How did you make your abs? In the kitchen or the gym?

Squamation

Anyone who's looked on Google about how to get flat abs has seen the line: Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. Or the line: Abs are 90% what you eat 10% what you do.

I'm just wondering from anyone on MFP who actually has defined/cut abs- how did you get yours? By eating a certain way, or exercising a certain way?


I'm very happy with my arms and my legs are almost where I'd like them to be, however my abs are not there yet and I need a little push. When I flex you can see them trying to show through the fat, but the fat layer is still too thick.

I plan on changing my eating and exercise routine (I've been doing my current plan for 9 weeks with little ab improvement) and am looking for ideas.

For those of you who care: I've been doing Les Mills Pump at home program and running 2-3 times a week for my exercise the last 9 weeks. My eating is 1300 calories, Macros 35 carbs/40 protein/35 fat. I eat like this 5-6 times a week, the other 1 or 2 days I don't log but I do not eat over portions- I'll just eat a serving of potato salad or chips instead of passing them up.

cwolfman13

What this means is that reducing your body fat in order to have visible abs is done with diet and calorie restriction. You could exercise all you want and do a gazillion sit ups every day and pump iron...but if you don't have a calorie deficit to reduce BF% your abs aren't going to show.

For a man to have really defined abs, he has to be sub 10% BF....women it's generally sub 15%. You do that with strict adherence to diet...and obviously you'd be moving some iron as well.

rybo

It's a combination of both, but ultimately boils down to what you eat. Working out can aid you in burning calories to create your deficit.

I have semi-visble abs. In my experience, I do best needing to be at a slight calorie deifcit. Too large a deficit and things go weird. I don't understand it, but that's how it works for me. I work out hard and eat a lot, trying to keep it mostly whole real foods, limiting sugars and aiming for a slight calorie deficit.

Squamation

What this means is that reducing your body fat in order to have visible abs is done with diet and calorie restriction. You could exercise all you want and do a gazillion sit ups every day and pump iron...but if you don't have a calorie deficit to reduce BF% your abs aren't going to show.

For a man to have really defined abs, he has to be sub 10% BF....women it's generally sub 15%. You do that with strict adherence to diet...and obviously you'd be moving some iron as well.

I understand what it means, I'm wondering how true it is or not.

I haven't been perfect with my diet but I've been very good with little to no results in my abs.

SonicDeathMonkey80

It's all food, and once you get the food part down and your overall BF% low enough, you can see the results from strength workouts. I noticed the v-lines came in first, then the obliques, and abs from the top down. I'm still working on the tiny belly fat area, but don't really care too much anymore. It was a fun, but pointless project for me considering my actual fitness goals.

deksgrl

You can exercise all you want, but unless you are eating at a deficit, you will not burn the fat off to see your abs.

cwolfman13

What this means is that reducing your body fat in order to have visible abs is done with diet and calorie restriction. You could exercise all you want and do a gazillion sit ups every day and pump iron...but if you don't have a calorie deficit to reduce BF% your abs aren't going to show.

For a man to have really defined abs, he has to be sub 10% BF....women it's generally sub 15%. You do that with strict adherence to diet...and obviously you'd be moving some iron as well.

I understand what it means, I'm wondering how true it is or not.

I haven't been perfect with my diet but I've been very good with little to no results in my abs.

Yeah...I just explained it...you're not going to have visible abs and get to that low of a body fat % without strict adherence to diet and nutrition...so yeah, it's pretty true. The other 10% of busting your *kitten* with some iron...you're obviously not going to have any muscles if you don't work those muscles. How is this complicated exactly?

jujunnaichi

What this means is that reducing your body fat in order to have visible abs is done with diet and calorie restriction. You could exercise all you want and do a gazillion sit ups every day and pump iron...but if you don't have a calorie deficit to reduce BF% your abs aren't going to show.

For a man to have really defined abs, he has to be sub 10% BF....women it's generally sub 15%. You do that with strict adherence to diet...and obviously you'd be moving some iron as well.

I understand what it means, I'm wondering how true it is or not.

I haven't been perfect with my diet but I've been very good with little to no results in my abs.

It is true. I have been doing 10 weeks of Body Beast but always skip the program's abs and cardio workout routines. I'm still working on getting lean but my profile picture reflects my current progress.

Squamation

Yeah...I just explained it...you're not going to have visible abs and get to that low of a body fat % without strict adherence to diet and nutrition...so yeah, it's pretty true. The other 10% of busting your *kitten* with some iron...you're obviously not going to have any muscles if you don't work those muscles. How is this complicated exactly?

OK, I'll suck it up and be on point every day vs. 5-6 days a week.

Do you think my current eating plan is good or should it be adjusted?

jwdieter

If the digestion isn't working well, abs won't look good even with low bf.

Also, abs can be made in the photoshop, and by top lighting.

Unknown

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kkclif

If the digestion isn't working well, abs won't look good even with low bf.

Also, abs can be made in the photoshop, and by top lighting.

:laugh:

Confuzzled4ever

my mom and dad made mine.....

micheleb15

I wouldn't say I have abs, but my stomach is the first place I lose. I don't eat horrible, but I don't eat like I should. My macros are always off, carbs too high, protein too low, but calories are always around 1600. For me, as long as I am losing, you can see some definition. If I stopped working out, I'd lose the definition and just be smaller.