Need lifting advice

PibblesRun

Im doing the 5x5 thing ive read about on here and ive done research on it. So 3 days a week I do my lifting. I have a bowflex so i can work out at home...cant afford a gym for starters plus I have a lil girl I stay home with. I do curls for biceps, french press for triceps, an exercise that works my chest and shoulders (cant recall the name), and stiff arm pull downs for my back. It came with a book of all the exercises and what muscles it works. I use 30 lbs free weights to do squats and for cardio I walk every day. I have a fitbit and make sure i get in at least my 10 thousand a day if not 20 thousand. Ive been hula hooping for my abs with a weighted hula hoop...and its working good, I can tell im getting leaner but I know it wont give me definition. So im stuck on what to do for abs to be able to see the definition of my abs...Yes I know you have to eat healthy...which I do. 90% of the time I eat clean foods. No processed anything unless I occasionally allow myself a treat.

So does that sound like a good workout? And what can I do for my abs? Thanks

IMD918

Nobody can really tell you whether your routine is good except for you, how you feel after, and the results you see. It sounds like you're hitting your major body parts, so I don't see anything wrong. I'd suggest to add a pulling motion, like a seated row or something like that for your back. Other than that, I think most of it comes down to personal preference and what you are trying to achieve. Personally I prefer split training days over full body workout days.

PibblesRun

thanks. I was doing split days at first...but it got too time consuming. I exercise during my girls naptime, only time I have. And I need her naptime every few days to do household things. So I just put them all together 3 days a week.

morkiemama

I've read that the only way to get abs is through lowering body fat %. Thus, you cannot target them to make yourself have them. You just have to lower overall body fat.

Though I've also heard pregnancy sometimes complicates the ab issue due to stretched skin, etc.

Note: I do not have first hand experience with either.

ETA: I like planks to work my abs though if you are looking for a core strengthening exercise

chymerra

to *see* abs you need to lower body fat and that is mainly all diet and cardio.

that said, you can build your abs while losing fat ..youtube ab exercises and you'll get a ton of them. be sure to also work your posterior muscles ... core is 180 degrees, not just the front of your body.