ABS in one - Discuss

QuestionableCarrot
QuestionableCarrot Posts: 40 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
At the moment I am working on trying to shift fat and work on my abs for definition in the future.

If everyone who has been sucessful in this venture could give just ONE tip what would it be for working on abs??

Thanks!

QC

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    lose body fat...that is really only way to make them show ....
  • BEEUK
    BEEUK Posts: 113
    Abs are made in the kitchen.
  • SadFaerie
    SadFaerie Posts: 243 Member
    I don't do abs workouts, I find them redundant.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Make sure that you are strength training for your entire body and, as others have said, shed the fat.
  • plantboy2
    plantboy2 Posts: 224 Member
    SWrap-July3-abs-300.jpg
  • QuestionableCarrot
    QuestionableCarrot Posts: 40 Member
    LOL VERY FUNNY


    But seriously.

    Tell me what you think of this routine.

    30DS
    Running 3 times a week
    Eating Clean

    Is that enough?
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
    SWrap-July3-abs-300.jpg

    Brilliant!!!!!

    To OP - no, in my own experience, it's not enough. But then I still can't see mine so what do I know?
  • SwindonJogger
    SwindonJogger Posts: 325 Member
    you can "eat clean" and still have no abs.
    I have a defined six pack and i eat chips, ice cream and the occasional beer most days per week. But i eat a deficit of calories. That is the key for me.
  • plantboy2
    plantboy2 Posts: 224 Member
    I'm no expert, so my advice is optional:

    - Operate at a calorie deficit
    - Do a progressive full body strength training routine 3 times a week - compound exercises like squats, deads, bench, OHP and rows. Alternatively, body weight exercises like some on 30DS will be very beneficial
    - Do cardio and ab exercises if you like

    Repeat this until you have abs. Then keep doing it as long as you want to keep them.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    Depending on your genetics you may never see your abs. What is your bodyfat %/goal bodyfat %?
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Your routine doesn't really matter so long as you are eating in a deficit. Eating clean and eating at a deficit are not necessarily the same thing. Your body choose where you lose fat from when, you can't shift it with any certain exercise program. Your listed routine is pretty much only cardio. I know 30DS has weights, but they're so high rep, low weight, they're really more for endurance. It might help you retain muscle, but I'd go with something that is more a pure resistance program. If you're not into heavy lifting, get some heavy resistance bands and build a program or do a progressive bodyweight exercise program.
  • QuestionableCarrot
    QuestionableCarrot Posts: 40 Member
    Silly question but everyone keeps talking about the "deficit"

    Is the deficit eating a certain about of calories and then burning that amount of calories in a workout?
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    Silly question but everyone keeps talking about the "deficit"

    Is the deficit eating a certain about of calories and then burning that amount of calories in a workout?

    Almost. Eating at a deficit is eating under your BMR + calories burned or eating under your TDEE.
    You can easily estimate both your BMR and TDEE here: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Most people have visible abs without any extra training.. it's just about losing body fat.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    A deficit is simply consuming less calories than you burn. So, let's say your body buns 1200 calories just to live. Then burns another 400 for a sedentary lifestyle, desk job, minimal moving during the say, etc. So, your body burns about 1600 calories just living. If you eat 1600 calories, you maintain. If you eat 1800 calories, you gain. If you eat 1400 calories, you'll lose, slowly. A pound = 3500 calories, so you must "burn" 3500 calories, either though daily living or exercise to lose a pound. So, you've got your 1600 calories, then you add in a workout and burn 200 calories, you're up to 1800 calories your body has burned. To see weight loss, eat less than that, but don't drastically undereat, your body needs fuel, and undereating can, long-term, cause the metabolism to slow a bit. So, the key to abs is losing fat, which comes from eating less calories than you burn. Do cardio to get a bigger burn, and add in strength training to retain muscle while you lose fat, and, eventually, you will start to see abs, although body fat % has to be fairly low, especially for women, before really good ab definition starts to show.

    *This is a rather gross over simplification and all the numbers are random. A TDEE calculator such as the one at Fat2Fit Radio or FitnessFrog can help you determine about how much you burn regularly. Just be sure that if you use a higher intensity modifier than sedentary, that you don't double count your exercise calories.
  • nathalier71
    nathalier71 Posts: 570 Member
    SWrap-July3-abs-300.jpg

    Love this!!! OMG!!!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Depending on your genetics you may never see your abs. What is your bodyfat %/goal bodyfat %?

    that is a new one..

    so you are saying you can have 8% body fat and due to genetics, no six pack?
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    Abs are made in the kitchen.

    THIS ^^^^

    Abs won't come to you until you've lost the fat.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    Depending on your genetics you may never see your abs. What is your bodyfat %/goal bodyfat %?

    that is a new one..

    so you are saying you can have 8% body fat and due to genetics, no six pack?

    I may be wrong here, but that is my understanding. Of course you will see some ab definition, but not a perfect six pack. Again, I read that somewhere and I can not recall where, so I could be totally wrong.
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    Depending on your genetics you may never see your abs. What is your bodyfat %/goal bodyfat %?

    that is a new one..

    so you are saying you can have 8% body fat and due to genetics, no six pack?

    I may be wrong here, but that is my understanding. Of course you will see some ab definition, but not a perfect six pack. Again, I read that somewhere and I can not recall where, so I could be totally wrong.
    If you get your body fat percentage down low enough your abdominal muscles are going to become pronounced. The majority of this is accomplished by managing your diet. Contrary to what others may tell you your effort in the gym is also a factor if you want to have really defined abs but the bulk of the work for this is accomplished in the kitchen.

    Your genetics might make your abs less symmetrical or each of the muscles might be slightly different in size compared to the next guy but no amount of genetic difference is going to make having abs impossible. You just have to put in the work and maintain your diet and you will get abs. Now once you have the abs you can't really change how much they look too much because they are what they are and that is genetic but they will still exist and if you eliminate the fat you will be able to see them.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    Depending on your genetics you may never see your abs. What is your bodyfat %/goal bodyfat %?

    that is a new one..

    so you are saying you can have 8% body fat and due to genetics, no six pack?

    I may be wrong here, but that is my understanding. Of course you will see some ab definition, but not a perfect six pack. Again, I read that somewhere and I can not recall where, so I could be totally wrong.
    If you get your body fat percentage down low enough your abdominal muscles are going to become pronounced. The majority of this is accomplished by managing your diet. Contrary to what others may tell you your effort in the gym is also a factor if you want to have really defined abs but the bulk of the work for this is accomplished in the kitchen.

    Your genetics might make your abs less symmetrical or each of the muscles might be slightly different in size compared to the next guy but no amount of genetic difference is going to make having abs impossible. You just have to put in the work and maintain your diet and you will get abs. Now once you have the abs you can't really change how much they look too much because they are what they are and that is genetic but they will still exist and if you eliminate the fat you will be able to see them.

    This is what I was thinking/trying to say.
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    As my body fat percentage keeps getting lower my abs are becoming more visible which is encouraging for me because I used to have a very low body fat percentage and my abs were very defined. Back when I had my abs in the first place I remember thinking to myself how my six pack looked a little bit different from the other guys I worked out with but you know what. I was the only one to ever make that observation and when I told other people their response was "Shut up I wish I had a six pack."

    When it comes to the semantics like that I think we are our own worst critics. Everyone was looking at my six pack and thinking about how they wish they had worked on their own. I don't think anyone has ever looked at someone with a six pack and questioned why their muscles looked just a little bit different. These difference are so subtle I doubt anyone else ever notices.

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