Trying to get the 6 to show through

milali

Hi,

I have been trying for some time with stripping back to get the stomach definition.

I have a VERY strict diet (1600 cals on rest days with 20% carbs) higher on workout days.

I workout doing crossfit but have an injury from 3 weeks ago on the middle back so I have stopped HIIT training and continuing personal lower intensity stuff to isolate the back and in this time I thought I would strip hard. but I can't get that last bit to drop. its driving me nuts. I have about 3 weeks before I fly out overseas and would like see how much I can strip over that period.

I am open to supplements if they help the only ones I use now is post workout Whey.

So what will work if anything? Its been this way for years and never succeeded and I thought I might try something drastic

I have attached a low res pic in natural light for reference. Its a crap pic but its all I had available at the time of this posting.

http://imgur.com/u7gLTjT

Thanks

livingleanlivingclean

1600 cals?!?

I've never "dieted" on less than that in the past 3 years and I'm a 5ft5 woman!!! Even in comp prep for bodybuilding shows I haven't eaten less than that...

I'd suggest you aren't eating enough...but I have no idea what your macros are or what your diet was before you started trying to lean up..

It could be a matter of changing your macro breakdown around - more protein, less fat, more carbs etc...

milali

I am tiny at 64.5kg atm. 5'7" not huge in muscle but not skinny.

thus what the macro calculaters say 1600 for rest days 2100 for workout days.

and as I am perma rest atm its been that way for weeks

livingleanlivingclean

What are your macros? Or do you just eat for calories?

katherinebarcaskey

abs are a muscle too, you weigh what i do and youre a man.... you might want to try building them. lots of weighted ab exercise.

milali

What are your macros? Or do you just eat for calories?

rest days its: 1615 cals

15% starches and veg
25% protein
60% fats

workout days: 2280 cals
35% starches and vegs
25% protein
40% fats

milali

abs are a muscle too, you weigh what i do and youre a man.... you might want to try building them. lots of weighted ab exercise.

Thanks, we do a bunch with Crossfit, everything is core I can feel them under there they just don't show through

but I will add some more weighted ab stuff personally

katherinebarcaskey

i do a lot of compound lifts and tire flips, but definitely not targeted enough to get arippling six pack. not that thats what im going for.

_SABOTEUR_

It really is everything to do with bodyfat% and genetics.

How low are your daily carbs in grams?

Sometimes a carb refeed can be helpful, although I don't know a lot about it personally.

livingleanlivingclean

i do a lot of compound lifts and tire flips, but definitely not targeted enough to get arippling six pack. not that thats what im going for.

Abs is more to do with having a low enough bf%....some people's abs are more prominent than others

milali

It really is everything to do with bodyfat% and genetics.

How low are your daily carbs in grams?

Sometimes a carb refeed can be helpful, although I don't know a lot about it personally.

144g is my goal, the worst I have blown out by is 40g but still under on cals for the day. I tend to hit close to or right on the goal (or under) amounts with my macros

livingleanlivingclean

It really is everything to do with bodyfat% and genetics.

How low are your daily carbs in grams?

Sometimes a carb refeed can be helpful, although I don't know a lot about it personally.

144g is my goal, the worst I have blown out by is 40g but still under on cals for the day. I tend to hit close to or right on the goal (or under) amounts with my macros

144g isn't 15% of 1615 cals or 35% of 2280 cals?

milali

144g isn't 15% of 1615 cals or 35% of 2280 cals?

dude you are so right! I just put it into the calc. way off... I guess I shuffled trying to get the medium between the two when I first set it on here. should have just set the rest days...

Needs to be 61g on rest days.. how is that even possible?

Which leads to how does one eat 110g of good fats but avoid too much carb/protein?

chani8

It's all about body fat and then, having the muscles there. Do your ab workouts, daily, and count calories carefully. You said you eat more on workout days, but weightlifting doesn't burn a whole lot of calories. So probably, you're still too high in cals. However, I wouldn't go crazy with cutting your cals, just maybe don't eat your 'exercise cals' back. Getting 6 pks means very low body fat, and it's even harder for those who carry their fat around the middle (apple shape). So is it really that worth it, to make yourself that lean?

More important to me, is to not go too low in cals so that I don't compromise my ability to build muscle mass.

livingleanlivingclean

144g isn't 15% of 1615 cals or 35% of 2280 cals?

dude you are so right! I just put it into the calc. way off... I guess I shuffled trying to get the medium between the two when I first set it on here. should have just set the rest days...

Needs to be 61g on rest days.. how is that even possible?

Which leads to how does one eat 110g of good fats but avoid too much carb/protein?

I'd personally up the protein to 30%

But 110g of fat is easy. I eat 100g day. I add homemade mayo to breakfast (omelette - whole eggs with vegies in it and broccoli), I use it on salad as dressing for lunch. I also use coconut oil - to cook with, and I whiz it in to black coffee with gelatin. You could also choose fattier cuts of meat - thigh instead of breast for chicken, salmon, tins of fish in oil. I don't know what you eat, but adding fat is easy

milali

thanks liv!

I wouldn't have thought about mayo that much! do you have the recipe somewhere?

cmeiron

144g isn't 15% of 1615 cals or 35% of 2280 cals?

dude you are so right! I just put it into the calc. way off... I guess I shuffled trying to get the medium between the two when I first set it on here. should have just set the rest days...

Needs to be 61g on rest days.. how is that even possible?

Which leads to how does one eat 110g of good fats but avoid too much carb/protein?

Why so few carbs? I'd die. And why the cycling? For most people it's really not necessary. Maybe you should try aiming for g/body mass of macros (protein, fat) rather than %s. Like 0.8-1.2 g protein/lb and 0.35g fat/lb. To get the abs to pop you need to reduce bf. Also, the extent to which they pop is going to depend a lot on genetics and on how much you've trained them while eating at a surplus; you can't put on appreciable muscle mass while dieting. If you want bigger muscles (anywhere, not just abs), you're going to have to eat more and put on some weight - you'll gain bf temporarily but can cut again after.

livingleanlivingclean

thanks liv!

I wouldn't have thought about mayo that much! do you have the recipe somewhere?

There are plenty of recipes - look up "paleo mayo"

I use one egg, couple tbspns apple cider vinegar, mustard powder , garlic powder, paprika and a little chili, salt and about 1-1.5 cups oil (I use olive or macadamia)

minuz5

Ok, that's what I found :


1. CrossFit
A bunch of rich white people paying $250/mo. to have an uncredentialed coach instruct them to have spasms with PVC pipe and siezures on pull-up bars until they vomit. They generally do this for a period of 10-30 minutes and call it a workout. Those who partake in these group activities also have the option to pay $1000 to attend a weekend course where they have an alcoholic instruct them how to better lift their PVC pipe. Some people who do these activities may also confuse being nauseous with being elite. (urban dictionary).

Hope it will enlighten you!

SideSteel

What does your weight do at your current calorie intake?

Mia_RagazzaTosta

Ok, that's what I found :


1. CrossFit
A bunch of rich white people paying $250/mo. to have an uncredentialed coach instruct them to have spasms with PVC pipe and siezures on pull-up bars until they vomit. They generally do this for a period of 10-30 minutes and call it a workout. Those who partake in these group activities also have the option to pay $1000 to attend a weekend course where they have an alcoholic instruct them how to better lift their PVC pipe. Some people who do these activities may also confuse being nauseous with being elite. (urban dictionary).

Hope it will enlighten you!

I fail to see the relevance of this post.