Challenge: All I want for Christmas is a six pack....

Huffdogg

lol all is forgiven. Now I want to see the pix of Jay striking poses...and get someone to photog my yoga class lol.

bstamps12

I cannot do yoga! LOL, but really. I know it would take a lot of practice--the only times they offer it at my gym are not workable at all for my schedule and I could never learn it from a DVD (I've tried, haha).

I have been mainly using randomabs lately. I really love it & I'm glad you referred me to it! Today is my rest day so no workout but yesterday was 5.5 mi run then the randomabs. Tomorrow is strength training upper body so it will include abs as well. 20 days!!!

marthafox1

I like to touch mine....











Abs that is...

jayb0ne

Here's my Bakasana (Crane Pose). Knees could be higher up the arms but... Meh...



Here's my sketchy attempt at Parsva Bakasana (Side Crane Pose). I'm happy enough with it for a first effort. I can manage to hold it for about 4 seconds



Jay

marthafox1

Soooo - over to Huff then!

I'm still on the 6 pack challenge and will not attempt yoga positions until the new year - or when I am sufficiently drunk not to notice the pain!

Huffdogg

Ok now I definitely need to experiment with some of the more upper-body-centric poses. My class doesn't get into them much; we're way more leggy/core/hippy since it's a mostly female class (no offense intended, ladies; most of the women in my classes just can't support themselves on their arms).

marthafox1

I take no offence Huff - but feel a small gauntlet has been tossed into the arena for which I have the need to 'balance' things out somewhat.

So, I say in my sweetest, most English voice - "bring it on young man".......

Ha ha ha - in the new year though eh!

Huffdogg

I, of course, consider you an exception to pretty much any generalization I make about strength/fitness paradigms, Martha.

bstamps12

I can't believe Christmas is 2 weeks away! Gotta get some good ab circuits in these next 2 weeks!

marthafox1

I just tried to take some updated photos but the light has been really poor here today and the camera flash distorts the picture. So, that gives me an extra week to work on it HARD..

Come on Stamps, us girls can do this and show those fella's what we are made of!!

I know that Huff and Jay are working on it really hard too so GGGGRRRRROARRRRR!! Let's make those abs SCREAM AND BURN this week!

Huffdogg

Interestingly, I have entirely stopped doing abs-specific exercises and almost entirely cut out cardio. I'm relying on the core support needed for squats, deadlifts, pendlay rows, standing shoulder presses, and even bench press to keep working my ab muscles, and relying on my calorie deficit plus the additional shred from heavy lifting to burn away the fat covering those lovely abs up. I know I haven't updated a pic in awhile, but I think this week I will finally have some noticeable results to show. Here's hoping!

Huffdogg

LOL terrible photo but it's the best my wife could snap without preparing her properly to take it from the right angle to display the contortions involved

Huffdogg

And now for some pix a bit more relevant to the challenge at hand





Not a WHOLE lot of visible difference, but I think you can tell when you compare to what is (as of now) my current photo for the site. AND I'm a half inch down in my waist, an inch down in my hips, and an inch up in my forearm, AND I'm at a new record low weight. All in all...I'll take it.

Ok last pic today lol. I finally figured out photobucket AND photoshop, so I'm going a little hog wild today:

jayb0ne

Damn huff! That's a helluva Astavakrasana there! Kudos!

Good job on all the other achievements too

Jay

Huffdogg

It's really not Jay lol. It's pretty sloppy, but you know what they all say...Sloppy Astavakrasana is better than no Astavakrasana.





Ok, maybe no one says that. But I'm saying it.

Huffdogg

whoa. did all my pictures break for everyone or just me? Anyhow, how are you guys coming along? Less than 10 days!! How are we going to come in?

marthafox1

I wished I could see a definable difference but if I'm honest, my mid section is not 'ripped and tight'.

Which sounds despondent - oh boy but I'm not!!

I'm dead chuffed with my progress and will upload piccies on the weekend, my shape is different and I can feel how toned my muscles are and I particularly like to glance in the mirror and catch myself twisting sideways (with the right lighting) it fills me with joy to see the definition.

I walk around the house lifting my top up to my family saying, "can you see them yet?". They humour me bless them!

Huffdogg

lol i think my wife is getting annoyed with my constant self-inspection, too. I'm also happy with my overall progress so far, although I doubt I'll get the actual 6-pack by Christmas. Maybe we all re-up this challenge between New Year and Valentine's day?

I'll get new pics up before Monday, hopefully.

jayb0ne

Not bad... I think I'm gonna be pretty much there

I haven't done a core workout in over 2 weeks. This last week I've been having a post P90x break and the week before was of course recovery week so no Ab RIpper.

I've dropped another 6 lb the last 3 weeks or so in an effort to shred bodyfat as much as possible to get the ab separation I need.

It's definitely there, I just need to maximise it as much as I can in the next week with a few solid Core routines.

So who'll be logging in on Xmas Day to share final results? I will

Jay

Huffdogg

I will for sure! No more concentrated core work for me, I think. I'm certain that the lifts I'm doing and the yoga I'm keeping up on are giving my core all the work it needs to stay strong and defined; I just need to cut the fat to reveal it!

marthafox1

Erm - logging in on Christmas day.....I will do my very best guys! However, I am chief cook, bottle washer, present buyer, wrapper, chef, father Christmas, interior designer, baker, wife, mother and jolly so and so. In addition, I will have eaten so many brussel sprouts that I will be likely to be seen from space having taken off using only the power of methane!

Huffdogg

I will have eaten so many brussel sprouts that I will be likely to be seen from space having taken off using only the power of methane!

LOL

marthafox1

Update picture taken today. It's not the tight ripped I had envisaged but actually, I'm thinking that maybe (just maybe) that's not a good look anyway for me.

When I thought about what I was trying to achieve, I guess it boiled down to this, when I remove my clothes I want it to be evident that I look after my body and that I work out. That there is definition (in a healthy toned way) and muscle tone visible. If by accident my tummy becomes visible, I want it to be a pleasant sight and a bit of a surprise (almost like a little secret you carry around with you).

Anyway, still got a week to work on it and I know that this week is going to be tough because of all the Christmas preparations and the obscure eating habits I will no doubt be faced with due to late night shopping, early mornings and family gatherings.

bstamps12

Everyone who has posted pics...I CAN tell a difference in your ab tone/definition from October to now, GREAT job! I can tell a difference in mine as well although it is not as toned as I would have liked. I didn' t ever get around to taking a "before" picture, but I look SO much better in fitted shirts that now lay flat on my stomach as opposed to showing the flab that was there a few months ago.

Definitely keeping up the ab exercises after Christmas as I think the very toned look is attainable by swimsuit season. I don't want ANY fat showing in the skintight tri tops I wear in triathlons next year!

Huffdogg

24 hours remain...and here's my take on it. I succeedfailed. Lemme 'splain.

I went into this challenge looking to get something I've never had. Something I've always wanted, but in the back of my head maybe told myself wasn't ever really going to happen. Something that, even at the peak of my physical fitness, as a state-finalist-level swimmer my senior year in high school, I didn't have. The ever-elusive highly coveted six pack.

I still don't have one.

What I DO have is a bunch more awesome supportive MFP friends, a better overall physique, a great frame of mind when it comes to my personal fitness, a greater understanding of dietary science, a new dietary plan, better comprehension of a lot of elements of weight lifting, a new workout plan, and all in all...the tools to eventually get to that 6-pack. I'll post pics tomorrow at some point, and maybe even try to whip up a side-by-side from the start of the challenge to the finish. I hope you guys can see the difference that I feel, and thanks for my awesome xmus present

Now...do we set the next challenge from New Year's to St. Paddy's, or to Valentimes [sic] Day?

jayb0ne

It's Christmas day here in the UK. 12:39am.

Nearly 4 months ago - August 28th - I emailed myself the 'six pack by Xmas day challenge'. Just an email to keep at the bottom of my inbox as a reminder. Pretty much just a title and a vague outline of how I intended to get a visible six pack.

Have I got a six pack now, Christmas day, nearly 4 months later? Yep

Did it happen the way I expected? Not really...

Having never had a sixer in my life, it was interesting to watch it form and see what shape my abs would take. It was also fun experimenting and trying out different nutritional strategies to get the ole abs to show through. In the end I had to drop 7lb below my original weight loss goal weight to get them coming through visibly the way I wanted.

in the last 5 or 6 weeks, I reasoned that the only 2 ways to get the abs coming through are to grow bigger abs and/or to cut bodyfat. Eating on a deficit as I was at the time meant that growing bigger abs wasn't feasible within the timeframe, so that left cutting as much bodyfat as possible and maintaining what core muscle I have.

Pretty much got there. It aint the mens health cover model six pack I expected, but without doubt, from every angle, my ab muscles are visible.

I'm a lower weight now (153lb) than I'm comfortable with to be honest, but I reached the goal in the mirror that I was reaching for. Plenty of time to gain it all back with my new year bulk anyway

I'll get some pics posted in the morning. Depending if I have time, I may dig out the pictures from Aug 28th (I've taken daily update pictures since about April..) and do a comparison type thing..

Merry Xmas everyone!


Jay

bstamps12

Congrats to Jay on getting the infamous Six Pack! Huffdog--good job on all your progress towards a 6 pack & keep working hard!

Thanks for all the support & tips on abs training. I've enjoyed this challenge & I'm much improved over the beginning of this challenge, but I'm still chasing the ever elusive six pack!