Stronger abs, thinner waist.. Broscience?

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  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    So if you imagine an over-weight guy who doesn't workout and has a big beer belly.....
    (Like 80% of the blokes wearing Speedos when I was last on holiday - yuk!)

    Is all that beer belly really just fat on top of flat abs? Or is some of that belly distended, weak abdominal muscle and guts bulging?
    Anyone seen any body scans to confirm one way or the other?

    Personally I believe that strong abs will make you look slimmer and give you better posture way before your body fat drops enough to actually see any definition.

    There is fat both over and under the abs. All the crunches in theworld are making visceral look slimmer
  • zephtalah
    zephtalah Posts: 327 Member
    So not a bro, but I will give you my personal experience. I think the whole you can't spot reduce is ridiculous. I carry weight in my thighs and wonder of wonder when I worked my thighs they got smaller. Yes, I was losing weight over all, but I remember my measurements from before (lowest weight) and they are smaller than then. Ditto with my waist. Also, yes working on my abdominal wall did help hold my organs in, but then again mine were split down the middle from my pregnancy with twins. So there you go and everbody can say what they want about causation, but it worked for me and I am happy.


    ETA - my current profile pic is from last year. Otherwise, I really wouldn't take ab advice from someones belly who looks like that.:laugh:

    Good to know. I would much rather except anecdotal evidence from someone on the internet than established science and actual research studies.



    Oh so sorry! I was reading the original post and read it to say "thoughts" not "please submit your Mayo thesis with sufficient peer reviewed test groups." My bad.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    What if he's not a powerlifter? What are all these big lifts he has to stay fresh for?

    Even if you're not a powerlifter, if you're lifting weights you should be doing compound lifts, period.

    This. Anyone and everyone that isn't physically hindered, should be doing compound lifts, if they have even the slightest interest in strength training.

    I think you guys are misunderstanding my point. I'm saying that I don't have a need to reserve strength so that I'm getting a Max lift on the big 3 every workout. I may use pre exhaustion techniques. Or move a smaller muscle group ahead in the order because it's a priority this cycle.

    I wasn't saying compounds aren't important. I was saying that getting the highest number on them each session isn't everyone's goal

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