a natural corset around your middle.
“When all of these are trained and built, you end up with that tight, defined middle.
“Celebrities with abs aren’t just doing quick little ab workouts though; they’re likely lifting heavy weights four to five times a week, engaging their core the whole time, and mixing up different exercises such as hanging leg raises and planks.”
, 25, who is set to at the end of the month, recently showed off her ‘Ab-Shred’ stomach in a Victoria’s Secret bridal bra and knickers.
Meanwhile, , 34, an avid fitness enthusiast and dress size 10, flaunted her ripped midriff on Instagram.
Mum Kate Ferdinand recently showed off her incredibly toned stomachCredit: Instagram
Davina McCall and her mega abs.Credit: instagram.com/davinamccall
The exercise devotee, who trains with PT Amandio Costa at her , enjoys high-intensity full-body weight-training sessions that include squats and planks, as well as Pilates and home HIIT workouts.
Size 10 Jennifer Lopez, 56,
JLo , with the help of her TWO PTs, trains up to five times a week, focusing on different body parts each time, with her trainer Dodd Romero telling US Weekly: “We’ll go until everything’s sore and we’ve hit every body part.”
And, she follows a diet free from processed food – no Quality Street here – and even cuts out carrots and corn because they contain high amounts of naturally occurring sugar.
Singer , 35, , 57, and Love Island’s Molly Smith, 31, are also all following the alarming body trend.
Molly, who is a size 8, on holiday recently in a tiny yellow bikini.
Her Instagram feed is littered with weighted workouts including barbell squats, deadlifts, lunges and a number of different ab-based exercises.
Will adds: “You can build abs in the gym, but if you actually want people to see them, you need to get rid of the fat that lies on top and this is where people struggle.
“It can take months, depending on your current body fat level, to be lean enough to show off your abs.
Molly Smith shows off toned abs in a yellow bikiniCredit: Instagram
Molly Smith on Love Island in 2020Credit: Rex
There isn’t one ‘ideal’ body fat percentage for women but for many, such low levels of body fat can lead to health problems.
The calorie deficit – eating fewer calories than you burn – often required to drop this fat can also be dangerous.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson comments: “One of the biggest misconceptions is that cutting calories drastically will reveal your abs faster.
“In reality, when women drop below their energy needs for too long, the body can respond by slowing down their metabolism, making them more tired and eventually holding on to fat rather than burning it.
What is the science behind abs being visible?
According to standard exercise physiology and human anatomy research conducted by The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), abdominal muscle visibility depends on body-fat levels, muscle development, and genetic factors.
The science behind abs involves the rectus abdominis muscle, which everyone has.
Still, its visibility depends on having low body fat (revealed through a calorie deficit, diet, cardio).
Developed muscle (built with progressive overload exercises like weighted crunches/leg raises), all influenced by genetics, creating the “six-pack” look defined by connective tissues (linea alba and tendinous intersections).
“You can end up losing muscle, including the actual core muscles you’re trying to show off while feeling exhausted. It’s the exact opposite of what people are aiming for!”
He adds: “Eat too little and/or lose too much fat and you can massively impact your hormones too.
“This can lead to irregular periods or even missing periods which can then go on to impact other things such as fertility.”
And there is an extra warning if you are using weight loss injections.
Eat too little and/or lose too much fat and you can massively impact your hormones & lead to irregular periods or even missing periods which can impact fertility
Rob Hobson, Nutritionist
“Women using GLP-1 need to be extra careful with any training plan that aims to burn fat and work towards visible abs,” says Will.
“Weight loss jabs cause rapid weight loss, much of which is muscle mass, including the core muscles that support the spine.
“When muscle mass is reduced, intense ab training can lead to a higher risk of injury as weak core muscles are more prone to strain. Plus, there’s more chance of back pain as there’s less muscle around the spine.
“The goal during and after jabs is to maintain and build muscle all over rather than going after a specific aesthetic.”
Jennifer Lopez flashed her killer six pack while promoting her Vegas residencyCredit: Instagram
Jennifer Lopez at the VMAS in 2000.Credit: Getty
In 2025, the popularity of weight loss jabs soared. Now, nearly 2.5 million Brits are using jabs such as and Mounjaro and celebrities who were once ‘curvier’ are now returning to the red carpet looking thinner than ever.
“Celebrity culture continues to shape what many people think is ‘normal’ or ‘healthy’, which usually means being extremely lean, having visible muscle or having perfectly proportioned bodies,” Tskenya-Sarah Frazer, a broadcaster, author and body positivite enthusiast.
“But, the bodies we often see online and on TV, especially those shown by celebrities, are not a reflection of real life, and it is important that we remind ourselves of this.
“Plus having abs does not automatically mean someone is healthy, balanced or happy and chasing these ideals can do more harm than good.
“What truly matters is respecting the body you have, nourishing it, recognising its strength and being neutral about how it looks.”
Why I'll never get onboard the Shredded Skinny train...
Writer and fat-jab user Jane Cohen, 56, from Cardiff says:
I’m not ashamed to admit I’m in the Mounjaro club. Since I was a teenager my weight has gone up and down.
I’ve tried every diet known to man, Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Cambridge, Keto, vegan, juice diet, boiled egg diet.
Then thanks to Mounjaro, I lost 2st in 12 weeks and I’m keeping it off.
I’m now 9st – just about right for my small 5ft 3 frame. I like feeling healthy and that’s what matters most.
But after years of trying to get skinny like the famous women whose images we are bombarded with, I’ve now realised I’ll never be in their club.
Because they are always pushing that ‘ideal’ a bit further away from us mere mortals.
Now it’s not enough to be slim – you need to be shredded too, with an unrealistic six-pack that can only be gained by living your life at the gym.
JLo, who is the same age as me, was parading her honed body in an attention-seeking outfit of bra and knickers on stage recently, her washboard abs in display. It screamed ‘love me’ and ‘aren’t I beautiful?’.
I see Ariana Grande and her painfully thin ‘childlike’ frame or Maura Higgins becoming nothing but lean muscle. Do I really want a body like that?
Then there’s Kim Kardashian who has admitted she spends around $1 million a year on beauty treatments to keep her ‘perfect’ body.
This latest “skinny ideal” is so wrong.
Being bombarded with celebrities daily is so weary as it doesn’t represent most women. We can never be them.
No wonder there are many eating disorders.
I’ve realised I like my curves and imperfections – they aren’t a bad thing. It’s being real, human.
I just like feeling healthy and being overweight makes me feel lethargic. Thanks to the jabs, I have more energy and my craving for sugar has gone – that’s what it has done for me.
I do like to be fit and do exercise but spending obsessive hours torturing myself on machines in a gym to get a flat board stomach is not something I will ever do.
While Mounjaro is a wonderful tool, you need to look in the mirror and know when to stop.
As the body ideal for women becomes more extreme, it’s important to remember that those in the public eye are under different pressures – and have access to infinitely more resources than us normal folk.
“Remember, many celebrities achieve their figures with the help of personal trainers, structured meal plans, sometimes cooked by private chefs, and help with children or other jobs, allowing them to devote more time to working on their figure,” says Rob.
Although a shredded core might be on your 2026 goals list, remember that a lot of sacrifice goes into becoming so lean and often, a celebrity’s fitness and diet plan just isn’t achievable. You don’t need a six-pack to be healthy or happy.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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