How to get abs for dummies

arwacky

Lol. Interesting where this thread has gone.

I plan on continuing my HIIT and adding on more strength training/planks. But out of curiousity if I were to start jogging more would that negatively effect my goal of abs? I need to build up to 5 miles jogging and I think I might start running every other day or so.

Only cause no one responded.

I need to do more running because my friends are forcing me to do a tough mudder in October. Will this ruin my ab goal?

Fithealthyforlife

Lol. Interesting where this thread has gone.

I plan on continuing my HIIT and adding on more strength training/planks. But out of curiousity if I were to start jogging more would that negatively effect my goal of abs? I need to build up to 5 miles jogging and I think I might start running every other day or so.

Only cause no one responded.

I need to do more running because my friends are forcing me to do a tough mudder in October. Will this ruin my ab goal?

Good question. A lot of people here seem to go by what Lyle McDonald of bodyrecomposition says. He's an endurance athlete, but for some reason he has also written material about building muscle and strength. So a lot of the answers you'll get on MFP are biased by his website (which to be fair does have some great info based on studies).

What you really need are people who do both running AND lifting to weigh in on this topic. I'm no longer a runner, so I can't help much in that respect.

Greenrun99

drop your body fat.

Fithealthyforlife

drop your body fat.

Abs aren't all about dropping fat. I've always been in the 6-8% bodyfat range, but have had tiny abs. If you want them you have to build them too.

ndj1979

drop your body fat.

Abs aren't all about dropping fat. I've always been in the 6-8% bodyfat range, but have had tiny abs. If you want them you have to build them too.

I agree...but don't you think it would be best to cut down to sub 12% body fat and then layer some muscle on that ...??/ Just curious...

JoRocka

Nevermind that, over the decades, bodybuilders have gotten into contest shape with (often endless amounts of) cardio, runners, cyclists and swimmers are extremely lean, etc. Somehow, aerobic training has gotten a bad rap.

it just helps create a larger deficit. that's all.

Fithealthyforlife

drop your body fat.

Abs aren't all about dropping fat. I've always been in the 6-8% bodyfat range, but have had tiny abs. If you want them you have to build them too.

I agree...but don't you think it would be best to cut down to sub 12% body fat and then layer some muscle on that ...??/ Just curious...

For a woman (like OP)? I don't see the need to go that low. No one should force fat loss...we get to the elite levels over time. SLow and steady wins the race.

Speaking of which...she also wants to know if running moderate distances every other day or so will hurt her goal of improving her abs. I can't answer that, since I'm no longer a runner, and I never ran for distance even when I was. We need people who are both runners and lifters to weigh in...

ndj1979

drop your body fat.

Abs aren't all about dropping fat. I've always been in the 6-8% bodyfat range, but have had tiny abs. If you want them you have to build them too.

I agree...but don't you think it would be best to cut down to sub 12% body fat and then layer some muscle on that ...??/ Just curious...

For a woman (like OP)? I don't see the need to go that low. No one should force fat loss...we get to the elite levels over time.

Btw, she also wants to know if running moderate distances every other day or so will hurt her goal of improving her abs. I can't answer that, since I'm no longer a runner, and I never ran for distance even when I was. We need people who are both runners and lifters to weigh in...

sorry, I was just referring to sub 12% as a generality ....should have clarified...

Fithealthyforlife

drop your body fat.

Abs aren't all about dropping fat. I've always been in the 6-8% bodyfat range, but have had tiny abs. If you want them you have to build them too.

I agree...but don't you think it would be best to cut down to sub 12% body fat and then layer some muscle on that ...??/ Just curious...

For a woman (like OP)? I don't see the need to go that low. No one should force fat loss...we get to the elite levels over time.

Btw, she also wants to know if running moderate distances every other day or so will hurt her goal of improving her abs. I can't answer that, since I'm no longer a runner, and I never ran for distance even when I was. We need people who are both runners and lifters to weigh in...

sorry, I was just referring to sub 12% as a generality ....should have clarified...

Apology accepted. And point taken. Thank you!

jwdieter

Running won't hurt abs. Compound lifts without isolation support will not result in particularly strong abs, but probably enough for aesthetic development.

steve1686

Cardio isn't necessary for everyone, I haven't done any at all over the last year+. Compound lifts are always good but don't neglect direct ab training if you aren't getting the results from the other lifts alone. Train them like any other muscle. Diet is the most important factor by far. if you have a layer of fat covering them, it doesn't matter if you have the best abs in the world

arwacky

drop your body fat.

Abs aren't all about dropping fat. I've always been in the 6-8% bodyfat range, but have had tiny abs. If you want them you have to build them too.

I agree...but don't you think it would be best to cut down to sub 12% body fat and then layer some muscle on that ...??/ Just curious...

For a woman (like OP)? I don't see the need to go that low. No one should force fat loss...we get to the elite levels over time. SLow and steady wins the race.

Speaking of which...she also wants to know if running moderate distances every other day or so will hurt her goal of improving her abs. I can't answer that, since I'm no longer a runner, and I never ran for distance even when I was. We need people who are both runners and lifters to weigh in...

Thank you for keeping this on track :flowerforyou:

Mrsallypants

Cardio isn't necessary for everyone, I haven't done any at all over the last year+. Compound lifts are always good but don't neglect direct ab training if you aren't getting the results from the other lifts alone. Train them like any other muscle. Diet is the most important factor by far. if you have a layer of fat covering them, it doesn't matter if you have the best abs in the world

Did heavy compounds for months with direct ab work, one day did ab roller with reverse crunches thinking it would be easy. Barely able to do a few reps, and abs so sore the next few days couldn't get up from lying down.

In theory, would you even need compounds lifts to get abs, why not just do direct ab work to preserve and build the ab muscles? Eat enough protein to preserve the ab muscles, and don't go overboard on your calorie deficit so you don't destroy the ab muscles like people with eating disorders who have very low bf percentages, but also destroyed their muscles.

Mrsallypants

Nevermind that, over the decades, bodybuilders have gotten into contest shape with (often endless amounts of) cardio, runners, cyclists and swimmers are extremely lean, etc. Somehow, aerobic training has gotten a bad rap.

it just helps create a larger deficit. that's all.

It's a good article on cardio. Lyle also recommends cardio in his book "The Stubborn Fat Solution" to burn off stores of stubborn fat.

Perhaps there is a study floating around where a few groups of people both create the same calorie deficits, but one group does it with cardio (HIIT and steady state group), another with weight training, and the last does it with food restriction. Then measure the bf percentage with DEXA. I don't know how much fat is burned with food restriction compared to burning it off with cardio.

Fithealthyforlife

Ab roller/wheel...yes.

An MFP friend suggested that to me when I posted a question very similar to the one in this thread, a few months ago. I still haven't looked into it...it looks like it might be cool, but it would probably scuff up the floor so would be a no-go at home without a carpet/pad...but is definitely something to look into.

arwacky

I tried it once at my school gym. Omg!!! So difficult. I'll see if my gym has it and incorporate it into my routine. How many times a week should I aim to do it?

nyla2120

Blahhhh don't tell me more about deadlifts for at least 3 weeks. Hahahaha.

I'll do more planks then

?

I only started learning the correct way to do deadlifts today and I felt sooooo awkward lol. That is all. Do you know how I can get abs??

You have to lower your overall body fat as well. When it gets low enough they will show on their own.

usmcmp

Cardio isn't necessary for everyone, I haven't done any at all over the last year+. Compound lifts are always good but don't neglect direct ab training if you aren't getting the results from the other lifts alone. Train them like any other muscle. Diet is the most important factor by far. if you have a layer of fat covering them, it doesn't matter if you have the best abs in the world

Did heavy compounds for months with direct ab work, one day did ab roller with reverse crunches thinking it would be easy. Barely able to do a few reps, and abs so sore the next few days couldn't get up from lying down.

In theory, would you even need compounds lifts to get abs, why not just do direct ab work to preserve and build the ab muscles? Eat enough protein to preserve the ab muscles, and don't go overboard on your calorie deficit so you don't destroy the ab muscles like people with eating disorders who have very low bf percentages, but also destroyed their muscles.

Because the compound lifts are going to preserve the lean mass of all your body which means higher metabolism. I do zero direct ab work and almost no cardio, yet I have abs. The compounds require greater core stabilization than abdominal isolation. Your core is also responsible for power transfer. People think a strong core means strong abs, but your core is your back, diaphragm, pelvic floor and many other muscles.

By training abdominal muscles alone (no compound lifts) you are missing out on the major function of the core. Compound exercises that resist spinal extension (such as the overhead press, chin-ups, pushups, etc.) lead to large amounts of core development because the abs must be engaged throughout the lift in order to stabilize the spine and effectively transmit force. You also can't load abdominal isolation exercises like you can compound lifts.

So, if your goal was to JUST to have ab muscles by all means you go ahead and just work abs, but if you want great overall body composition to go along with visible abs make sure you include compound movements.

arwacky

^^^^ thank youuuuu!!! :flowerforyou:

wendypow

For me - heavy lifting. Specifically SL 5x5.

aarondnguyen

Progressive overloading, like you would do to any other muscle group.