Abs for otherwise thin people

Iknewyouweretrouble

So I've heard over and over that you can't spot train your abs, that crunches are a thing of the past etc.
Other than running and dancing and losing general body fat, what are some things I can do? I have a pretty flat stomach so I'm just looking for a little definition. And do I have to gain muscle there to do so? What if that makes me look fat? Pardon my ignorance!

wellbert

Lower body fat.

ninerbuff

Lower body fat.

THIS. Abs show when less fat is on them. For females it's usually 20% and under.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

CrusaderSam

Well almost all weight training uses your core from pullups to dead lifts. If you want them to pop out just some good ol situp and side bends are all you need (with heavy enough weights added) once a week for 4-5 months.

Iknewyouweretrouble

Lower body fat.

THIS. Abs show when less fat is on them. For females it's usually 20% and under.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I'm under 20%.. Looking for muscles maybe?

Iknewyouweretrouble

Well almost all weight training uses your core from pullups to dead lifts. If you want them to pop out just some good ol situp and side bends are all you need (with heavy enough weights added) once a week for 4-5 months.

Adding weights that sounds great

Jonesie86

Tony Horton....ab ripper x....I'm just saying, it works wonders!!

Iknewyouweretrouble

Tony Horton....ab ripper x....I'm just saying, it works wonders!!

ooh ok I will look into this!

Awkward30

Lower body fat.

THIS. Abs show when less fat is on them. For females it's usually 20% and under.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I'm under 20%.. Looking for muscles maybe?

Are you sure? If you are sub 20% at 115 lb, you have 92 lb of lean mass. Assuming you retain all of that, since you only want to lose 6 lb, you would then be 15.5% body fat at your goal. That is possible, but a pretty low body fat % goal. A lot of people use questionable means to estimate body fat %, so you have to remember that it's an estimate. Even DEXA and hydrostatic weighing have a margin of error (1-2%) and they are far and away most accurate.

And regardless, if you have the body fat level you want and not the body you want, than yes, adding muscle would be the best option. The model on the right doesn't have abs because she doesn't have muscle. and in case you are scared of the model on the left, just remember that muscle gains are exceedingly slow, so you can stop when you feel happy with your body, finding something between the two models.

Iknewyouweretrouble

Lower body fat.

THIS. Abs show when less fat is on them. For females it's usually 20% and under.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I'm under 20%.. Looking for muscles maybe?

Are you sure? If you are sub 20% at 115 lb, you have 92 lb of lean mass. Assuming you retain all of that, since you only want to lose 6 lb, you would then be 15.5% body fat at your goal. That is possible, but a pretty low body fat % goal. A lot of people use questionable means to estimate body fat %, so you have to remember that it's an estimate. Even DEXA and hydrostatic weighing have a margin of error (1-2%) and they are far and away most accurate.

And regardless, if you have the body fat level you want and not the body you want, than yes, adding muscle would be the best option. The model on the right doesn't have abs because she doesn't have muscle. and in case you are scared of the model on the left, just remember that muscle gains are exceedingly slow, so you can stop when you feel happy with your body, finding something between the two models.

How do you know these girls both have 15% body fat?

kdeaux1959

The confusion here may be that one cannot "spot reduce"... In other words, you cannot lose fat specifically from one part of the body by working the muscles in that region; however, like any other muscle, one gains definition of those muscles by working them ... THEN when the fat over that region is gone... muscles are revealed. If you don't work the muscle then the muscle is still there but it is not built up and not defined. Therefore, the idea of crunches being a thing of the past is only from the perspective that if you have fat covering the muscles, they will not be revealed... it does not mean the crunches are ineffective... it just means that they don't appear until the fat is gone from over them... Therefore, to get the abs... Crunches, torso rotation, planks, sit-ups, incline and weighted sit-ups/crunches, leg lifts, etc. Anything that causes work to the mid section.

This being said, it is very possible that because you have not worked the muscle groups, you may have a flat stomach but still have a layer of fat... There is such a thing as "skinny fat". In that event, it is a combination of strength training and reduction of fat... Best wishes on your journey.

ninerbuff

Lower body fat.

THIS. Abs show when less fat is on them. For females it's usually 20% and under.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I'm under 20%.. Looking for muscles maybe?

Then drop it another 1% and reassess.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

Lower body fat.

THIS. Abs show when less fat is on them. For females it's usually 20% and under.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

you know better, having lower level of body fat doesn't promise abs

I did say "usually". No promises.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

MoreBean13

If you're already under 20% BF, eat close to maintenance and start doing weighted ab exercises to develop the muscle. You need to hit them hard- not with a million unweighted crunches. Getting enough calories to build the muscle is important. With a few minor exceptions, you can either cut fat by eating at a deficit or build new muscle by eating at a surplus, but it's *very* rare to successfully do both at the same time and it takes a very long time. If you have a low body fat, sounds like muscle building is in order. If the above poster is right that your goal is 15% body fat, you should know that that is quite low for a woman who is not a professional athlete. Around 14% is where women start to lose menses, and you may lose some feminine curves. Just fair warning- if that's your goal, by all means go for it! Just be aware that it is pretty low.

Awkward30

Lower body fat.

THIS. Abs show when less fat is on them. For females it's usually 20% and under.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I'm under 20%.. Looking for muscles maybe?

Are you sure? If you are sub 20% at 115 lb, you have 92 lb of lean mass. Assuming you retain all of that, since you only want to lose 6 lb, you would then be 15.5% body fat at your goal. That is possible, but a pretty low body fat % goal. A lot of people use questionable means to estimate body fat %, so you have to remember that it's an estimate. Even DEXA and hydrostatic weighing have a margin of error (1-2%) and they are far and away most accurate.

And regardless, if you have the body fat level you want and not the body you want, than yes, adding muscle would be the best option. The model on the right doesn't have abs because she doesn't have muscle. and in case you are scared of the model on the left, just remember that muscle gains are exceedingly slow, so you can stop when you feel happy with your body, finding something between the two models.

How do you know these girls both have 15% body fat?

Figure stolen from a website. Actually it's on a bunch of websites and none of them state what test is used, so they very well may be +/- 5%. But the point still stands that having more muscle on your frame allows more muscle to be visible at the same body fat %.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/ is a favorite story. Look at the pictures and read the captions if you don't want to read the whole thing! But she illustrates how the same person adding muscle and weight can look smaller, fitter, and better.