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When people talk about a person that is in shape, they pretty much always refer to their abs and how Shredded or Ripped they look. The reality is that a person that doesn't even workout but is fortunate enough to be fairly lean or have a low body fat can have shredded Abs. After all, one of the most important factors in having a Ripped and Shredded Six Pack is being able to see the those abs in the first place. Most of us already have a Six Pack, it's just hidden under too many donuts, muffins and that extra helping or two.
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Yes we can develop our Abs by training them with things like Sit-ups, Crunches and other Ab exercises but unless we strip away that layer of fat over top of our Abs, then nobody is going to ever get to see them and the hard work you put into your Abdominal exercises is going to improve your core strength but not your beach body.
Some other factors that can effect what kind of Six Pack Abs you have or don't have are your genetics, they do pay a big roll in all of this. Some people no matter how much they train their Abs will only see very slight improvements in the size and shape of their Ab Muscles. All of us have that one muscle group that simply refuses to grow and for some people that area can be their Abdominals. We also all store fat a little bit differently and if you are one of those people that caries their fat all in the mid section, then you will have to diet down to an extremely low body fat in order to get rid of that last bit of stubborn fat around your waist, and this only worsens as we get older.
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Excuses aside and no matter what, training your Abs is good for your core and will also help with back related problems as your Abs help support your mid section greatly so yes we all should and need to exercise them!
In my included YouTube video I talk about a lot of the same Ab related info outlined in this written article but I also show you the exercises I use to get my Ripped, Shredded Six Pack Abs: