This mummy wants a six pack by summer!!?

Nikki_Cherry
Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
edited February 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Is this an achievable goal??!
I'm 27, 165cm and 55kgs. I just started going to the gym again in the last month, after 2 years off. Im doing Hiit cardio and weight training 4 times a week. Oh, and ive also had two babies....both under 2!
I feel like my abs are already getting alot stronger but my skin is still kinda loose from two pregnancies a year apart.
I'd love to hear from some other fit mamas if you have any tips or suggestions

Nikki x
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Replies

  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    A small calorie deficit is going to be your best friend. There's a thread here called, "so you want a nice stomach," it is so interesting and informative.
    I'm also a mom of 2.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    I agree about the small deficit. I also do HIIT 1-2x/wk & lift heavy 4x/wk. Deficit+protein+lifting = fat loss which is what you need to reveal abs. I'm still working on mine. I have a little loose skin and I'm not sure if that will tighten up or is a lost cause. I'm older than you, though.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks ladies :) I have some fancy scales that do body fat % and mine is 21. It also told me to maintain I need around 1800 calories so I'm aiming for 1500 a day. With lots of protein and clean carbs.
    When you say lift heavy, do you mind sharing your routine? I'm kind of limited as my gym is more geared towards fitness and lacks free weights and a squat machine :(
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    Can I just say that you both look amazing by the way!!
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Strong lifts
    Strong curves
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2016
    It won't happen by summer, but it will happen. Lowering your body fat% is what will reveal abs and this small deficit will not build much muscle under there what you are essentially doing is a recomp where this will take a really longer time hence why I said not by summer.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    So what kind of bf % should I be aiming for??
  • gdyment
    gdyment Posts: 299 Member
    So what kind of bf % should I be aiming for??

    17.2 on your scale.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    gdyment wrote: »
    So what kind of bf % should I be aiming for??

    17.2 on your scale.

    That sounds do-able :)
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    I wouldn't trust scales for body fat. They are the least accurate way to measure. My scale told me I was at 20% & a Bodpod assessment told me 23%. They also have accuracy issues. I don't know what my % is:maybe around 19-20% now. I only have a 4 pack if I flex hard (I was in my profile pic). Probably won't happen by Summer but you can get the fat down a fair amount. Genetics count a lot as far as when you can see your abs along with lower fat %. is when they show for some women. Fitness photos are misleading. It's damn hard to cut enough to see abs and usually that's only when posing.

    Lifting heavy is what is heavy for you. I lift 4 days a week, upper lower split for power & Hypertrophy, free weights. I'm not lifting super heavy because deficit eating makes strength gains more difficult. My deadlift is at 155lbs, squat at 115lbs, bench & rows at 80lbs for example. I just started PHUL & deloaded, working my way back up. Your deficit looks fine. Just keep at it. Consistency is key.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    It's impossible to know what to aim for on a body fat scale. Mine says 31%, but I have visible abs.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Mine says 30% but it really can't be true (my profile pic doesn't look like 30% to me)
  • gdyment
    gdyment Posts: 299 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    It's impossible to know what to aim for on a body fat scale. Mine says 31%, but I have visible abs.

    If your scale has an "athletic" mode that will fix the problem. Mine shows something like 20+ on normal, 9 on athletic.

    Accuracy is suspect on everything - even dexa scans - but if you're using the same device the number SHOULD go down assuming the thing isn't actually broken. Yes you can't do absolute comparisons with other people on the forums but so what?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    gdyment wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    It's impossible to know what to aim for on a body fat scale. Mine says 31%, but I have visible abs.

    If your scale has an "athletic" mode that will fix the problem. Mine shows something like 20+ on normal, 9 on athletic.

    Accuracy is suspect on everything - even dexa scans - but if you're using the same device the number SHOULD go down assuming the thing isn't actually broken. Yes you can't do absolute comparisons with other people on the forums but so what?

    Athletic mode still reads 31% for me. It doesn't fluctuate much and essentially only tells me hydration levels.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    gdyment wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    It's impossible to know what to aim for on a body fat scale. Mine says 31%, but I have visible abs.

    If your scale has an "athletic" mode that will fix the problem. Mine shows something like 20+ on normal, 9 on athletic.

    Accuracy is suspect on everything - even dexa scans - but if you're using the same device the number SHOULD go down assuming the thing isn't actually broken. Yes you can't do absolute comparisons with other people on the forums but so what?

    Athletic mode still reads 31% for me. It doesn't fluctuate much and essentially only tells me hydration levels.

    I'm glad I'm not the only "skinny fat" (joking!) according to dumb body fat scale lifter here ;)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    gdyment wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    It's impossible to know what to aim for on a body fat scale. Mine says 31%, but I have visible abs.

    If your scale has an "athletic" mode that will fix the problem. Mine shows something like 20+ on normal, 9 on athletic.

    Accuracy is suspect on everything - even dexa scans - but if you're using the same device the number SHOULD go down assuming the thing isn't actually broken. Yes you can't do absolute comparisons with other people on the forums but so what?

    Athletic mode still reads 31% for me. It doesn't fluctuate much and essentially only tells me hydration levels.

    I'm glad I'm not the only "skinny fat" (joking!) according to dumb body fat scale lifter here ;)

    The lowest they have ever shown for me was 21% and it was the day before my bodybuilding competition. I was dehydrated on purpose that day. I will sometimes see 24% if I had an active day and didn't hydrate at all.
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    My partner is training for his first bodybuilding comp in May. He tried my scales and it read 31% and a lower muscle mass than me!!!
  • Nikki_Cherry
    Nikki_Cherry Posts: 31 Member
    I actually (stupidly) through I looked pretty OK in my photo....but I have such a long way to go to get where I want to be
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    You look fine!
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    edited February 2016
    You look great! You may be quite close to being cut. It's so hard to tell what will happen when genetics, etc, dictate a lot.

    If it helps any, I can get a 2-pack and lots of oblique definition quickly from where you are with just weight training, no weight loss. But that has to do with such body-specific things that I don't know if it helps at all, lol.

    I've never wanted to get my bodyfat way down, so I don't know when I'd see a 6-pack :grin: The only time I was ever that thin (a medical problem), I certainly had too little muscle and it wasn't very pretty!
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    OP, you look great! Especially since you have two kids under 2! It took me 3 years to lose my post pregnancy fat. I just didn't have the energy, mental or physical to work on it. You are doing great.