Abs question

[chfan]

Attached are two pictures. The first two are pictures of what my "abs" look now. The third is one of Jesse McCartney and what I'm shooting for (at least). What's your suggestions?

 

[cutedorkwho]

Lose fat, build a little muscle for a firm flat foundation.

The main thing is losing the fat though. Eating well and plenty of cardio will make the most difference.

 

[B_Nick4444]

lose fat: (1) calories intake restriction; and, (2) lots of cardio

 

[crescendo69]

A little less of all portions that have calories and fat.
Fruit, not cake or pie.
More green and yellow vegetables.
Skim milk. No beer binging.
Water and diet drinks; no colas with sugar.

 

[chfan]

Oh no...no alcohol for me. I loathe it. And while I'll admit, I'm not fat, I'm just not happy with how I look.

I do almost all of that's been suggested, but the cardio hasn't been tricky. I haven't found anything that I feel completely comfortable with. What's your suggestions?

 

[vince]

You're not exactly fat. You look quite thin. I'd suggest a weight training routine. You'll lose some of the baby fat and gain some definition.

 

[chfan]

Thanks. Some people wouldn't take that as a compliment, but I'm someone who is very conscious about their looks and so I try and make sure that my weight is in check. Obviously this thread shows that my looks are of importance.

 

[crazeestu]

start doing crunches. remember its not about how many you do but the intesity you do them at. best way to lose body fat is to change up your diet. try cutting carbs from your diet for a few weeks and you'd be amazed at how much body fat you'll burn.

it's a hard slog but worth it in the end. good luck!

 

[3floors]

My trainer said that the best thing I could do for my abs were presses, away from the table. He said weight loss first and cardio, while strengthening the abs with exercises that make them flat and defined and the calorie restriction will expose all of your hard work. It only gets harder as you get older. Sorry.

 

[TheRob]

kind of an odd place to look for abdominal definition advice

 

[chfan]

Who knew that doing basic excerises and reducing some of those unnesscary calories would result in some pretty quick results? For the most part, I've started to eat fewer "junk" calories and reducing portions (you know, when you really like something and start gorging on it) and also reducing what I drink to basically zero calorie/diet sodas or healthy alternatives (milk, water, etc). Its starting to work.

 

[D_Leotols Toy]

Like they all said, caloric intake and cardio, then ab exercises

 

[goodwood]

everything that has been said for sure.
a good weight training workout 3-4 times a week working lower, upper body and core. squats for sure. drink lots of water. i went with the no carb/low calorie thing and ate lots of fish, a little red meat once a week and lots of veggies. for abs i did the decline bench at 45 degree angle or steeper and did elbows to opposite knee for lower ab definition. what worket for me was working out and a healthy diet.

 

[scotchirish]

also make sure you eat something about every 3 hours, usually high in protien, this keeps your metabolism up and protien takes a lot of work to break down. I recently finished the Men's Health Abs Diet book, the difference between the plan for a six-pack and an eight-pack, eating eight times a day for the extra burn, rather than six times

 

[MrMXYZPTLK]

It's very easy to get strong Abs, most men have strog and toned abs. The hard part is to get rid of that pooch of fat covering your firm and toned abs, lol.

 

[teufelH]

One thing to think about when fighting this battle is that its 70% diet and 30% exercise/workout plan. Now when I say "diet" I dont mean one of those fads that you do for a month or two then quit. Im talking about eating right. Know the different types of carbs and the importance of getting enough protein. You need to eat right so you wont add any more fat to your midsection, do cardio to get rid of the fat you already have and exercise to build more muscle so your abs can be more defined. I could go on and on about nutrition and exercise but if you want more info just go to bodybuilding.com they have lots of useful articles. Or just message me. Im always up for talkin bout health.

 

[open501s]

when I got to that size it drove me crazy. I was eating all the time. I was always hungry.

 

[D_Fletchyer Flagpole]

Not that abs are my strong point, but first you need to burn excess body fat with a proper cardio routine to define the area. Three to four sessions a week of intense jogging, running, the Stairmaster, the elliptical, jumping rope, or biking should be enough to get the process in gear. Swimming, hiking, and taking aerobics classes are beneficial as well. Nothing beats jogging or running. It is the most intense, efficient, and effective method of burning calories.

Next, you need to pay close attention to nutrition. Nutrition is important because you can reduce the amount of calories you take in, therefore greatly having an effect on the amount you have to expend through cardio. Eat five to six small, well-balanced meals spaced apart about every three to four hours. Try to keep something healthy on hand. If not, when you become real hungry, you will opt for something that isn't as good for you. When you become overly hungry, all rational thinking goes out the window. Also, this may sound a little excessive, but drink at least a gallon of clean water each day as well. It will help in nutrient absorption and digestion and will help flush toxins from the body. Bottom line, make sure you are supplying your body with well-balanced, healthy food every three to four hours.

For exercises, I suggest doing weighted crunches, cable rope crunches, weighted leg raises, using the seated ab machine and stability ball crunches.

This, all in combination, should give you a strong, well defined midsection. Good luck.

 

[B_MatureHungDad]

For you try running a lot. It is an easy way to start working out. After about a week or so of running you can gradually add in some ab work outs. Always do something different. like check online for five different ab work outs for each day. Continue to run alot and they should start taking form.

 

[B_jeepguy2]

Dude, I looked at your pics, and I think you look fine. I personally like average looking dudes. Very few guys that I have ever met have six pack abs...and the ones who did spent all their time at the gym.