Getting a nice set of Abs

000WhiteRose000

Ok, so I'm down to 19% fat and quite happy with my body, but one part I really want to improve is my abs. I know you can't target zone your abs, and I know I'll have to lose more fat to show more abs (which is annoying as I've seen plenty of people with 19% fat or more that have defined abs).

So I have 2 questions:
1. What do you recommend I do to get rock hard abs?
2. How long (on average) does it take to develop defined abs from scratch?

Here's a quick pic of me to show you where I'm at ( the latest one on the right was taken 3 weeks ago, so I have slightly more muscle now)



Thanks guys, I really appreciate your advice :-)

Keenasgettingfitnhealthy

I may be wrong and I have no idea what turbo fire is, but maybe you need to up your strength training and build more muscle? Again *I am not 100%*

Good luck =D You look great =D

darcyrobillard

To be perfectly honest...Your abs look GREAT to me AND I do not think you have anymore fat to lose!!!!! If you are doing Turbo Fire, Chalene works your abs in every workout you do. You could try Jillian Micheals 6 week/6 Pack. She does include cardio with the ab work. It's about 30 minute workout.

gatorgirlyyy

Jillian Micheals 30 Day Shred will give you nice abs and tone you all over really. Make you muscular and defined. Check it out.

BTW: You look great. hun!

leahnoelle31

Try yoga or Pilates. They are actually a lot harder than they look and really focus on the core.

000WhiteRose000

Thanks guys :-)
Turbo Fire is 4 days cardio with 2 days cardio and strength. I also have changed the resistance bands to a harder level.
You might be right maybe I should be doing even more resistance workouts. Wonder if it matters if I just do abs or all around strength?

My stomach is better than it use to be, but I want it ripped! That has always been my dream and I find a flat, strong, ripped stomach very sexy on men and girls :-)

000WhiteRose000

I know Yoga is really good for you, and I have done about 40 classes. But it's just not for me. I don't enjoy it. I don't mind it once in a while when I'm in the mood, but I much prefer cardio and resistance...

lickmybaconcakes

Do you do any weight training for your abdominals?

Sl1ghtly

1. Squats, and deadlifts.
2. It depends.

Helloitsdan

Getting abs is all about dropping body fat.
So having the proper diet is first priority.
Cardio is second priority.

Then....

Squats and deadlifts!
=D

Open your diary and i'll tell you how long it could take.

libby328

I really like ab ripperx from p90x . I did that 3 days a week for 5 weeks and had better definition in my abs then I ever did.

maddiedog22

I do prob 100 or more crunches a day, with cardio and other things, I think my stomach muchles are just naturally huge

TriciaZ944

Diet also plays a huge role in ripped abs

000WhiteRose000

Yeah I do a bit of ab work. I do some resistance work on my abs with resistance bands, probably about twice a week. My diary is open btw. I don't want to lose much more fat as I do not want to lose my chest. I've gone from a DD to a C and i'm not going down to a B...

000WhiteRose000

Diet also plays a huge role in ripped abs

Do you mean eating clean or the amount of calories?

Toddrific

I love me some planks, and as the others said, squats and deadlifts.

TriciaZ944

Clean eating is what I believe...

http://www.sixpackabs.me/eating-clean-pack-abs

sammanchester

Hey, I know you said you didn't like Yoga but have you tried pilates? Someone recommended POP Pilates - on youtube, to me. Honestly, I have NEVER hurt so much after a work out in my life. She does all different ones, some that are cardio based too. I've copied a link for one of them but there are tonnes more. PS, the girl's voice can be a bit annoying so someone recommended turning the sound off and playing your own workout music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93e5RP8Wd5I&feature=related (I've not actually doen this one, looks a bit scary )

recriger

I have no expertise on the subject. But there is one question for the trainers and more experienced folk. I have read that if you have been in calorie deficite you don't build muscle. This we have all heard. The question would be about a "Bulk-Cut" cycle. Are most people's abs already large enough to be visible simply through losing weight? Or could any, or most of us benefit from increasing the ab muscle size through a bulk-cut cycle of sorts? I don't remember which magazine it was, "Men's health" or "Muscular Development" probably. Down time magazine browsing.

000WhiteRose000

I have no expertise on the subject. But there is one question for the trainers and more experienced folk. I have read that if you have been in calorie deficite you don't build muscle. This we have all heard. The question would be about a "Bulk-Cut" cycle. Are most people's abs already large enough to be visible simply through losing weight? Or could any, or most of us benefit from increasing the ab muscle size through a bulk-cut cycle of sorts? I don't remember which magazine it was, "Men's health" or "Muscular Development" probably. Down time magazine browsing.

This is a great question that I have wondered often.

aelarek

You look soooooooo great!!

erickirb

Clean eating is what I believe...

http://www.sixpackabs.me/eating-clean-pack-abs

What you has very little if nothing to do with it. For a woman to have a full 6 pack you eill need a bf% below16% in most cases. For men it is more like 9-10%.

Keep a very slight deficit, no more than 250 cals a day, and partake in a heavy lifting strenth training routine and give it time.

000WhiteRose000

Clean eating is what I believe...

http://www.sixpackabs.me/eating-clean-pack-abs

What you has very little if nothing to do with it. For a woman to have a full 6 pack you eill need a bf% below16% in most cases. For men it is more like 9-10%.

Keep a very slight deficit, no more than 250 cals a day, and partake in a heavy lifting strenth training routine and give it time.

Sorry, do you mean what I eat has nothing to do with it?
less than 16%? That will mean I will lose more fat from my breast isn't that right? I don't get how you get women with washboard abs and they still have breasts...

Molly182

I would love to tone my abs. Who wouldn't? You look great!

silkysly

P90X Ab Ripper X is what I do. It's only 15 minutes & I do it 3 times a week. I have killer abs from it. Maybe you can find it on YouTube.

Toddrific

Genetics and implants?

LorinaLynn

Sorry, do you mean what I eat has nothing to do with it?
less than 16%? That will mean I will lose more fat from my breast isn't that right? I don't get how you get women with washboard abs and they still have breasts...

Genetics, implants or padding.

tigersword

I have no expertise on the subject. But there is one question for the trainers and more experienced folk. I have read that if you have been in calorie deficite you don't build muscle. This we have all heard. The question would be about a "Bulk-Cut" cycle. Are most people's abs already large enough to be visible simply through losing weight? Or could any, or most of us benefit from increasing the ab muscle size through a bulk-cut cycle of sorts? I don't remember which magazine it was, "Men's health" or "Muscular Development" probably. Down time magazine browsing.

Squats and deadlifts. Your muscles are there, just covered by a layer of fat. You don't need to do any ab excercises to make them show up. Just burn the fat. A heavy weight training routine with squats and deadlifts will work your full core way more than any crunches will.

SarahxCheesecake

I don't get how you get women with washboard abs and they still have breasts...

Either they are genetically lucky or they are fake.

lickmybaconcakes

I have no expertise on the subject. But there is one question for the trainers and more experienced folk. I have read that if you have been in calorie deficite you don't build muscle. This we have all heard. The question would be about a "Bulk-Cut" cycle. Are most people's abs already large enough to be visible simply through losing weight? Or could any, or most of us benefit from increasing the ab muscle size through a bulk-cut cycle of sorts? I don't remember which magazine it was, "Men's health" or "Muscular Development" probably. Down time magazine browsing.

Squats and deadlifts. Your muscles are there, just covered by a layer of fat. You don't need to do any ab excercises to make them show up. Just burn the fat. A heavy weight training routine with squats and deadlifts will work your full core way more than any crunches will.

^^ this is good information although decide yourself on whether you what to do abdominal specific exercises though.

Lolli1986

Squats and deadlifts. Your muscles are there, just covered by a layer of fat. You don't need to do any ab excercises to make them show up. Just burn the fat. A heavy weight training routine with squats and deadlifts will work your full core way more than any crunches will.

Okay, I think I missed some MFP bus or something.... how does heavy lifting burn the fat layer? The implication I am seeing everywhere is that it is more efficient than cardio... but my happy little strength/resistance routine burns sweet FA. It strengthens my muscles so that I can burn more when I do cardio, but doesn't burn on its own.

Which brings me back around to the bulk/cut cycle question, since obviously body builders can't be doing crazy cardio or they would look like marathon runners........ what does a cut cycle actually involve if not much cardio? lots of lifting, strict diet, and a bit of cardio?

I think I'm going to go research this myself, but answer if you want (I think both questions should help OP out too - they're aimed to).