Defined, toned abs commonly called a six-pack are an often sought-after goal in the gym. But not all toned abs look the same. Some people sport a four-pack, while others may have an eight-pack.

Lets take a look at the difference between ab types as well as the diet, exercise, and lifestyle tips that can help you achieve the strongest abs your genetics will allow.

The difference between ab types lies in the structure of your abdominal muscles.

Your abdomen contains four muscle groups. To get toned abs, youll need to do exercises that strengthen all four muscle groups. These muscle groups are:

Once toned, the rectus abdominis becomes your four-, six-, or eight-pack. It comprises two connected muscle bands that run parallel to each other, down either side of the abdomen.

The linea alba is the fibrous band that separates the rectus abdominis. It forms the line that runs down the middle of the abdomen.

The rectus abdominis also helps:

The transverse abdominis is located deep within the abdomen. It extends from the front of your abdomen to the sides of your body. It helps provide stability and strength to your entire core, back, and pelvis.

If your transverse abdominis isnt being worked, your rectus abdominis wont become defined.

The internal and external obliques help control the twisting and turning movements of your body. Along with the transverse abdominis, they provide a stabilizing girdle for your back and pelvis.

The external obliques are a large muscle group located at the sides of the rectus abdominis. The internal obliques are located just underneath, inside your hip joints. Working your obliques adds definition and tone to your abs.

Being able to achieve a 10-pack is possible for some people.

You need to be born with a rectus abdominis that contains five bands of connective tissue running horizontally across it. You also need to regularly work out these muscles and follow a healthy diet.

Of course, what you eat and how you exercise also play large roles in how your abs ultimately look.

The rectus abdominis muscle has bands of connective tissue (fascia) crossing it horizontally. These bands give the appearance of multiple packs stacked on top of each other on either side of your abdomen.

Youre born with a set number of these connective tissue bands. You cant build additional ones. Your genetics also determine their symmetry, length, and size.

A person with an eight-pack has four bands. A person with a six-pack has three bands. A person with a four-pack has two bands.

Many peoples rectus abdominis has three intersections. This means that if most people worked at it, they could achieve a six-pack.

But just because you have more or less doesnt mean youre stronger or weaker. Its just your genes.

Some of the fittest people around cant achieve six- or eight-pack abs. One of these people is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, even during his bodybuilding days, sported a four-pack.

Of course, what you eat and how you exercise also play large roles in how your abs ultimately look.

Both sexes have a genetic predetermination for the number of packs they can achieve. However, women require more body fat than men. This essential body fat is needed for:

Because of this, it may be more difficult for women to lose enough abdominal fat to define their abs while staying healthy. Having too little body fat for your body type can lead to various complications in women, like:

Men have around 61 percent more muscle mass than women due to their higher testosterone levels. Men require less body fat for optimum health, too. So, they can more readily lose enough fat to show their toned rectus abdominis muscles underneath.

While your genetics help determine how your abs look, you can still build a strong core. A strong core protects your back and spine, preventing injury.

These exercises can help strengthen your abs and build muscle mass. If you want to have visible abs, youll have to spend time toning them at least every other day and follow a healthy diet.

This highly effective exercise works your entire core, as well as your glutes and hamstrings. It also improves balance and stability.

You can also try harder modifications, like side planks and knee touches.

The dead bug works your obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis muscles. It also improves core stability and helps correct excessive anterior pelvic tilt.

If your lower back doesnt touch the floor, roll up a small towel and place it in the small of your back to stay stable during the exercise. This isnt an easier or modified version, and it wont diminish the exercises intensity. Itll protect your lower back from injury.

Looking for a challenge? Check out these dead bug variations.

This exercise focuses directly and intensely on the rectus abdominis muscle. Its excellent for balance and full-body stability. Its also effective whether its done quickly or slowly.

For many people, getting sculpted abs requires time and dedication. These tips can help you get started.

Cardio exercise has been linked to reductions in belly fat. Less belly fat will help make your abs more visible. Cardio examples include:

Try to build cardio into your day-to-day life. Walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Take a run or swim before or after work. Hate running? Here are nine cardio alternatives to try.

Aim for a minimum of 20 to 40 minutes of cardio at least four times a week.

Exercises that require you to move your body against resistance help build muscle strength, tone, and endurance.

Exercise machines and enhancements, such as weights and body bands, all provide resistance. So do many water exercises.

HIIT refers to short, one- to two-minute bursts of high-intensity cardio followed by a rest period of equal time. To be effective, each burst of cardio must be done at your very top capacity.

Because your body is working at its highest capacity, HIIT sessions burn lots of calories both during workouts and for several hours afterward.

A high-protein diet will help you build and repair muscle. Itll also help you feel fuller longer. Opt for lean protein sources, such as:

Your ability to achieve a visible pack of abs whether a four-, six-, or eight-pack is largely determined by genetics.

However, healthy lifestyle choices, like losing belly fat and exercising, can provide anyone with a fit and toned abdomen. A strong core also helps with overall strength and balance.

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What is psoriasis and how do you get it?

Psoriasis is a skin condition characterized by itchy scales, inflammation, and redness. It usually occurs on the scalp, knees, elbows, hands, and feet.

According to one study, about 7.4 million people in the United States were living with psoriasis in 2013.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. Immune cells in your blood mistakenly recognize newly produced skin cells as foreign invaders and attack them. This can cause the overproduction of new skin cells beneath the surface of your skin.

These new cells migrate to the surface and force out existing skin cells. That causes the scales, itching, and inflammation of psoriasis.

Genetics almost certainly plays a role. Read on to learn more about the role of genetics in the development of psoriasis.

Psoriasis usually appears between the ages of 15 and 35, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). However, it may occur at any age. For example, about 20,000 children under the age of 10 are diagnosed with psoriasis every year.

Psoriasis can occur in people with no family history of the disease. Having a family member with the disease increases your risk.

Scientists working on the genetic causes of psoriasis start by assuming that the condition results from a problem with the immune system. Research on psoriatic skin shows that it contains large numbers of immune cells that produce inflammatory molecules known as cytokines.

Psoriatic skin also contains gene mutations known as alleles.

Early research in the 1980s led to the belief that one specific allele might be responsible for passing on the disease through families.

Researchers later discovered that the presence of this allele, HLA-Cw6, wasnt sufficient to cause a person to develop the disease. More recent studies show that more research is still needed to better understand the relationship between HLA-Cw6 and psoriasis.

Use of more advanced techniques has led to the identification of about 25 different regions in human genetic material (the genome) that may be associated with psoriasis.

As a result, genetic studies can now give us an indication of a persons risk of developing psoriasis. The link between the genes that are associated with psoriasis and the condition itself isnt yet fully understood.

Psoriasis involves an interaction between your immune system and your skin. That means its hard to know whats the cause and whats the effect.

The new findings in genetic research have provided important insights, but we still dont clearly understand what causes a psoriasis outbreak. The precise method by which psoriasis is passed from parent to child is also not fully understood.

Most people with psoriasis have periodic outbreaks or flare-ups followed by periods of remission. About 30 percent of people with psoriasis also experience inflammation of the joints that resembles arthritis. This is called psoriatic arthritis.

Environmental factors that may trigger a psoriasis onset or flare-up include:

Injury or trauma to a portion of your skin may sometimes become the site of a psoriasis flare-up. Infection may also be a trigger. The NPF notes that infection, especially strep throat in young people, is reported as a trigger for psoriasis onset.

Some diseases are more likely in people with psoriasis than in the general population. In one study of women with psoriasis, about 10 percent of the participants had also developed an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis.

People with psoriasis have an increased incidence of:

Gene therapy isnt currently available as a treatment, but theres an expansion of research into the genetic causes of psoriasis. In one of the many promising discoveries, researchers found a rare gene mutation thats linked to psoriasis.

The gene mutation is known as CARD14. When exposed to an environmental trigger, such as an infection, this mutation produces plaque psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of the disease. This discovery helped establish the connection of the CARD14 mutation to psoriasis.

These same researchers also found the CARD14 mutation present in two large families that had many family members with plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

This is one of a number of recent discoveries that hold promise that some form of gene therapy may one day be able to help people living with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

For mild to moderate cases, dermatologists usually recommend topical treatments such as creams or ointments. These can include:

If you have a more severe case of psoriasis, your doctor may prescribe phototherapy and more advanced systemic or biologic medications, taken orally or by injection.

Researchers have established a link between psoriasis and genetics. Having a family history of the condition also increases your risk. More research is needed to fully understand the inheritance of psoriasis.

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Psoriasis: Whats the Genetic Link? - Healthline