Abs...help please

northernbelle2

I know I know I'm sure tons of ppl have asked about abs before but iv only been using my fitness pal for about two months so I'm still getting the hang of work outs and food. Food tho I mostly have down. I get that abs are made in the kitchen but I'm having trouble getting this last couple pounds off of my stomach. The top part of my abs are getting better and iv lost weight there but my lower transverse muscles I can't seem to get rid of the fat covering that layer of muscle. I could really use some help with what ppl have tried that is affective because I look on pinterest or workout sites and there are a ton of suggestions and work out plans but it's all really overwhelming. I really just need a few good exercises that work to get me started. Besides v ups. Can't do them to save my life they hurt my lower back. Thanks in advanxe

northernbelle2

Advance **

beastier

And all about reducing body fat rather than isolated stomach exercises - whatever your cardio is change it in terms of discipline & intensity/endurance - repeating the same workouts soon loses its impact, as long as what you're doing is good quality change is the key

fitrep1

I agree somewhat with Beastier, but it sounds a little like a calorie issue. Most of the time is is due to eating too little. Your body will go into starvation mode and store as much fat as it can to sustain life function. Your goal might also lean into hypertrophy to build the type 2 muscle tissue and readjust your diet.

kathrynjean_

fitrep1 wrote: »

I agree somewhat with Beastier, but it sounds a little like a calorie issue. Most of the time is is due to eating too little. Your body will go into starvation mode and store as much fat as it can to sustain life function. Your goal might also lean into hypertrophy to build the type 2 muscle tissue and readjust your diet.

Umm, no. Just no.

It is a very slow process - and you're right, it has to do with diet. When you see people with visible abs, they all have a low BF%. That's why they are visible. So keep on doing what you're doing and be patient!

Asher_Ethan

Don't trust anything from the health and fitness side of pinterest. It's almost all garbage.
Unfortunately, there's no way to do fat spot reduction. For me, I swear I'm going to have a 6 pack before my body decided to lose any fat from my butt and thighs.

loulamb7

kathrynjean_ wrote: »

It is a very slow process - and you're right, it has to do with diet. When you see people with visible abs, they all have a low BF%. That's why they are visible. So keep on doing what you're doing and be patient!

This+1. What's your BF%? Are you doing any type of compound weight workouts? Two months is to short a time frame.

Also read the 1st post here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

fitrep1

kathrynjean_ wrote: »

fitrep1 wrote: »

I agree somewhat with Beastier, but it sounds a little like a calorie issue. Most of the time is is due to eating too little. Your body will go into starvation mode and store as much fat as it can to sustain life function. Your goal might also lean into hypertrophy to build the type 2 muscle tissue and readjust your diet.

Umm, no. Just no.

It is a very slow process - and you're right, it has to do with diet. When you see people with visible abs, they all have a low BF%. That's why they are visible. So keep on doing what you're doing and be patient!

Not sure what your disputing but I believe she is inquiring more of a how not so much why. I do agree it is a slow process, but focusing on a muscle pack that does not burn much fat will triple the time it takes to loose it. As a Trainer, I can tell you your Internal obliques, External obliques, Rectus obliques and Serratus anterior will not enter the oxidative pathway to break down the fatty acids and not produce so much lactic acid you can't stand up strait for a week. It is a scientific fact that muscle tissue is needed if you want to burn fat, plain and simple. Now, you need not train like a power lifter, but I would look into a total body routine. Also with the calorie count, Zig-Zag your calories. +2 calorie per pound of MUSCLE WEIGHT for 3days and -2 calories for 4 days. Work your +2 intake on the days you have heavier exertions.

Mouse_Potato

OP your ticker says you still have 28 pounds to go. You will probably need to lose most of that before you will have visible abs. While you do need to have some amount of muscle to show (I recommend heavy lifting with compound moves - a program like NROLFW or Stronglifts), only a relatively low bodyfat will reveal them. Mine are just now coming out at ~23%.

slideaway1

Yeah, abs are all about diet in the sense that you have to have a reasonably low body fat in order to see them. Even people who don't work out can have a six pack if their body fat is low enough. However, to maximise it a combination of core exercises and a fairly decent diet will reveal abs. When I say core exercises this does not have to be isolation work like sit ups/crunches etc. Good compound lifts (Squats/deadlifts) will work the core too. The abs should be hit just like any other muscle though if you want to help reveal them even with a little extra body fat. I do weighted incline sit ups and leg raises every now and then.

arditarose

Keep eating at a deficit. I can barely see mine and I'm in the middle of a healthy weight range. You really have to be at a pretty low body fat% to see them, and you're not going to do much in the way of building that muscle while you're in a deficit. Just keep losing fat.