What do I have to do to get a six pack?

You have to cut down on body fat %. Basically lose more weight or replace weight from body fat with muscle.

Without proper dieting your P ratio will most likely suck and you'll never achieve a 6 pack. you gotta maintain your lean mass while losing fat... if you dont have the dedication to eat properly you'll never get there. As if that didn't suck enough, many dieting suggestions are blatantly wrong. Achieving low BF % and maintaining lean mass is not simple. It goes against your bodies will. You need to either have good genetics or strong determination or you never get there. If you have the will you'll find the way.

For starters, don't take advice about achieving low BF% from anyone who isn't "cut up" themselves. Sorry overweight people, its a whole different ball game going to "shredded" than it is to drop into a healthy weight range. The same tactics don't apply.

Nuff said. If you want it bad enough youll get it.

^

You need to want it.

For most of us mere mortals, it takes hard work to get and hard work to maintain.

It's easy to eff up trying to get really lean and lose too much muscle mass. If you haven't got the muscle mass, you'll look like a crappy squidgy smaller version of yourself. You can keep cutting and cutting, but what are you cutting to? Nothing good, that's for sure.

You need to think long term. Build a frame that's worthy of being revealed with a good lifting programme. Then cut sensibly by getting your diet on point with plenty of protein and a modest calorie deficit. Set aside a year or two to make it happen. Don't be afraid of putting on some fat and muscle by lifting in a surplus for a good chunk of time. Then cut. Then repeat. Until you like the end product.

I locked your other thread since this posted.



The problem that you face, is at 5'8 and 123lbs, you are under weight. Cutting more weight will not provide you results because you do not have enough mass to give you abs. In fact, i have yet to see an under weight person with a good set of abs and this is a very common issue I see on this board. With that said, you probably need to add 10 or so lbs of mass. This means, you will need to do several bulk and cut phases, so you can get back to a normal weight. That means, you will need a good weight training program (you can start with 3 to 4 days of full body routines) and eat above your maintenance calories so you can gain weight. After 8-12 weeks, you can follow it with a cut realizing that about 50% of your weight gain will be new fat. You can not avoid it. You have to accept it and do cycles. You may have to repeat this 1-4 types depending how aggressive you go and how you like your results.


I would suggest spending some time researching the gaining weight section.

I locked your other thread since this posted.



The problem that you face, is at 5'8 and 123lbs, you are under weight. Cutting more weight will not provide you results because you do not have enough mass to give you abs. In fact, i have yet to see an under weight person with a good set of abs and this is a very common issue I see on this board. With that said, you probably need to add 10 or so lbs of mass. This means, you will need to do several bulk and cut phases, so you can get back to a normal weight. That means, you will need a good weight training program (you can start with 3 to 4 days of full body routines) and eat above your maintenance calories so you can gain weight. After 8-12 weeks, you can follow it with a cut realizing that about 50% of your weight gain will be new fat. You can not avoid it. You have to accept it and do cycles. You may have to repeat this 1-4 types depending how aggressive you go and how you like your results.


I would suggest spending some time researching the gaining weight section.

Well I wish you wouldn't present bulking and cutting cycles as the only way. It's not.

Bulking and cutting is very efficient in terms of time to reach your goal, but IMO quality of life suffers on the way.

An approach like leangains allows one to put on the mass gradually, while staying much leaner.

You have to cut down on body fat %. Basically lose more weight or replace weight from body fat with muscle.

yea that is pretty much impossible…you can't turn fat into muscle...

Lol so used to people getting it wrong, but notice he said "replace", not "convert".


If I maintain my total mass, while becoming leaner, I have replaced fat mass with lean mass (weight).

I locked your other thread since this posted.



The problem that you face, is at 5'8 and 123lbs, you are under weight. Cutting more weight will not provide you results because you do not have enough mass to give you abs. In fact, i have yet to see an under weight person with a good set of abs and this is a very common issue I see on this board. With that said, you probably need to add 10 or so lbs of mass. This means, you will need to do several bulk and cut phases, so you can get back to a normal weight. That means, you will need a good weight training program (you can start with 3 to 4 days of full body routines) and eat above your maintenance calories so you can gain weight. After 8-12 weeks, you can follow it with a cut realizing that about 50% of your weight gain will be new fat. You can not avoid it. You have to accept it and do cycles. You may have to repeat this 1-4 types depending how aggressive you go and how you like your results.


I would suggest spending some time researching the gaining weight section.

Well I wish you wouldn't present bulking and cutting cycles as the only way. It's not.

Bulking and cutting is very efficient in terms of time to reach your goal, but IMO quality of life suffers on the way.

An approach like leangains allows one to put on the mass gradually, while staying much leaner.

I agree in normal cases but in the case of someone who is already underweight, if not bordering on it, such as in the case of the OP, starting things out with a good bulk cycle is a better route.

I agree, assuming the subject is a machine.

But human beings are highly emotional. Some more than others (like me!). I just can't stand the love handles and man boobs when I bulk. I know I'm growing slower than I could be, but that is ok with me. The trade off is feeling good all the time.

There is a poster here called BarbellGirl. She is currently doing a lean gain, where she lifts heavy and has a modest calorie surplus. She is gaining about 0.5 lb of muscle a week and her body fat has remained low (~17%). She has a thread on here, but I can't seem to find it...

Ah, here it is.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1088730-female-bulking-advice-needed

I locked your other thread since this posted.



The problem that you face, is at 5'8 and 123lbs, you are under weight. Cutting more weight will not provide you results because you do not have enough mass to give you abs. In fact, i have yet to see an under weight person with a good set of abs and this is a very common issue I see on this board. With that said, you probably need to add 10 or so lbs of mass. This means, you will need to do several bulk and cut phases, so you can get back to a normal weight. That means, you will need a good weight training program (you can start with 3 to 4 days of full body routines) and eat above your maintenance calories so you can gain weight. After 8-12 weeks, you can follow it with a cut realizing that about 50% of your weight gain will be new fat. You can not avoid it. You have to accept it and do cycles. You may have to repeat this 1-4 types depending how aggressive you go and how you like your results.


I would suggest spending some time researching the gaining weight section.

Well I wish you wouldn't present bulking and cutting cycles as the only way. It's not.

Bulking and cutting is very efficient in terms of time to reach your goal, but IMO quality of life suffers on the way.

An approach like leangains allows one to put on the mass gradually, while staying much leaner.

I agree in normal cases but in the case of someone who is already underweight, if not bordering on it, such as in the case of the OP, starting things out with a good bulk cycle is a better route.

I agree, assuming the subject is a machine.

But human beings are highly emotional. Some more than others (like me!). I just can't stand the love handles and man boobs when I bulk. I know I'm growing slower than I could be, but that is ok with me. The trade off is feeling good all the time.

It's really personal preference, but there are many women on here who have done the conventional bulk and haven't gain lots of love handles. But leangains is a viable option as well.

I locked your other thread since this posted.



The problem that you face, is at 5'8 and 123lbs, you are under weight. Cutting more weight will not provide you results because you do not have enough mass to give you abs. In fact, i have yet to see an under weight person with a good set of abs and this is a very common issue I see on this board. With that said, you probably need to add 10 or so lbs of mass. This means, you will need to do several bulk and cut phases, so you can get back to a normal weight. That means, you will need a good weight training program (you can start with 3 to 4 days of full body routines) and eat above your maintenance calories so you can gain weight. After 8-12 weeks, you can follow it with a cut realizing that about 50% of your weight gain will be new fat. You can not avoid it. You have to accept it and do cycles. You may have to repeat this 1-4 types depending how aggressive you go and how you like your results.


I would suggest spending some time researching the gaining weight section.

Well I wish you wouldn't present bulking and cutting cycles as the only way. It's not.

Bulking and cutting is very efficient in terms of time to reach your goal, but IMO quality of life suffers on the way.

An approach like leangains allows one to put on the mass gradually, while staying much leaner.

I agree in normal cases but in the case of someone who is already underweight, if not bordering on it, such as in the case of the OP, starting things out with a good bulk cycle is a better route.

I agree, assuming the subject is a machine.

But human beings are highly emotional. Some more than others (like me!). I just can't stand the love handles and man boobs when I bulk. I know I'm growing slower than I could be, but that is ok with me. The trade off is feeling good all the time.

It's really personal preference, but there are many women on here who have done the conventional bulk and haven't gain lots of love handles. But leangains is a viable option as well.

I just wanted to make sure it was offered up as an alternative

It's definitely a viable one, but I think that because the OP is underweight they should probably focus on a bulk initially because they need to get weight up fairly quickly, not only for six pack but for medical reasons. Your experience with both traditional bulking and leangains definitely makes your input weigh heavily here. However, remember, you did not come from the perspective of someone who is legitimately underweight. That, I feel, changes things.

You are seriously going to tell someone who has lived on workout videos to do a bulk? You all are insane. That will last maybe 2 weeks before she jumps on the scale, freaks out and runs back to J.M. for some cardio repentance.

At most do a body recomp to get your feet wet. Also, I seriously doubt you are at that bf% for a female and don't have a better stomach than you are claiming unless you have the worlds worst ab genetics, been extremely overweight when you were younger or had kiddos (or at enough oats to make you want to puke when you got tested).

I would tell anyone who is underweight to do a bulk. It'll do them good.

You are seriously going to tell someone who has lived on workout videos to do a bulk? You all are insane. That will last maybe 2 weeks before she jumps on the scale, freaks out and runs back to J.M. for some cardio repentance.

At most do a body recomp to get your feet wet. Also, I seriously doubt you are at that bf% for a female and don't have a better stomach than you are claiming unless you have the worlds worst ab genetics, been extremely overweight when you were younger or had kiddos (or at enough oats to make you want to puke when you got tested).

what is a body recomp?

Body Recomposition, which is commonly confused with "lean bulking" (and depending on the context they CAN be one and the same but not necessarily) is the act of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. It happens easily when you are first starting out but becomes difficult, and can seem next to impossible, as you progress. It takes a _lot_ longer to see results doing it this way than the bulk & cut route. For somebody who is medically considered underweight, though, I think that starting out with a basic bulk is the best way to go.

You are seriously going to tell someone who has lived on workout videos to do a bulk? You all are insane. That will last maybe 2 weeks before she jumps on the scale, freaks out and runs back to J.M. for some cardio repentance.

At most do a body recomp to get your feet wet. Also, I seriously doubt you are at that bf% for a female and don't have a better stomach than you are claiming unless you have the worlds worst ab genetics, been extremely overweight when you were younger or had kiddos (or at enough oats to make you want to puke when you got tested).

what is a body recomp?

Body Recomposition, which is commonly confused with "lean bulking" (and depending on the context they CAN be one and the same but not necessarily) is the act of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. It happens easily when you are first starting out but becomes difficult, and can seem next to impossible, as you progress. It takes a _lot_ longer to see results doing it this way than the bulk & cut route. For somebody who is medically considered underweight, though, I think that starting out with a basic bulk is the best way to go.

I can add that I worked with a friend on here who did recomp.. going from 26% body fat to 18%... it took over a year to do so. The winter is here, so bulk for a few months and cut in time for summer. Recomp, in my opinion, takes too much time.

You are seriously going to tell someone who has lived on workout videos to do a bulk? You all are insane. That will last maybe 2 weeks before she jumps on the scale, freaks out and runs back to J.M. for some cardio repentance.

At most do a body recomp to get your feet wet. Also, I seriously doubt you are at that bf% for a female and don't have a better stomach than you are claiming unless you have the worlds worst ab genetics, been extremely overweight when you were younger or had kiddos (or at enough oats to make you want to puke when you got tested).

what is a body recomp?

Body Recomposition, which is commonly confused with "lean bulking" (and depending on the context they CAN be one and the same but not necessarily) is the act of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. It happens easily when you are first starting out but becomes difficult, and can seem next to impossible, as you progress. It takes a _lot_ longer to see results doing it this way than the bulk & cut route. For somebody who is medically considered underweight, though, I think that starting out with a basic bulk is the best way to go.

I can add that I worked with a friend on here who did recomp.. going from 26% body fat to 18%... it took over a year to do so. The winter is here, so bulk for a few months and cut in time for summer. Recomp, in my opinion, takes too much time.

let's not confuse leangains with recomp though (not that you did but we are close)

leangains can be applied to gaining, losing, or recomp. You may not be running a daily surplus when trying to gain weight on leangains, but your weekly energy balance will still be in the black.


obviously, if someone is underweight, a recomp by definition can not fix the problem. One can not gain mass without, well, gaining mass. what I'm saying is that a "typical" (subjective I know) bulk, where one runs deficits every day, can be very hard on the ole psyche, especially the first time around.

let's make this work for people!


as for pace of progress on leangains, it's only slow if you compare it to an IDEALLY executed cut/bulk cycle. When compared to how things go in real life, it's pretty much equivalent. I am very satisfied with my progress one year into it. Do my pics look like I''m wasting time?