Abs?

[sleepiboi]

Since this is an Appearance issue for me, I thought this would go in here

I use to be very shy and modest about sex and relationships, but latley, I've gone through a transformation from being shy to less shy , but I am doing more independent things like shaving my chest, pubs, trimming leg hairs, and other things. One thing I do want tho more then anything right now are abs, the ones that look like you can eat off of em .

I'm not lazy at all. I workout and such, but I just have never seemed to get abs. I'm 5'6''-5'7'', 165 lbs, I lift alot of weight for my size. I want abs because I feel as tho they'd make me feel alot beter with myself and would give me more confidence which I really need.

Does anybody have any advice on what I should do to get them? Go on a Diet? a certain workout you can sugest?

 

[baseball99]

Since this is an Appearance issue for me, I thought this would go in here

I use to be very shy and modest about sex and relationships, but latley, I've gone through a transformation from being shy to less shy , but I am doing more independent things like shaving my chest, pubs, trimming leg hairs, and other things. One thing I do want tho more then anything right now are abs, the ones that look like you can eat off of em .

I'm not lazy at all. I workout and such, but I just have never seemed to get abs. I'm 5'6''-5'7'', 165 lbs, I lift alot of weight for my size. I want abs because I feel as tho they'd make me feel alot beter with myself and would give me more confidence which I really need.

Does anybody have any advice on what I should do to get them? Go on a Diet? a certain workout you can sugest?

This is usually the hardest part to getting an "awesome" body. Now, before anything else, im sure you've heard it before "abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym". This is true to an extent but not completely. Abs are also genetic and are influenced by the amount of tendons you have running across to make the 6 pack appearance.

Basically your abs will start showing when you drop below 15% body fat and should be 6 packish around 10% body fat. There are no specific exercises that will target you to lose abdominal fat, so it really is diet modification.

Crunches and ab exercises are good bc the abdominalis is a muscle (obviously) and will hypertrophy when worked out which can further help to define your abs.

Your goal seems to be to drop fat which is covering your abs. Diet and cardio workouts are a good start. I dont mean diet as in trying to lose 20 pounds, but to eat better and drop fat but not necessarily weight.....maintain weight by increasing muscle. Swimming is an excellent workout for your abs if you swim correctly because it puts a lot of resistance on your abs

on a side note, with diet I have been able to maintain my 6 pack despite med school and long long hours after

 

[rebelmen]

Since this is an Appearance issue for me, I thought this would go in here

I use to be very shy and modest about sex and relationships, but latley, I've gone through a transformation from being shy to less shy , but I am doing more independent things like shaving my chest, pubs, trimming leg hairs, and other things. One thing I do want tho more then anything right now are abs, the ones that look like you can eat off of em .

I'm not lazy at all. I workout and such, but I just have never seemed to get abs. I'm 5'6''-5'7'', 165 lbs, I lift alot of weight for my size. I want abs because I feel as tho they'd make me feel alot beter with myself and would give me more confidence which I really need.

Does anybody have any advice on what I should do to get them? Go on a Diet? a certain workout you can sugest?

I was in the same situation. I had the same diet and exercise routine as friends with 6 pack abs, except my abs were pretty flabby (especially the lower ones). I went on a fat burning diet and exercise plan about 3 weeks ago and have seen an amazing difference already. My abs are looking cut.

My diet: I cut out bread, pasta, and potatoes completely. I eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. I eat mostly proteins (lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, dairy, protein shakes/bars) and veggies, with some fruit. I eat high protein hot cereal in the morning on days that I do cardio. I drink 10-12 cups of water per day.

My Exercise routine: I work out everyday, alternating between weight training and cardio each day. For weight training days I do an inclined weighted ab workout, biceps, triceps, and chest with freeweights. For cardio days I run. I run a lot but speed is not important really, its the duration - a 60 minute walk is better than a 15 minute sprint because you begin to burn fat after 25 minutes of cardio. Also in the morning on cardio days I do some ab stretches, nothing too intense, just to give them a good stretching.

Hope you see a difference soon, I know I did.

 

[D_Herin_Ghan]

I was in the same situation. I had the same diet and exercise routine as friends with 6 pack abs, except my abs were pretty flabby (especially the lower ones). I went on a fat burning diet and exercise plan about 3 weeks ago and have seen an amazing difference already. My abs are looking cut.

My diet: I cut out bread, pasta, and potatoes completely. I eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. I eat mostly proteins (lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, dairy, protein shakes/bars) and veggies, with some fruit. I eat high protein hot cereal in the morning on days that I do cardio. I drink 10-12 cups of water per day.

My Exercise routine: I work out everyday, alternating between weight training and cardio each day. For weight training days I do an inclined weighted ab workout, biceps, triceps, and chest with freeweights. For cardio days I run. I run a lot but speed is not important really, its the duration - a 60 minute walk is better than a 15 minute sprint because you begin to burn fat after 25 minutes of cardio. Also in the morning on cardio days I do some ab stretches, nothing too intense, just to give them a good stretching.

Hope you see a difference soon, I know I did.

Not to be nitpicky, but I have to correct something you said. Fat burning begins when you reach your target heart rate, and maintain it. For some, that takes 25 minutes, but if you have a more intense period, it can occur much quicker.

For instance, I as an 18 year old male, typically want to have my target heart rate be about 150 for a high intensity, fat burning workout. I take N.O. Xplode before each workout, which already increases your heart rate. I then hit the bike, and start pedaling away with fairly high resistance. I can reach my target heart rate normally within 7 minutes. I bike for a total of 25 minutes, then move on to the abdominals after that.

Diet is very important. Eat lean proteins, cut out the greasy stuff. Have smaller meals more frequently to keep your metabolism up.

Most importantly, sleep. You need that period to repair muscle tissue, which is where you gain your definition from.

 

[Wrat]

Interval training is very effective for burning fat.

Interval Training

 

[baseball99]

Not to be nitpicky, but I have to correct something you said. Fat burning begins when you reach your target heart rate, and maintain it. For some, that takes 25 minutes, but if you have a more intense period, it can occur much quicker.

For instance, I as an 18 year old male, typically want to have my target heart rate be about 150 for a high intensity, fat burning workout. I take N.O. Xplode before each workout, which already increases your heart rate. I then hit the bike, and start pedaling away with fairly high resistance. I can reach my target heart rate normally within 7 minutes. I bike for a total of 25 minutes, then move on to the abdominals after that.

Diet is very important. Eat lean proteins, cut out the greasy stuff. Have smaller meals more frequently to keep your metabolism up.

Most importantly, sleep. You need that period to repair muscle tissue, which is where you gain your definition from.

ech.....you sure you need that? I'm just very weary of most supplements and side effect profiles are not even available for most of them. I'm against it bc unknown arrythmias (abnormal heart beats) are not rare and many people may not know they have them bc they produce no symptoms whatsoever, until the heart is stressed in such a way the arrythmia becomes apparent. Sorry for the lecture, sports cardiology is of major interest to me

 

[LOONY8]

well sit-ups is the best way. however you need to do them often and alot to get the results you want.

 

[monsternmypant]

Good thought! I've been fortunate to stay trim through high school and college and to engage in enough activity to develop visible, well-defined abs. Still, if I wanted some other physical feature from working out, I wouldn't piss my money away on supplements, either. Jacking up your body on any stimulant repeatedly is never a good thing, and blowing money on micronutrients and legalized speed is just crazy when one's diet can easily provide what is really necessary.

My older partner is just over 30 and still looking cut, despite long days at his desk, thanks to making time for non-sexual cardio each day and working with me and our other partner on keeping the kitchen stocked with good fruits and high-protein, low-fat foods virtually free of simple carbs. The younger one does all sorts of military PT, and I cycle or blade 100-150 miles a week. We work in the kitchen together most Sundays to make breakfast and lunch for all of us for the week -- stuff that makes others envious like grilled salmon and yogurt cheese scrambled eggs or fajitas with whole-grain tortillas that we can freeze to use later in the week, as needed.

Now, to see how much weight they gain over this weekend while with their moms, while I'm left at home to entertain my family who live nearby.

Darren

ech.....you sure you need that? I'm just very weary of most supplements and side effect profiles are not even available for most of them. I'm against it bc unknown arrythmias (abnormal heart beats) are not rare and many people may not know they have them bc they produce no symptoms whatsoever, until the heart is stressed in such a way the arrythmia becomes apparent. Sorry for the lecture, sports cardiology is of major interest to me

 

[D_Smeg Suckface]

try the ab lounge or a similar machine..hopefully after enough reps every so often, u'll see more definition.

 

[baseball99]

well sit-ups is the best way. however you need to do them often and alot to get the results you want.

you can not target abs directly. You can do 10000000 sit ups a day but if you dont drop fat by diet and cardio exercise they will never show

once youre between 10-15% you can hypertrophy your abs with weights and crunches but in men the abdomen is where we collect fat

 

[Chrysalis]

You may already have good abs, but they are not visible yet because your body fat is too high. Rather than expend tremendous time and energy doing abdominal exercises:

1) Maintain a moderate abdominal workout routine
2) Take a look at your abdomen. Are you storing fat there? If so, no amount of crunches will make your abs "look" better until you reduce the fat. Imagine -- you might already have an 8-pack under there, just waiting to be uncovered.
3) If you need to lose, fat, then do it. I've learned that it's not rocket science. Expend more energy than you consume. Move around more, and quit overeating.

Just my 2 cents -- I've seen a lot of guys (and girls) spending way too much time on crunches that would be better spent on fat-burning activities.

 

[long_man655]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the best (or at least most fun) ab workout of them all!

SEX

Works your abs and great cardio!

J

 

[kalipygian]

The nautilus ab machine I use where work out I think is very well designed, you can work them much more effectively than without a machine. Just doing crunches, you get to where you are doing thousands.

Some people think excersizing a particular area burns fat locally, it doesn't. You have to do it generally.

 

[D_Odipherous Pitts]

You can do all the ab exercises you want until you're blue in the face (which you may likely get anyway...) and you won't produce a visible six pack until you improve your diet. It takes will power and determination. If it was easy everyone would be walking around buff!

When I am training for a show I incorporate a strict diet of 6-8 small meals per day and utilize a short but very effective cardio routine.

My cardio consists of 20 minutes of interval training first thing in the morning when I wake up. I go one minute at a moderate pace and then one minute of balls to the wall pace. This is done with very little resistance on my eliptical machine. I'm not trying, nor do I want it to be a leg workout, so I keep the resistance low.

This helps speed up my metabolism. When I hit a plateau in my fat loss I start to increase the cardio sessions but at no time do I go more than 30 minutes. As show time approaches I may throw in a short evening session but try to stay away from too much cardio because of the potential for also losing muscle mass in the process.

Abs can also tend to be very genetic. I don't have to work them much at all to have defined abs. Lucky for me, because it's just another thing I'd have to do.

nuff said...