Toned Abs

katyviking13

Hey guys!

I'm approximately 145 pounds (mostly muscle since I'm on the rowing team at my school) and am 5'7". I work out 6-7 days a week for about 2 hours and eat pretty healthy. I run stairs, erg, weight lift, do abs circuits, etc. but the fat just isn't coming off.

Do you have any specific workouts or suggestions on how to get toned abs?

shellywoodworth

bump

nlfrancis

if you go to shape.com they have a lot of great workouts that target your core. Also, runnersworld.com has some good ones.

CuteMommy88

I just started Jillian Michaels 6 week six pack dvd!! I have only been doing it for a week and I am already starting to see a difference!

amydcarlson

I hate to say it, but it's all in the diet. I have super-toned abs, myself...it's just that they are hiding under a layer of flab. Losing the fat over the abs is key. I have also heard that this is the hardest part to lose from because it protects our vital organs and it's usually the first place people gain. It's true what everyone has been saying, though. Abs are made in the kitchen.

pyro13g

ABs are made in the kitchen and how lean you can get in the ABs often has a genetic component. If your weight is steady and percent body fat isn't going down, then look to your diet. You could either be too low in calories or too high. You don't need to work the abs to death. They get plenty of work during normal exercise so a few exercises to target abs per week is plenty.

Kirstie_C26

bump!!

DianaPowerUp

As the trainers in our gym always say, "Abs are created in the kitchen.", meaning that even if you do 1000 sit ups/day, you won't see any definition if there is fat lying over them. You can't "spot reduce". But you can clean up your diet.

Without seeing your food diary, it's hard to know what you're eating, but if you want to see your abs, you're going to have to have a very clean diet (meaning little to no processed foods, stay away from the white stuff, lots of fruits and veggies, etc). You can take a look at my diary. I'm not the best, cleanest eater by far, but I manage to eat pretty well, and keep within my calorie allowance. I work out 2 hrs/day usu. 5 days/wk. My abs are just starting to show. But I know that I will have to lose probably another 10 lbs if I really want them to be obvious.

As far as exercises, I do 3 weight training classes/wk, a Pilates class, and a yoga class. ALL of them incorporate ab work, but they all do it differently. I think the different training is really helping.

I'm 5' 6", started at 141, and now weigh 134. Hope that helps!

katyviking13

What does bump mean?

amydcarlson

"Bump" is just something people put on a thread that they find interesting so that they can find it under "My Topics" later.

LynnBirchfield

I had to ask that question myself about bump. When you bump a post it keeps it towards the top of all the posts on the Community page. It also keeps it on your profile page, so you can go back to it later.

katyviking13

I had to ask that question myself about bump. When you bump a post it keeps it towards the top of all the posts on the Community page. It also keeps it on your profile page, so you can go back to it later.

Ok, thank you!

koosdel

I hate to say it, but it's all in the diet. I have super-toned abs, myself...it's just that they are hiding under a layer of flab. Losing the fat over the abs is key. I have also heard that this is the hardest part to lose from because it protects our vital organs and it's usually the first place people gain. It's true what everyone has been saying, though. Abs are made in the kitchen.

This is the absolute truth. There is some genetics involved too.

It usually takes me about two weeks to uncover my abbs, and I can keep them for three or four months. After that I get so burnt out on tracking every thing that I kinda quit caring. Of course once weather starts warming back up...

janesmith1

I just started Jillian Michaels 6 week six pack dvd!! I have only been doing it for a week and I am already starting to see a difference!

Can you take pix, like starting now, then at the end of the 6 weeks? My stomach is awful!

cindy4mica

i'm looking for the same thing! i've had 5 kids and am down to my goal weight, but there's that extra skin that i just can't get rid of! if i suck in or lie down to do sit-ups, i can feel the muscle underneath it, but the "flab" just won't go away. i'm 2 seconds away from a tummy tuck. 2 seconds and a ton of money i don't have. lol

LorinaLynn

I've noticed a huge difference in just three weeks of doing the exercises in EA Sports Active 2 on the PS3. It's just basic crunches, reverse crunches, planks and leg lifts.

I have to wonder, looking at pictures of some of you who claim to have fat, and how AMAZING you look, if it's not a case of unrealistic expectations. I mean... take Jillian Michaels. She looks incredible, no doubt about it, but she looks much softer in her videos than she does in the covers for the DVDs. You can't look at yourself in normal overhead lighting and expect to look like someone with professional lighting, makeup, photography and touch-ups.

koosdel

I just realised I didn't answer your question.

Anyway... first, no alcohol, no candy, no snacks, no soft drinks.

I will reduce my weightlifting to a 5x5 60% routine. Bicycle as often as I have the energy. To avoid any overages on calories I will have 600 to 700 calorie protein shakes for breakfast and lunch, and a filling dinner after biking. The only thing I drink is water and milk. No Crystal Lite, Lemon juice or anything. If the weather cooperate, I will swim or kayak in the late evening.

My dinners are usually something fatty like a burger no sides, or anything grilled.

DianaPowerUp

i'm looking for the same thing! i've had 5 kids and am down to my goal weight, but there's that extra skin that i just can't get rid of! if i suck in or lie down to do sit-ups, i can feel the muscle underneath it, but the "flab" just won't go away. i'm 2 seconds away from a tummy tuck. 2 seconds and a ton of money i don't have. lol

Sadly, sometimes a tummy tuck is the only thing that will take care of that. If you've had kids, or lost a lot of weight, you can wind up with loose skin that hangs/sags, and no amount of dieting or exercise will get rid of that. I went to a plastic surgeon, thinking I could get that little hanging extra lipo-ed off, and he pulled at my skin and said, "You're not fat. There's no fat here to remove. You have excess skin, and need a tummy tuck." So, yes, I've had one. And after what my pregnancies (incl. twins) did to my belly, it was the best answer to that problem.

karl1744

Hay,
we all have ab's, finding them is another matter. each individual has their own journey in the way they find them. The number one proven fact though is DIET. you can train every hr of every day, but if your diet is even just abit out then sorry you wont find your ab's.

When I get ready for a photo shoot or a show I always always do interval training with a decreased calorie intake (energy in to energy out) so I eat less calories than what I actually need. But there is a process to this and it is done in stages not in one big hit, otherwise you will be very drained and wont have the energy to train at all.

I knew a guy once who used to do 1000 crunches a day and his stomach was solid, but he had no ab's.
AB's come down to body fat % at the end of the day, alot of my clients come to me and say I am only a size 8 or 6 (UK) why dont i have ab's I am not fat, and after I do a proper BF% test (calipers) I show that their actually a slim fat person. ie slim but no muscle mass/density. all these factors you need to address before you will ever start getting great ab's, and when i say ab's i dont mean a line here and there i mean defined, a man has his top ab's showing at about 12% but will they go half way through the day after he has eaten and drank yes, why because of water and fluid retention, now were getting to into it lol so i will stop it there....

Eat Clean train intense lots of jumping lots of sprinting not much rest and you will get your ab's I promise.

Karl

YeaILift

Diet Diet Diet

janesmith1

Hay,
we all have ab's, finding them is another matter. each individual has their own journey in the way they find them. The number one proven fact though is DIET. you can train every hr of every day, but if your diet is even just abit out then sorry you wont find your ab's.

When I get ready for a photo shoot or a show I always always do interval training with a decreased calorie intake (energy in to energy out) so I eat less calories than what I actually need. But there is a process to this and it is done in stages not in one big hit, otherwise you will be very drained and wont have the energy to train at all.

I knew a guy once who used to do 1000 crunches a day and his stomach was solid, but he had no ab's.
AB's come down to body fat % at the end of the day, alot of my clients come to me and say I am only a size 8 or 6 (UK) why dont i have ab's I am not fat, and after I do a proper BF% test (calipers) I show that their actually a slim fat person. ie slim but no muscle mass/density. all these factors you need to address before you will ever start getting great ab's, and when i say ab's i dont mean a line here and there i mean defined, a man has his top ab's showing at about 12% but will they go half way through the day after he has eaten and drank yes, why because of water and fluid retention, now were getting to into it lol so i will stop it there....

Eat Clean train intense lots of jumping lots of sprinting not much rest and you will get your ab's I promise.

Karl

Karl there are photos of me when I was a little girl & I was super skinny with a huge pooched out stomach! I've never had abs.....what can you tell someone like me, who has never had a flat stomach, even when super thin? Not even when I was 110 or 115!

karl1744

Hay,
we all have ab's, finding them is another matter. each individual has their own journey in the way they find them. The number one proven fact though is DIET. you can train every hr of every day, but if your diet is even just abit out then sorry you wont find your ab's.

When I get ready for a photo shoot or a show I always always do interval training with a decreased calorie intake (energy in to energy out) so I eat less calories than what I actually need. But there is a process to this and it is done in stages not in one big hit, otherwise you will be very drained and wont have the energy to train at all.

I knew a guy once who used to do 1000 crunches a day and his stomach was solid, but he had no ab's.
AB's come down to body fat % at the end of the day, alot of my clients come to me and say I am only a size 8 or 6 (UK) why dont i have ab's I am not fat, and after I do a proper BF% test (calipers) I show that their actually a slim fat person. ie slim but no muscle mass/density. all these factors you need to address before you will ever start getting great ab's, and when i say ab's i dont mean a line here and there i mean defined, a man has his top ab's showing at about 12% but will they go half way through the day after he has eaten and drank yes, why because of water and fluid retention, now were getting to into it lol so i will stop it there....

Eat Clean train intense lots of jumping lots of sprinting not much rest and you will get your ab's I promise.

Karl

Karl there are photos of me when I was a little girl & I was super skinny with a huge pooched out stomach! I've never had abs.....what can you tell someone like me, who has never had a flat stomach, even when super thin? Not even when I was 110 or 115!

Hay Jane, what do you mean by a little girl, because a little girl shouldnt be worried about ab's they should be worried about boys and dolls etc etc lol, send me an email and explain in depth abit better please.
I have trained people with eating disorders who were like stick insects and they didnt have ab's either, all you could see was rib cage it looked horrible. I dont know how to explain this because i deal with this every day and tbh the only way to really explain to people is say it how it is. And some times people take offence to that, so if i do offened any one i do apologise ok..

You can be skinny as a rake, but if you dont have any muscle density then your up **** creek without a paddle, best way to get ab's if you FAT is through hard weighted interval training to get the fat off along with a good ab workout either at the end of every session or make it a single muscle session twice a week, for you to get GREAT ab's you need a strong core and before you ask yes they are different things.
To Get ab's if your SKINNY and have no fat on you at all, start eating and change your training, because like most people who are that skinny, they live to cardio and eat nothing, your body is just going ot waste away.....

katyviking13

Best way to get ab's if you FAT is through hard weighted interval training to get the fat off along with a good ab workout either at the end of every session or make it a single muscle session twice a week, for you to get GREAT ab's you need a strong core and before you ask yes they are different things..

Could you give me some ideas of what to do at the gym regarding interval training with weights for abs?

pyro13g

Best way to get ab's if you FAT is through hard weighted interval training to get the fat off along with a good ab workout either at the end of every session or make it a single muscle session twice a week, for you to get GREAT ab's you need a strong core and before you ask yes they are different things..

Could you give me some ideas of what to do at the gym regarding interval training with weights for abs?

Find a machine you can do this with + oblique crunch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0UzoFvgrwY

Most gyms have something similar to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-hrStkNNH0

Ask the staff to help you out.

Can always put a weight plate on your chest and do regular crunches but I'm no a proponent of ab exercises while lying down.

katyviking13

Find a machine you can do this with + oblique crunch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0UzoFvgrwY

Most gyms have something similar to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-hrStkNNH0

Ask the staff to help you out.

Can always put a weight plate on your chest and do regular crunches but I'm no a proponent of ab exercises while lying down.

Ok, thanks for your help! I'll try that.

karl1744

Hay Katy,
what I mean by weighted interval training is exercises using weights, working your full body at a high RPE. The more muscles you work the more fat your going to burn. we dont want weight off we want body fat % down, big difference.
Google/youtube full body interval training and that will give you a good idea of what to do, I can tell you now its not nice but i love it lol. It ripps the fat off you, if your prepaired to go hard if not go home lol.

Keep us updated ok.

Karl

katyviking13

Ok, thank you Karl!