Stop Asking Gracie Abrams For Her Abs Routine

Leave it to the internet’s critics to back someone into a corner. Well, Gracie Abrams has had enough.

Over the past few months, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter has received non-stop comments about her body, and more specifically her abs. Back in September, videos of Abrams performing at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, California went viral as she took to the stage in a pair of baggy, low rise jeans and a black long-sleeved crop top — not unlike the casual Friday night uniforms of her Gen-Z peers.

After that performance, videos began circulating on TikTok of creators and commenters fixated on the singer’s abs. Captions like “I’d be liftin my shirt up, too” and “Gracie, I need the abs routine” flooded FYPs. The suggested search at the top of most videos read “gracie abrams abs.” Some fans even made edits with closeups of the “Close To You” singer’s torso.

The hype over Abrams’ abs has persisted, much to her dismay. In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, she stated: “It has gotten kind of out of hand. There’s no end to the discourse on women’s bodies, like Jesus f*cking Christ! Shut up! It’s not complicated! It’s not your body. I don’t have a routine. I swear on my life.”

Let me make one thing very clear: Abrams is absolutely right. As her pop peer Chappell Roan unapologetically stated on social media last summer: Fame doesn’t make you public property, and “women don’t owe you shit.” They don’t owe you a smile or a hug. They don’t owe you a sunny disposition. And they certainly don’t owe you intimate details about their lives and bodies.

However, for the sake of argument, let’s just imagine that Abrams did spill her coveted core workout. Well, I am so sorry (not really) to report that replicating her routine most likely wouldn’t yield the same results. Why? Because all of our individual bodies are gloriously unique.

Unfortunately, countless fitness programs, fitfluencers, and, yes, even the media have peddled promises of a “six pack in six weeks” or other hyperbolic fitness claims. But, the reality is, even if 10 different people did the same exact routine for the same amount of time, each person would look different. And you never know exactly how your body will respond to a certain fitness regimen.

Not to mention, abs definition comes down to so much more than a rigorous exercise routine. It’s largely affected by what you eat, and even more influenced by something beyond everyone’s control: genetics.

So yes, there’s a chance that Adams is simply genetically predisposed to more noticeable abs. Or maybe she is omitting the truth and actually spends two hours in the gym every single day. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. The point is: Abrams doesn’t owe us a damn thing. And frankly, maybe it’s time to question why we care so much.

Sure, it may seem innocent enough to admire a celebrity’s toned torso, and even feel motivated to hit the gym as a result. Abrams herself stated in the Cosmopolitan interview that: “I feel the sexiest when I feel the strongest physically. I’m someone who notices a difference in my mood on the days I’ve worked out versus not.” After all, fitness and moving our bodies is an important part of maintaining both our physical and mental well-being.

That said, there’s a fine line between inspiration and hyperfixation. Not only does obsessing over a celeb’s body feed into our own unhealthy inclinations to compare ourselves to others, but it also reinforces the idea that a woman’s worth is intrinsically linked to what her body looks like.

This misogynistic view is harmful at worst, and derivative at best. Because, in reality, a woman’s physical fitness is such a miniscule facet of her being — and it hardly paints the entire picture. In fact, it’s important to remember that you never know what’s happening with someone behind the scenes. An individual at their thinnest or “fittest” by rigid societal standards might also be at their most unwell (be it mentally or physically). Even Abrams admitted there were times when she developed an unhealthy obsession with Pilates videos, and had to reign it in: “It’s a relationship I work on with myself often.” In short: Someone’s body doesn’t show their whole story. It’s not who they are.

And, honestly, aren’t we as women tired of the critique? We’re tired of having our bodies scrutinized and legislated, we’re tired of watching a person’s aesthetics eclipse their talent and achievements, and we’re tired of the world reminding us over and over that our physicality is what defines us.

A bit of advice moving forward: don’t waste your energy obsessing over or commenting on another woman’s body. Focus on your own and keep it moving. Please and thank you.

Kristine Thomason is a lifestyle writer and editor based in Southern California. Previously, she was the health and fitness director at mindbodygreen, and the fitness and wellness editor at Women’s Health. Kristine’s work has also appeared in PS, Travel + Leisure, Men’s Health, Health, and Refinery29, among others.