Ab work!

[hiimnotcool]

This site actually lead me to trying to get in shape. If I were to be completely honest, it was when I saw the picture of Brad Pitt that Taug posted. Ever since then I've been wanting those abs and have actually been working hard to get them. Only eating about 1800 calories a day, and running 45 minutes 3 days a week and then lifting weights for 3 days a week as well. Then a lot of ab work outs. My main question is how long would it take to get to a really visible state? It's been 3 weeks and they are definitely visible when I flex but nothing too dramatic. I'm getting kind of discouraged.

 

[s.a.f]

This site actually lead me to trying to get in shape. If I were to be completely honest, it was when I saw the picture of Brad Pitt that Taug posted.

Great we've given another person an inferiority complex, he'll be wanting botox next. :roll:
As for your abs changing the body takes time dont expect dramatic results in weeks think months and then you'll still have to keep working to maintain them.

 

[joseph49853]

Exercising isn't enough. You can have abs of steel, but body fat is what determines how much of the abdominals are clearly viewed. The best looking abs in the world are at the expense of years of hard work, both diet and exercise. What greatly helped me was eliminating simple sugars and refined carbs, and substituting complex carbs and exercises like these...

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/cond ... 20402a.htm

 

[CCS]

The best looking abs in the world are at the expense of years of hard work, both diet and exercise.

that is because most people put on fat when they build muscle, and burn muscle when they cut (burn fat), so they can't go straight to where they want. They have to oscillate back and forth for a long time and get there if they did not have set backs.

It is possible to lose fat without losing muscle. If obese people in studies can do it, so can we. I suspect you can also build muscle without putting on fat, but only if you eat the right amounts of the right foods at the right time, and exercise the right way. If you are in decent shape (20% body fat), I think you can get a perfect body in 3-6 months, but it takes a lot of knowledge. Just eating 5 per day with weigh and going to the gym will not be enough. That route will get you there eventually, but will take a year or two.

so do what you think works for now, but do research to find the best way.

 

[CCS]

Men trying to build muscle fall into two categories:

1. They work hard and don't eat enough, and never get bigger.
2. They pig out and lift hard and get bigger, but at least half of the gains are fat.

Very few know how to build mass reasonably fast without putting on fat.

Men trying lose weight fall into two categories:

1. They think if they eat fish and rice, or do adkins, they can eat all they want, and they don't do enough exercise, so they stay the same weight.

2. They jog and starve and lose a lot of weight, like Jayman, and at least half of that weight is muscle mass. They get smaller, but they have the same percent body fat as when they started.

Very few are fast at dropping fat and not losing muscle.

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People with good diets and exercise habbits will go from being in moderate shape in high school (unlike their roided peers) to being in great shape at age 30. If you want to get there in 6 months instead of 6 years, you need a lot o knowledge about how much of what to eat when and with what kind of exercise.

If you exercise your butt off, you may get their much sooner than 6 years, or you may just overtrain or get injured.

 

[Cassin]

Abs are built in the kitchen.

 

[hiimnotcool]

Well, I'm about 6'0 and weigh around 155 pounds. So I'm already pretty lean but I couldnt tell you what my body fat was. The diet thing is what I wonder about the most. I'm in the army and not allowed to have a stove so my only cooking resourse is a microwave. So I usually eat healthy choice frozen meals or tuna sandwiches. Then for snacks some dried fruits and granola bars.

 

[CCS]

healthy choice meals are not healthy. That is just the brand name.

What kind of bread do you put your tuna on? And tuna has mercury and very little omega-3's. Mackerel is much better in both areas and is cheaper.

Do you eat every 3 hours? That is where it is at. Have a little bit o high glycemic stuff during and after workouts, and when you first wake up, and have low glycemic stuff the rest of the day.

 

[hiimnotcool]

I put the tuna on either 100% whole wheat or whole multi grain bread. And yes I do make sure that I eat once every 3 hours atleast to keep my metabolism going. Is canned Salmon a much better choice?

 

[joseph49853]

Himnotcool, if I could do one ab exercise only it would be bicycle kicks, also known as the air bike. Biomechanically there's no better exercise for building both the rectus abdominus and the obliques.

At least, having cut obliques is far less dependant on levels of body fat than the abs. You'll see a fairly nice difference relatively quickly over many ab exercises combined. Do them weighted and get even better results. Good luck.

 

[CCS]

I put the tuna on either 100% whole wheat or whole multi grain bread. And yes I do make sure that I eat once every 3 hours atleast to keep my metabolism going. Is canned Salmon a much better choice?

salmon is much better than tuna, and has more omega-3's than the mackerel. Maybe even too much omega-3's if you eat it at every meal.

 

[CCS]

Himnotcool, if I could do one ab exercise only it would be bicycle kicks, also known as the air bike. Biomechanically there's no better exercise for building both the rectus abdominus and the obliques.

At least, having cut obliques is far less dependant on levels of body fat than the abs. You'll see a fairly nice difference relatively quickly over many ab exercises combined. Do them weighted and get even better results. Good luck.

I laughed when I saw that exercise, but then I tried it and I like it.
Advice:
1. put your hands behind your head
2. put your shoulder blades almost all the way down between reps for more ROM --- no burn if you just stay in the air at the top
3. Don't start lifing your knee until you are also moving your back; do them together.

I started feeling some mild burning after less than 10 reps.
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Another good exercise is to use a towel or the head rest of an ab roller and place it under your lower back, then do half a curl up, with your knees bent 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. It targets your abs good. I try to find exercises I can only do 10 reps of, instead of doing ones I can do 100 of.
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Another one:
1. lie on your back.
2. lift your feet off the ground. Beginners can bend their knees, studs should keep their legs almost straight withing 20 degrees of the ground.
3. straighten your lower back so that it touches the ground. This really works your lower abs. I can do about 8-15 reps.
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And my favorite, find a hot woman at the gym wearing something that shows off her butt. Ask her to push your legs down while you do leg lifts. If you want to completely max out, and burn your lower abs, that is the best way to do it. You won't quit early.

 

[bubka]

everyone already has decent ab muscles, unless you are totally sedentary, it's just a matter of getting your body fat down to a level where they will show

 

[hiimnotcool]

Thank you guys for the exercise tips! I found a really good routine online that I am going to follow. I will post a picture so maybe some of you can tell me exactly how much work/time it would take to reach a good point.

 

[CCS]

everyone already has decent ab muscles, unless you are totally sedentary, it's just a matter of getting your body fat down to a level where they will show

my ribs show before my lower abs show. I need to make my lower abs bigger.

 

[bubka]

everyone already has decent ab muscles, unless you are totally sedentary, it's just a matter of getting your body fat down to a level where they will show

my ribs show before my lower abs show. I need to make my lower abs bigger.

no, you have fat around your waste, some people put their weight on in different places, you already commented no how you have such a large waste for your size... lose some more body fat, if not, you will just have larger ab muscles that still do not show through your fat

 

[CCS]

what can I cover my ribs with? I don't even know of a muscle group that goes over the lower side ribs. Lats are further back. They don't show when I stand normal, but if I put my arms over my head they all show.

 

[dietcola]

thats normal ccs, everyones ribs show to some degree when they are lean. if you can build up your core, you'll have ripped muscles all around there not making it look like just skin and bone though. i spend the most time on my core than any other muscle group.

 

[roki]

what is core?

 

[CCS]

what is core?

it is your lower torso and lower back, and abs. the stableizer muscles. Do standing curles instead of preacher curls, and squats instead of leg extensions, etc, and you will likely build or keep some core muscle.