I Don't Want a 6 Pack - Fitness Question

miss_jamaica

Hey MFP,

I have a question about the female body. I have been eating well and working out vigorously, and hope to attain a nice, lean stomach. However, I am not interested in having chiseled 6-pack abs. [See image of both below.]

Question: Is this purely a genetic thing, or is there a way to control the outcome? Thanks for your help!

magenta4c

well,... its not easy to reach a 6 pack,... you must work hard for it... so i wouldn't worry :-)

melaniecheeks

You would have to work SO HARD to get a 6-pack - I really dont think you need to worry about it.

miss_jamaica

Oh, great! Thanks!

quishajuice

I agree with the above it takes ALOT to get the 6-pack abs so if you don't want it you won't get it.

AggieCass09

its damn near impossible to get down to that level unless you are a professional body-builder or a model. Your body fat level has to be less than 10-15% and getting that low is a challenge.

Janworkingitout

I would love a six pack!

Angel1029

Genetics play a big roll as well as body fat. You have to get your body fat between 10-12% in order to see them. But nutrition is key, 80% of your results is from your what you put into your body.

shayshay01

Do more cardio and less muscle mass building exercise... such as sit-ups and crunches. Just try to burn off the fat and keep the muscle building to a minimum. I would kill to have a 6 pack, but building muscle under layers of fat isn't feasible... so I will wait and do muscle toning work-outs after I achieve my goal weight. Good luck :-)

stevemcknight

Honestly, work as hard as you possibly can. If you get the 6 pack that you don't want, eat a cheeseburger. It'll go away.

To maintain that low body fat to show it off takes 100% nutrition and discipline, the huge majority of us never have to worry about this

6 packs come from extremely low body fat, not crunches.

edorice

its damn near impossible to get down to that level unless you are a professional body-builder or a model. Your body fat level has to be less than 10-15% and getting that low is a challenge.

Right, your body fat would have to get down to those numbers to achieve a 6 pack. The average female has 25-32% bodyfat.

stevemcknight

Do more cardio and less muscle mass building exercise... such as sit-ups and crunches. Just try to burn off the fat and keep the muscle building to a minimum. I would kill to have a 6 pack, but building muscle under layers of fat isn't feasible... so I will wait and do muscle toning work-outs after I achieve my goal weight. Good luck :-)

Why wait - it takes a long time to build muscle - and the whole time you're closing in on your goal weight, you could be building a strong powerful core! The best cardio, is cardio that uses the whole body - not just your legs (read: treadmill/elliptical).

Check out BodyRock.tv for some amazing, full body cardio routines that will burn more calories than the same amount of time on a silly machine, and build strong muscle as well. Why spend 30 minutes working just cardio and legs, when you could spend 30 minutes doing cardio, legs, core, glutes, chest, arms, shoulders and the rest!?

Push it!!!!!

stevemcknight

Genetics play a big roll as well as body fat. You have to get your body fat between 10-12% in order to see them. But nutrition is key, 80% of your results is from your what you put into your body.

Agreed - maybe even more than 80 - more like 95% Nutrition is it!

NikkisNewStart

Do more cardio and less muscle mass building exercise... such as sit-ups and crunches. Just try to burn off the fat and keep the muscle building to a minimum. I would kill to have a 6 pack, but building muscle under layers of fat isn't feasible... so I will wait and do muscle toning work-outs after I achieve my goal weight. Good luck :-)

Why wait - it takes a long time to build muscle - and the whole time you're closing in on your goal weight, you could be building a strong powerful core! The best cardio, is cardio that uses the whole body - not just your legs (read: treadmill/elliptical).

Check out BodyRock.tv for some amazing, full body cardio routines that will burn more calories than the same amount of time on a silly machine, and build strong muscle as well. Why spend 30 minutes working just cardio and legs, when you could spend 30 minutes doing cardio, legs, core, glutes, chest, arms, shoulders and the rest!?

Push it!!!!!

^^ Totally agree with this... the worst mistake I made was waiting a few months into losing weight to start focusing on my entire body and not just "cardio." I wish I would have started from day 1, and in actuality, before day 1... lol

Bodyrock.tv is insane but amazing!!! I highly recommend it also as a friend just turned me onto it a couple of weeks ago!

geicko

Though you shouldn't worry about it, I'd like to add that you CAN get a visible 6 pack pretty easily when you get arounf 18-20% body fat but it'll only be visible when you tight your core, which honestly we don't do that often !

jbug100

I think the first pic in the black bra is extreme and bordering on man-ish. The one in the white looks nice to me. I think I excercise quite a bit, and I'm pretty sure that I will never look like that. Not a 46 yo Mom:) that's ok though. I can actually see some definition if I look beyond the saggy, stretched, jiggly layer of fat and skin. I wouldn't worry about looking like that, and if you do end up looking like that...well i'd have to say that in the grand scheme of things, not a terrible problem;)

GiGi76

I want a six pack.... but it takes alot of work, i still have a ways to go but hoping to be there my May!!!! Also Bodyrock is Money.... You should check it out and check out her abs!!!! Love it!!!

shreddingit

Lol u say it like if its so easy!!

shayshay01

I believe I already have quite a bit of muscle laying in wait under there... lol. I have been very active all my life, but 3 kids change things, you know?! lol. I have to start back slowly into cardio (ie: treadmill and ab lounger for now) b/c I simply don't have the stamina for much else yet. What is "bodyrock tv?" Is it something that you have to special order?