Britney Spears Abs: They’re Real And They’re Spectacular (She Says)

Britney Spears, who kicked off a two-year run at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood on December 27, is battling back against accusations that her impressive six-pack abs are the fake product of make-up tricks.

In a photo (above) posted by Britney Spears herself (or whoever runs her Instagram account for her) on December 28, the 32-year-old former teen idol is performing in one of her trademark skimpy outfits, with a seemingly naked midriff, though in fact it is likely covered with a body stocking.

In any case, her abs appear to be distinctly cut and defined, an accomplishment that takes almost anyone months if not years of sustained exercise routines and regulated diet. The fact that as recently as 2011, as in the photo below, Britney Spears appeared on stage bearing significant body fat led fans to rip into her seemingly ripped abs, accusing her of faking the look with makeup, spray tan or some other show business trick.

To carry some amount of body fat is not the least bit unusual, especially for a mother of two, nor is there anything wrong with that. But show business — and the internet — being what it is Britney obviously felt the need to slim down.

Here’s Britney less than three years ago:

Last week, she told Shape Magazine that her newly ripped abs are in fact her own, the product of yoga routines and intense sessions with the personal workout trainer who also aided singer Janet Jackson with her own weight loss.

“I’m doing 90 minutes of yoga twice a week in addition to a lot of cardio—hour-long sessions three times a week with my trainer, Tony Martinez,” Spears told the women’s fitness magazine.

Back in September when Spears was filming the video for her song “Work Bitch” and preparing for her Vegas show, Britney: Piece of Me, Martinez described the Britney Spears workout routine to E! Online.

“It is intense, interval training to keep her heart rate up. She only has about 10 to 15 second rests between each set,” Martinez told the entertainment web site. “She is doing Olympic-style training. This is hard-core stuff. Britney knew she needed to step up her game. She is just drilling it but she likes to!”

At that time, Britney posted the below shot of herself in a skimpy bikini. Let’s face it, she looks fantastic and the results of those workout sessions with Martinez are evident.

But as great as she looks, we don’t see the signature Britney Spears six-pack abs there in September. Do you?