Ladies around 5'5-5'7 - at what weight do you have abs?

Options
135

Replies

  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Options
    Weight is not bodyfat. They become visible at a specific bodyfat, not a specific weight. You're asking the wrong question by making weight a factor.
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    Options
    I've never seen my abs :D always been too fat D:< lol. some day :)
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    Options
    Obviously you have them all the time, but at what weight are they visible for you? I'm 5'6, & they weren't visible at my lowest weight of 106. Is this my genetic fate, or do I just not have enough muscle for it to show?
    Same here, I'm 5'7.5" and at my lowest weight of 108 I looked sickly thin and I still didn't have visible abs, unless you count the faint line down the middle. I'm just not a muscular person. My abs are flat and very strong, though. I think you need actual bulk on your ab muscles in order for them to pop out, and I have never been interested in bulking my abs.

    ETA: and it wasn't because I had a fat layer over my abs either. I had basically NO body fat anywhere and especially not on my midsection. You couldn't pinch a quarter-inch.
  • JennEason1
    JennEason1 Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    It doesn't matter how much you weigh, it's how much body fat you have. You can weigh 100lbs and still be flabby but with the right diet and exercise you will tone up and lose the fat and you will have some rocking abs. Don't focus on weight, focus on droping body fat.
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    Options
    It doesn't matter how much you weigh, it's how much body fat you have. You can weigh 100lbs and still be flabby but with the right diet and exercise you will tone up and lose the fat and you will have some rocking abs. Don't focus on weight, focus on droping body fat.
    If OP goes down that road, she could end up like me - 15% BF, so low that my periods stopped coming - and still no abs.
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    Options
    Hmm....I am 5'7" and when I was 130 lbs with 14% bodyfat, I couldn't see my abs. My stomach was completely flat, but my abs were not well defined. All my other muscles were ripped, but I just can't seem to get a six pack :ohwell:
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    Options
    Obviously you have them all the time, but at what weight are they visible for you? I'm 5'6, & they weren't visible at my lowest weight of 106. Is this my genetic fate, or do I just not have enough muscle for it to show?
    Same here, I'm 5'7.5" and at my lowest weight of 108 I looked sickly thin and I still didn't have visible abs, unless you count the faint line down the middle. I'm just not a muscular person. My abs are flat and very strong, though. I think you need actual bulk on your ab muscles in order for them to pop out, and I have never been interested in bulking my abs.

    ETA: and it wasn't because I had a fat layer over my abs either. I had basically NO body fat anywhere and especially not on my midsection. You couldn't pinch a quarter-inch.

    I feel your pain! I knew women with way more body fat (overweight %) than me and more "defined" abs. My stomach was flatter than there's but no outline of the muscle.
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    Options
    Obviously you have them all the time, but at what weight are they visible for you? I'm 5'6, & they weren't visible at my lowest weight of 106. Is this my genetic fate, or do I just not have enough muscle for it to show?
    Same here, I'm 5'7.5" and at my lowest weight of 108 I looked sickly thin and I still didn't have visible abs, unless you count the faint line down the middle. I'm just not a muscular person. My abs are flat and very strong, though. I think you need actual bulk on your ab muscles in order for them to pop out, and I have never been interested in bulking my abs.

    ETA: and it wasn't because I had a fat layer over my abs either. I had basically NO body fat anywhere and especially not on my midsection. You couldn't pinch a quarter-inch.

    I feel your pain! I knew women with way more body fat (overweight %) than me and more "defined" abs. My stomach was flatter than there's but no outline of the muscle.
    It's not so bad, hey, it's fine by me. I say what matters most is to have a flat and tight abdomen, regardless of whether a couple of rows of square shapes are visible on it, lol. You probably looked fantastic.
  • Kestrelwings
    Kestrelwings Posts: 238 Member
    Options
    It is a mixture of all the things people have mentioned. Genetics dictates how easily you bulk up muscle and where you tend to store your fat (you cannot 'spot reduce' fat, your body is too smart to fall for that one), weight/fat % dictates how much overall 'covering' you have (and weight is of course linked to diet), and exercise dictates how toned and pumped your abs are.

    But do not confuse 'having a six pack' with having strong abs, any more than bigger muscles automatically means you are stronger. I do not have a six pack or anything remotely like it, and at 5"6' and about 53kg I am one of the smaller women at my gym. However I fly through abs classes and core work when people with six packs (including blokes) have to stop. I don't think all the crunches in the world would ever give me a good defined set of abs (sob). However I take comfort in the fact that if my life ever depends on how long I can hold a plank, I will be fine... On the other hand, I have zilch shoulder strength compared to a lot of others at the gym. That's just the way it goes I guess?
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Options
    Weight is a factor but not what makes or breaks the point of showing off abs. 1) Abs are created in the gym. You have to do a lot of abs exercises. I'm talking like 200-300 reps (about 4 sets of 25 reps of 2 or 3 abs exercises). Some of my favorite are captain's chair, reverse crunch, leg lifts, ball crunches, etc. 2) Abs are revealed in the kitchen. No matter how hard you workout or how little you weigh, in order to reveal those abs you have to eat clean and know how to "tighten" your look. A friend and I compete in body competitions. I just started and I am currently trying to lose more weight for my next competition. If you look up/ Google "a figure competition diet and workout plan", that will be step one to getting you on your way. I have some abs showing and I am 5'4" and sitting at 125lbs. My upper abs are currently what show, my lower abs are a work in progress (that will take me losing a little more weight and tightening my diet). Diet Diet Diet are everything when revealign abs. If I drink a glass of wine, I can see the "softness" coming back and my muscles don't look as "hard". Just always remember, muscle weighs more than fat and you can't always rely on the scale. Its helps, but doesn't always work. Another thing is go to your local gym and ask for a body fat % measurement. Average woman is at 21-25% body fat. Body competitiors are around 15% at show time. Anyhow, hope that helps!


    I disagree with basically everything here. ^^^^^

    There is no need to was time doing 2-300 reps. Compound lifts take care of working the core.

    Yep....
  • stacksue
    stacksue Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    I th
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    Options
    ...
  • michybeans
    michybeans Posts: 106
    Options
    I eat 4000kcal a day lol. I work with a dietitian, but people on this website tend to completely ignore the importance of genetics in everything. Just as some people are naturally tall while some are short, and some have blonde hair while others have dark hair, some people are fat and some people are thin. It's really not a negative thing, you just have to accept your natural body type.

    Damn girl, I'm okay with genetic modification... if we could put those genes of yours in me so I could eat like that.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    Options
    I'm just under 5ft. 5, today my second favorite pair of pants ( down two sizes now) can be slid out of without unsnapping or unzipping them, I can feel my ribs and see the edges of my rib cage ... I can't see abs at all, nor do I want to.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    Options
    You might want to check out Oxygen Magazines, which is a weight training focused magazine for women. They typically feature at least one figure competitor, give her diet, body fat percentage and training regimen.

    Women carry what my doc calls "essential reproductive fat." When I was 14% bodyfat, I had great abs, but I had to get my bodyfat up to have a child.
  • jadebuilding
    jadebuilding Posts: 90 Member
    Options
    It doesn't matter how much you weigh, it's how much body fat you have. You can weigh 100lbs and still be flabby but with the right diet and exercise you will tone up and lose the fat and you will have some rocking abs. Don't focus on weight, focus on droping body fat.
    If OP goes down that road, she could end up like me - 15% BF, so low that my periods stopped coming - and still no abs.

    Yes, that's kind of what worries me! I don't want less bodyfat, necessarily. The way I am now, my ribs stick out like a xylophone, & my chest is only a 32c (being a bit generous). I don't have hips & probably never will. I've only recently regained my period (having gained about 5 lbs since my lowest weight).

    I'd like to have curves, not look like a little boy. I just want to look like a woman who's fit & strong & healthy. :)
  • VelvetMorning
    VelvetMorning Posts: 398 Member
    Options
    I eat 4000kcal a day lol. I work with a dietitian, but people on this website tend to completely ignore the importance of genetics in everything. Just as some people are naturally tall while some are short, and some have blonde hair while others have dark hair, some people are fat and some people are thin. It's really not a negative thing, you just have to accept your natural body type.

    Damn girl, I'm okay with genetic modification... if we could put those genes of yours in me so I could eat like that.

    Ditto! Went to school with a girl like this ~ tiny little thing would eat everything in sight and she is still much smaller than I think I'll ever be. Damn her. :P
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    Options
    It doesn't matter how much you weigh, it's how much body fat you have. You can weigh 100lbs and still be flabby but with the right diet and exercise you will tone up and lose the fat and you will have some rocking abs. Don't focus on weight, focus on droping body fat.
    If OP goes down that road, she could end up like me - 15% BF, so low that my periods stopped coming - and still no abs.

    Yes, that's kind of what worries me! I don't want less bodyfat, necessarily. The way I am now, my ribs stick out like a xylophone, & my chest is only a 32c (being a bit generous). I don't have hips & probably never will. I've only recently regained my period (having gained about 5 lbs since my lowest weight).

    I'd like to have curves, not look like a little boy. I just want to look like a woman who's fit & strong & healthy. :)
    Honeybunches, your hips are shaped like they're shaped. Just like my damn hips are square as hell and there's nothing I can do about that except maybe put some weird silicone implants on the sides of them to make them look rounder.

    We are what we are. All we can do is make ourselves look the best we possibly can in light of our genetics.

    If you can see all your ribs and your periods stopped until recently, you are way too thin in the opinion of almost all doctors and almost all potential partners... and almost all people.

    Besides, hips are not that important. You can wear padded underwear if your hips make you feel that uncomfortable. I don't think you'd need to anyway. Most fashion models have a surprisingly high waist-to-hip ratio... their comp cards lie and Photoshop takes care of the rest. Ask me how I know: I worked in that industry.
  • TitaniaEcks
    TitaniaEcks Posts: 351 Member
    Options
    But I'll tell you what: my hated square hips don't prevent the most desirable potential partners from hitting on me, and your small hips will most CERTAINLY not deter the most desirable potential partners from going for you.

    No one cares about that crap except 0.5% of the population.

    And if you want to be some particular shape, there's always the weights at the gym! You can pump up whatever muscles you want and create whatever shape you desire.
  • brittfaithm
    brittfaithm Posts: 1
    Options
    I'm 6"6.5 and 128 pound. i have pretty good definition on my upper abbs but I still have fat I need to loose on it. I had awesome lower and upper abbs when I was 117 pounds about 3 months ago but I got diagnosted with type 1 diabetes and I started gaining weight after I started taking insulin but I want to try to get them back! Lol

Categories