Abs, Abs, Abs... Help me get toned abs!

SlimMaya
SlimMaya Posts: 9
in Fitness and Exercise
Sorry for the over dramatic topic title. I need help with getting a toned midsection. So I'm 5'8", late teenage female and 170lbs. My start weight was 191lbs. When I was 191lbs I had a 38" waist and now I have a 32.5" waist which is improvement. But my and section seems to not have improved much especially lower abs. It just looks like a smaller version of my previous tummy, still not toned & disgusting.

So I know strength training (dead lifts, squats etc) will get the best results for overall body toning. But I can't afford to get a PT or join a group like CrossFit. And I don't want to use A guide to the free weights as I'm worried my form will be bad.

I use weight machines when I go to the gym - chest press, hip abductor and other things for all my body. Despite many sit ups I still have the same midsection. I do cardio for overall body fat loss. I'm still overweight so I know my abs won't be visible but the muffin top and love handles.

So I want to toned up whilst losing. Does anyone know any tips/tricks or good and effective exercises? And how many reps/sets? Thank you so much

Replies

  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    Eat better. Abs are made in the kitchen. Keep lifting. Your abs will show, when you have lost enough body fat.
  • ltl_leah
    ltl_leah Posts: 57 Member
    Eat better. Abs are made in the kitchen. Keep lifting. Your abs will show, when you have lost enough body fat.


    What ErinBeth said. She beat me to the punch. Clean up your diet, if you haven't already. Eat good food and stick with a decent calorie deficit to lose the fat over your muscles. I still struggle with this too, btw.
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
    Keep lifting, keep running, keep eating 500 cal less than what ever your maintenance is.

    You can't out run your fork!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    So I know strength training (dead lifts, squats etc) will get the best results for overall body toning. But I can't afford to get a PT or join a group like CrossFit. And I don't want to use A guide to the free weights as I'm worried my form will be bad.

    A lot of people start lifting without a PT. Watch lots of youtube videos, read articles (anything by Mark Ripptoe is good), see if you can get someone to take some video, post it here for pointers. It's really not that scary. You just have to do it.
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
    So I know strength training (dead lifts, squats etc) will get the best results for overall body toning. But I can't afford to get a PT or join a group like CrossFit. And I don't want to use A guide to the free weights as I'm worried my form will be bad.

    A lot of people start lifting without a PT. Watch lots of youtube videos, read articles (anything by Mark Ripptoe is good), see if you can get someone to take some video, post it here for pointers. It's really not that scary. You just have to do it.

    And if you're worried, there are some groups on here with great people who can give you pointers. People like Rae^^. I started lifting by myself. I made some missteps along the way, but it's part of the learning curve. Reach out to others for help. :)
  • MariahHubert
    MariahHubert Posts: 103 Member
    Keep lifting, keep running, keep eating 500 cal less than what ever your maintenance is.

    You can't out run your fork!

    That right there needs to be on a motivational poster!!
  • danewortley
    danewortley Posts: 25 Member
    Keep lifting, keep running, keep eating 500 cal less than what ever your maintenance is.

    You can't out run your fork!

    That right there needs to be on a motivational poster!!

    ok question about that one....MFP says i need to eat 1250 calories a day, are you suggesting knocking 500 calories off that? Im not familiar with "your maintenance". I appreciate the help!
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
    Keep lifting, keep running, keep eating 500 cal less than what ever your maintenance is.

    You can't out run your fork!

    That right there needs to be on a motivational poster!!

    ok question about that one....MFP says i need to eat 1250 calories a day, are you suggesting knocking 500 calories off that? Im not familiar with "your maintenance". I appreciate the help!

    No, 1250 is the calorie count MFP gave you witha deficit already figured in. "Maintenance" is the number of calories you can eat without gaining or losing any weight. This is also known as your TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure. You can find your MFP calculated TDEE by clicking "Goals" on the main page looking under "Your Diet Profile" at the section called "Calories Burned --> From normal Daily Activity". Subtracting 500 calories from this amount should give you an estimated deficit of 500 calories everyday, leading to a 3500 calorie weekly deficit, or an estimated 1 lb loss/week.

    For example: As a 5'8 167 lbs female set to lightly active, MFP calculates my TDEE at 2100 calories. Without logging any exercise, I could eat 1600 calories per day for a 500 calorie daily deficit, or 1 lbs/week weight loss.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Buy a steak, cut it into 6 equal sized squares. From there, glue them to your mid section. After that, get some dough and roller pin it to about 1 cm thick. Finally, wrap the dough around your midsection semi-tightly to flatten it against the skin.
  • Stephanie_skinny
    Stephanie_skinny Posts: 106 Member
    I have the same problem!! :sad:
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
    She beat me to it.

    For me I am a 5'11" male so my TDEE or "maintenance" is 2200 I need to eat around 1700 to drop weight at a health rate.
  • danewortley
    danewortley Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks for a great explanation!
  • gavini
    gavini Posts: 248 Member
    i have been thinking about this a lot too and would love some advice, i am in relatively good shape but really really really really want a six - pack but not sure how to get it and when people say to eat right i get confused.

    i feel like i eat relatively well. i end up way over on the sugars but that is generally due to fruit. my diary is public so if you have a second let me know what you think but basically my diet is

    breakfast
    oatmeal with banana, pnut butter & blueberries

    after workout
    myoplex of muscle milk protein drink
    clif bar

    snack
    apple

    lunch
    cold cuts

    snack
    orange
    p nut butter pretzels

    dinner
    this is the only part that tends to vary but we usually eat healthy. always a bunch of veggies with hummus and main course's can be scrambled eggs, pasta, salmon, burgers, chicken, other fish.

    I mostly do cardio so i figure i need to start incorporating more weights that target the abs, right now i do pilates and a "circuit training" class once a week.

    thanks in advance for any ideas on what i might be doing wrong or need to change/add.
  • SlimMaya
    SlimMaya Posts: 9
    Thank you for all the help so far.
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
    i have been thinking about this a lot too and would love some advice, i am in relatively good shape but really really really really want a six - pack but not sure how to get it and when people say to eat right i get confused.

    i feel like i eat relatively well. i end up way over on the sugars but that is generally due to fruit. my diary is public so if you have a second let me know what you think but basically my diet is

    breakfast
    oatmeal with banana, pnut butter & blueberries

    after workout
    myoplex of muscle milk protein drink
    clif bar

    snack
    apple

    lunch
    cold cuts

    snack
    orange
    p nut butter pretzels

    dinner
    this is the only part that tends to vary but we usually eat healthy. always a bunch of veggies with hummus and main course's can be scrambled eggs, pasta, salmon, burgers, chicken, other fish.

    I mostly do cardio so i figure i need to start incorporating more weights that target the abs, right now i do pilates and a "circuit training" class once a week.

    thanks in advance for any ideas on what i might be doing wrong or need to change/add.

    Its a bodyfat issue. If your bodyfat on your abs is beyond your body's threshold for abdominal definition than you show a six pack. Most women have to get pretty low in in BF for a six pack.
  • gavini
    gavini Posts: 248 Member
    [/quote]

    Its a bodyfat issue. If your bodyfat on your abs is beyond your body's threshold for abdominal definition than you show a six pack. Most women have to get pretty low in in BF for a six pack.
    [/quote]
    thanks for the response but i am still confused

    i am a guy and according to this calculator http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/body-fat-percentage.php my body fat is 18%

    how low does it have to be?

    I played with the numbers and if i lower my weight in there it doesnt change the percentage at all, only changing the waist size does, i am a 34 waist, i went down to 32 like i was in high school i would be 16%, i dont think it is possible with my frame to be at 30 inch waist (when i was 32 in hs i was told by doctors i needed to put on some weight) i would be down to 13%
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member


    Its a bodyfat issue. If your bodyfat on your abs is beyond your body's threshold for abdominal definition than you show a six pack. Most women have to get pretty low in in BF for a six pack.
    thanks for the response but i am still confused

    i am a guy and according to this calculator http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/body-fat-percentage.php my body fat is 18%

    how low does it have to be?

    I played with the numbers and if i lower my weight in there it doesnt change the percentage at all, only changing the waist size does, i am a 34 waist, i went down to 32 like i was in high school i would be 16%, i dont think it is possible with my frame to be at 30 inch waist (when i was 32 in hs i was told by doctors i needed to put on some weight) i would be down to 13%

    Weight and bodyfat are two different things and those online calculators are basically useless. You can be 250 pounds with a 36 inch waist and be 5% bodyfat.

    18 percent is high for a guy. You'd probably just have to keep getting leaner. I think guys with a good foundation start showing abs at 10-7% ish.
  • joybedford
    joybedford Posts: 1,680 Member
    I am working on this too before I went on holiday I was happy with my weight (gained a bit while their) but my abs were still not right. I am working on my diet and doing a mix of cardio (running) and lifting to get my BF% down. This will take a while but I,m in no hurry.

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