Six Pack definition?

saramichelle89

Okay, so Ive heard to get a six pack you dont necessarily have to do a bunch of crunches and sit ups. Im just confused at this point and have been trying to achieve that definition for about 3 weeks now and have increased my strength training and cardio to no avail. So I ask, EXACTLY, what do you have to do to get defined abs?!! I already have a flat stomach, I just want the ab definition to be visible.

Kristan_Forsey

Have you thought about trying 6 Week Six Pack from Jillian Michaels? I am doing 30 Day Shred right now and am getting some great results.

bodyzen

I'm in a similar situation, looking forward to hearing some answers to this... I've got a cute bare-ly there 4-pack (lol) but I'm looking for ways to up the ante and really get some definition.

CoderGal

Every girl I know who has a six pack either:
1: Barely eats anything until they're visible.
2: Lifts weights

Personally, I like option 2 since 1 can also make you skinny fat if you don't have enough energy to exercise.

LorinaLynn

It comes down to body fat, muscle mass and genetics.

But it also depends on how MUCH definition you're talking about. Fitness models who look like they've been vacuum sealed don't look like that ALL the time, only when preparing for a photo shoot or competition. Lighting, spray tans, flexing, a great photographer and a little help from Photoshop (I'm not talking about total re-editing of a photo, but changing just the color balance and values can make a big difference) never hurt, either.

For instance: Same model.

kelseyhere

Lift more weights. Don't just focus on your abs either, work your back muscles, especially lower back. Hanging leg raisies, side bends with weights and any other ab exercises you can add resistance to will help.

cara4fit

LIfting and cardio in general for exercise, but what's really critical is diet and one's genetics. There are people around who don't do anything particular for their abs because they're lean there in the first place, and lots of other people who can do all the right things but have to work MUCH harder with their diet because of their natural tendency to store fat in the midsection. Body type comes into it too(genetics), as in torso length. A short-waisted person is going to appear to store more fat than a longer-waisted person simply because there's less room for the fat to go length-wise, so it goes OUT, hiding those abs underneath. I have this situation myself. All that said, anyone can definitely IMPROVE the appearance of one's abs by way of scrupulous diet, lifting weights, cardio, and let's not forget Pilates training which is par excellence for core conditioning in general.
OK, back to diet - bodybuilding/fitness competitors and fitness models often go on very strict diets and increased volume of workouts before their event, and for many, they don't look like that all the time, although even in their non-event season they sure look pretty good to the average person who is struggling. Diets are usually very low-carb and often very low-fat as well, with a re-feed just before the event to fill out the muscles after fat and water have been lowered. That part about the water is tricky - do it just right, and one looks awesome, do it wrong, and one ends up dehydrated and with muscle cramps. So this IS a very transitory state that can't be maintained.
Bottom-line, abs are made in the kitchen, then the exercise. One can always and so easily out-eat one's workout, especially if one is eating the typical high-calorie junk food American diet. So it does take some real effort diet-wise!

tattedchic

I'm curious what the secret is too! Sounds like I need to up my weight lifting and cut back on carbs....le sigh...carbs.

natalovesmusic

I am now on a [mostly] "clean eating" diet and I'm starting to enjoy the burn when doing core exercises (however, I have a decent amount of muscle under the fat already) so I'll see if these combine into killing that pouch. When it comes to lifting, I am doing bicep curls, triceps extensions, and squats with shoulder presses..is that okay or should I work on something else? I'll try to do more and more push-ups and I don't know the name but where you put your hands behind you on a bench with your legs straight, feet on the floor and dip your body down and push back up..

JocelynMartin10

LOSE FAT! The leaner you are, the more your muscles will show. Also, eating a diet that is HIGH IN HEALTHY FATS and LOW IN CARBS AND SUGAR will lead to optimal nutrition and FAT LOSS. I eat 38% fat, 38% protein, 24% carbs. I try and keep my carbs under 100g a day... except for veggies cause those arent going to make you fat or negatively impact your body! It's more about what you eat than how you work out! But, pushups, planks, squats, deadlifts, and any kind of balancing position are all great for your core

Healthy fats= olive oil/nuts/butter-yes,butter/chicken/fish/lean red meat/coconut oil/coconut milk/macadamia nut oil

good carbs= fruit/ sweet potatoes/ WHITE rice/ veggies

Protein= spinach/ meat/ nuts/ whey/ cheese (REAL cheese not processed cheese)

good luck

weloveourboys

low body fat and genetics.

kelseyhere

here is a really good article that sums up all of these points: http://mollygalbraith.com/blog/weekly-reader-question-1-what-to-eat-to-get-abs/

there are several factors that determine whether or not you can have abs

TavistockToad

The only way to get your abs to show is to lose body fat. Ths will take longer than 3 weeks... Keep at it for at least 3 months...

theredfro

Like said above, lean definition comes from losing the layer of fat across the stomach and doing core exercises as well. Crunches can be used but in ways such as bicycle crunches, leg lifts, sit ups where you hit your knee with opposite elbow, mason twists from the P90X, planks. A lot of it as well, is eating right. Abs are made in the kitchen, to be honest.