Best workouts to tone abs???
Replies
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You guys have been a bit harsh, don't you think? If you wanted to make a point then think about how you might be coming across and treat her with some respect. If you had said this to a woman in real,life you would have probably had your face slapped.
Nuff said.
The fact that honest and direct is now viewed as "harsh" is telling about today's society. Candy coating things and telling people what they want to hear rather than what they need to does not help. Enabling is not support.
It's not candy coating, it's called having a heart.
it honestly baffles me how anyone makes it through real life on a daily basis with all of the things out there that are more far more harmful. If you're offended by someone laying out the truth and giving constructive criticism then you have larger issues to iron out.
Perhaps I do. I just dont like seeing people getting put down on here. If that's an 'issue' them shoot me down.
It wasn't putting anyone down. It's a varied phrase from "calorie deficit to lose fat". That'd exactly how that read to me. Same as "abs are made in the kitchen" which is the same as "fork put downs and table push backs". I'm sorry you and OP saw that are offensive. It's all perspective. I can turn a lot of words on the internet into mean words if I read into them with the right angle. Ya know?
He was being sarcastic or trying to be funny, which obviously the OP didnt find funny. He could have just said calorie deficit and that would have answered the question or the other tired line on this site, you cant spot reduce.0 -
I did not "put down" the OP nor did I see anyone else. I gave honest advice and I won't apologize for how it was worded. I even provided core strengthening exercise examples and a Mayo Clinic link!Perhaps I do. I just dont like seeing people getting put down on here. If that's an 'issue' them shoot me down.0 -
You guys have been a bit harsh, don't you think? If you wanted to make a point then think about how you might be coming across and treat her with some respect. If you had said this to a woman in real,life you would have probably had your face slapped.
Nuff said.
The fact that honest and direct is now viewed as "harsh" is telling about today's society. Candy coating things and telling people what they want to hear rather than what they need to does not help. Enabling is not support.
It's not candy coating, it's called having a heart.
it honestly baffles me how anyone makes it through real life on a daily basis with all of the things out there that are more far more harmful. If you're offended by someone laying out the truth and giving constructive criticism then you have larger issues to iron out.
Perhaps I do. I just dont like seeing people getting put down on here. If that's an 'issue' them shoot me down.
It wasn't putting anyone down. It's a varied phrase from "calorie deficit to lose fat". That'd exactly how that read to me. Same as "abs are made in the kitchen" which is the same as "fork put downs and table push backs". I'm sorry you and OP saw that are offensive. It's all perspective. I can turn a lot of words on the internet into mean words if I read into them with the right angle. Ya know?
He was being sarcastic or trying to be funny, which obviously the OP didnt find funny. He could have just said calorie deficit and that would have answered the question or the other tired line on this site, you cant spot reduce.
I guess this is where everyone's different and express things in different ways and that's what makes us all beautiful butterflies. We should embrace the idea that different people are, in fact, different. Thicker skins, objectively taking info...etc etc etc0 -
This reply provided no valuable info to the OP's original post.I do Pilates to strengthen my whole body. I've just posted my before and after pics for before Pilates and three weeks on. Doing cardio will also help with shedding the calories. Make sure you log everything you eat and keep to the calories allowed every single day.
Great, you like Pilates. I didn't offer my routine as advice.
Pretty sure everyone knows cardio burns calories and without logging you don't know how many calories you are really consuming.
And pics! Wow, different lighting, angle and white balance. What else am I supposed to notice?0 -
I did not "put down" the OP nor did I see anyone else. I gave honest advice and I won't apologize for how it was worded. I even provided core strengthening exercise examples and a Mayo Clinic link!Perhaps I do. I just dont like seeing people getting put down on here. If that's an 'issue' them shoot me down.
^This. Instead of giving crap advice about planks and the like, dude gave an honest answer and even provided core strengthening info to a question that is asked multiple times a day!
What's next, someone asks for advice but puts a disclaimer on how the answer should be worded?0 -
Hiyah OP
As other posts have advised the calorie deficit is important. I use fitness blender.com and look for total body workouts. If I had the space though I would invest in free weights and start heavy lifting. Good luck you can do it.0 -
I think most have pretty much answered the 6-pack question. BUT, that's not to say that you shouldn't do a little bit of Core training for overall stability and injury prevention. Sure things like squatting and deadlifting can help strengthen your Core, but it's not a bad idea to do some other Core work. Even something as simple as 3sets of back raises for 15 reps, or a set of Front & Side Planks.0
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Thanks for the harsh "the best exercise for your abs at this point would be putting down the fork or spoon and pushing yourself away from the table." like I don't know that, and I have been doing that but, thanks for making me feel even more horrible about my body than I already do.
But, anyway, thanks to those of you who have really tried to help with encouraging tips. :-)
LoL, why is it that people start a post like this and then *cry* when they get a response they don't like but is the honest truth. You fully admitted in your original post that you know you cannot spot reduce but then turn around and ask for exercises to "do" just that. You then get upset when someone suggests that ABS are made in the kitchen, not in the gym.
I have read multiple articles by very successful people, men and women, that this is in fact the truth. No planks, crunches or sit ups are going to help "tone" your abs. Diet is what causes your abs to be "toned".
It wasn't what they suggested that bothered me, I agree, and none of you know me nor do you know what I eat so you have no room to say anything about that, I was just looking for some additional ab workouts to do that maybe I hadn't heard of before to add to the other workouts (not just abs) that I already do.
But, what bothered me was the fact that he and some others felt they needed to be jerks and add the sarcasm of "best exercise for your abs at this point would be putting down the fork or spoon and pushing yourself away from the table." That's what bothered me.
You can still give alternative advice from what someone was asking without putting them down. So grow up and learn how to treat people with some kindness and I guarantee you that you would have never said that to my face so quit hiding behind a computer screen when you try and insult someone.
I dont think it was a put down. Anyone who wants to "toned" needs to lose fat. How do you lose fat?? Eat at a deficit. How do you eat at a defecit? PUT THE FORK DOWN AND MOVE FROM THE TABLE.0 -
This is a super-long post - firstly (and most importantly) addressing OP's question. After that, it's addressing the idea of what "having a heart" really is.
OP, I'm going to second the compound lifts. It's amazing how much squats really work your core.
When I first started compound lifting, I had been in karate for three years and we do a ton of conventional "ab work". Planks, sit ups, etc. Squatting and deadlifting made me really feel my core. It's fantastic! I improved my posture drastically (which helped to make me look skinnier) and I also reduced back pain (save for DOMs after deads, ha ha!).
Recently, I injured my knee running and have been avoiding lifting during the recovery. I've moved to bodyweight exercises and have discovered that leg raises are not only challenging, but they work your core muscles really well. I feel it the next day for sure. It also helps because it doesn't have the same negative impacts on the back that crunches and such do. Added benefit, it's fun to hang from a bar/tree and it also helps to condition your arms and shoulders a bit. With proper form, it hits your back as well.
But no matter what, it will take time and a lot more weight. I'm 30+lbs down right now and I only have 18lbs to go - but I'm still not seeing visible abs. I don't have a balloon belly anymore, but I don't have flat abs. Not even close. I don't expect to see that until I'm 8lbs or less from my goal. I don't expect anything that could come close to "visible" until I hit 18% BF - and even then, I may not see it.
Don't get attached to the idea of having washboard abs. It's harder to obtain than you think. Instead, just focus on the process and the step by step. Focus on working your core and your abs more for function than fashion (but retain vanity goals - it's not bad). Enjoy the feeling of being more powerful in your every day movements and the knowledge that you're not just losing weight, but making sure that your body is well trained to handle the stresses of life.
And now to address the whole idea of what "having a heart" really means.You guys have been a bit harsh, don't you think? If you wanted to make a point then think about how you might be coming across and treat her with some respect. If you had said this to a woman in real,life you would have probably had your face slapped.
Nuff said.
The fact that honest and direct is now viewed as "harsh" is telling about today's society. Candy coating things and telling people what they want to hear rather than what they need to does not help. Enabling is not support.
It's not candy coating, it's called having a heart.
No, that is not called "having a heart". It's called "sugar coating" to think you can be a friend and let someone while away and not obtain what they are truly capable of, to draw some shining curtain over their failures in some misguided attempt to save their feelings.
Having a heart is having the courage to be direct with feedback that no one wants to hear. It's opening yourself up to being called a "bully" or a "meanie" or a "*kitten*" by telling someone the truth they need to hear. It's the resilience to continue to tell them "no, honey, put the fork down and work compound lifts - it will help more than just your 'abs' and you will find the progress you're looking for" in spite of all the "bleeding hearts" like you who would rather slow and derail and sugar coat the OPs problems rather than help her gain the courage and fortitude to face them with strength and determination.
Having a heart is being willing to be seen as a villain by the people you're trying to help and knowing that, with time, they will obtain the goals they have set for themselves.
Having a heart is being selfless enough to tell it as it is, regardless of how many people will ***** you out for it and how many times you will be called mean or thoughtless.
Having a heart is caring enough to really invest in someone - to take it to heart when they fail and to get frustrated by that because you know that they're able to be better than their failures and it hurts to see them fail.
If I'm a douche bag mean bully who doesn't "have a heart" because I know that OP can obtain the body she wants once she works through the immediate (and understandable) feelings of defensiveness, then so be it. I'll proudly be some douche bag bully who is "mean" and doesn't "have a heart". I don't care what you think of me, I care what OP accomplishes.
Because that's why we're here - we're not here to commiserate in our failures. We're here to break down our bad habits and build up better ones.0 -
Thanks for the harsh "the best exercise for your abs at this point would be putting down the fork or spoon and pushing yourself away from the table." like I don't know that, and I have been doing that but, thanks for making me feel even more horrible about my body than I already do.
But, anyway, thanks to those of you who have really tried to help with encouraging tips. :-)
So you would rather have cheerleaders rather than legit advice...got it.
You go You! Yay0 -
Probably the most efficient ab exercise is Table Push Aways... Mixed with a well designed weight training program focused on progression... :drinker:
That sounds like an excellent plan, your support is greatly appreciated!0 -
Thanks for the harsh "the best exercise for your abs at this point would be putting down the fork or spoon and pushing yourself away from the table." like I don't know that, and I have been doing that but, thanks for making me feel even more horrible about my body than I already do.
But, anyway, thanks to those of you who have really tried to help with encouraging tips. :-)
So you would rather have cheerleaders rather than legit advice...got it.
You go You! Yay
you are being abit silly. it really all boils down to delivery. but as this is the internet and we are all different all tastes cannot be catered for. The last person who posted didnt sugar coat at all but didnt use sarcasm.0 -
If you know you can't spot reduce, then why are you asking for exercises to spot reduce?I'm really wanting to tone my abs (I know I can't spot reduce that's not what I'm saying I just want to focus on abs mostly right now) I'm looking for some great ab workouts that will show visible toning thanks for any tips! :-)
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
You guys have been a bit harsh, don't you think? If you wanted to make a point then think about how you might be coming across and treat her with some respect. If you had said this to a woman in real,life you would have probably had your face slapped.
Nuff said.
The fact that honest and direct is now viewed as "harsh" is telling about today's society. Candy coating things and telling people what they want to hear rather than what they need to does not help. Enabling is not support.
It's not candy coating, it's called having a heart.
A heart exists to pump blood. The never ending cheer leading for bad ideas and unwillingness to tell people what they need to hear is counterproductive. Feel free to engage in enabling, candy coating, telling people what they want to hear behaviors which provide no real help ... it's your choice.0 -
If you know you can't spot reduce, then why are you asking for exercises to spot reduce?I'm really wanting to tone my abs (I know I can't spot reduce that's not what I'm saying I just want to focus on abs mostly right now) I'm looking for some great ab workouts that will show visible toning thanks for any tips! :-)
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
This+++
OP, nobody is trying to put you down. Leave sensitivity at the door when you come onto the boards. When I wan't to solve a problem I want all of the no BS responses I can get if they are going to help me reach my goal.
There's no such thing as toning a muscle, they only get bigger or smaller. The "toned" look is achieved by having a lower body fat %. Abs are made in the kitchen.0 -
You guys have been a bit harsh, don't you think? If you wanted to make a point then think about how you might be coming across and treat her with some respect. If you had said this to a woman in real,life you would have probably had your face slapped.
Nuff said.
Not really. The honest truth is calorie deficit to lose weight, which if done correctly means losing fat. Weightlifting can help retain current muscle to make her look leaner at goal, giving her a better chance at what she wants...nice abs. Therefore, answering her question. It doesn't have to fit in a perfectly bow ribbon tied box. I would rather a hundred harsh truths than sugarcoated lies about how to obtain something I wish.
Telling someone to put down the fork was uncalled for. Dont you think members on here are already doing that? Its obvious eating less at deficit etc will help, but the replies weren't helpful at all.
You must be new here.
Fork put downs and table push aways. That's how you get visible "toned" abs.
it has nothing to do with her or her character. That is a fact.
I tell people regularly who want to lose weight- fork put downs and table push aways. Period. That's the only way it works. In person and on line. no body's getting slapped for being told they need to control what goes in their pie hole in order to lose weight.
If she specifically said- I have a weak core- how do I make it stronger- the answers would have been completely different.
But she specifically asked for ab workouts to help show visible toning- the only ones for that happen at home- not at the gym.0 -
Not really. The honest truth is calorie deficit to lose weight, which if done correctly means losing fat.
Telling someone to put down the fork was uncalled for. Dont you think members on here are already doing that? Its obvious eating less at deficit etc will help, but the replies weren't helpful at all.
[/quote]
Fork put downs and table push aways. That's how you get visible "toned" abs.
But she specifically asked for ab workouts to help show visible toning- the only ones for that happen at home- not at the gym.
[/quote]
Perhaps the OP doesn't understand calorie deficit completely and solely pushing away from the table isn't going to get visible abs either. It's a matter of body fat and I didn't see much of that explained. No amount of ab work is going to increase visibility until body fat is significantly reduced in a person with a goal of 67 pounds to lose.
The initial responses were all smart azz answers rather than attempting to explain that it's about body fat percentage. The best way to lower body fat? Put down the fork, push away from the table and push the weights. The response that it doesn't happen at the gym isn't entirely correct either.0 -
well... you can have visible abs and never step foot in a gym.
but - when I think the abs I lust over come from lifters with low body fat.
Yes she should be lifting.
yes she should be dieting.0 -
This lady has recently had a baby.... Typical man post... Put down the knife and fork.....
Just do any exercises Sarah... They all help in the long run. You will get there, and when you do your abs will be strong.
I too am overweight... But still do ab exercises..0 -
This lady has recently had a baby.... Typical man post... Put down the knife and fork.....
Just do any exercises Sarah... They all help in the long run. You will get there, and when you do your abs will be strong.
I too am overweight... But still do ab exercises..
Uh really? One is supposed to just assume the OP had a baby recently? Where in there original post is that stated ANYWHERE?
Typical sexist remark. Typical responding with your emotions rather than logic.0 -
This reply provided no valuable info to the OP's original post.I do Pilates to strengthen my whole body. I've just posted my before and after pics for before Pilates and three weeks on. Doing cardio will also help with shedding the calories. Make sure you log everything you eat and keep to the calories allowed every single day.
Great, you like Pilates. I didn't offer my routine as advice.
Pretty sure everyone knows cardio burns calories and without logging you don't know how many calories you are really consuming.
And pics! Wow, different lighting, angle and white balance. What else am I supposed to notice?
You're such a jerk. Yes the light is bad in the first one but I can see a difference without the pic.
You're the one resorting to name calling...
I honestly dont/cant see a difference. I'm not saying there isn't one, only that those two pictures are not only small but completely different and impossible to tell anything with. I'm sorry0 -
This lady has recently had a baby.... Typical man post... Put down the knife and fork.....
I would have said it first- but he beat me to it- guess that makes me a typical man too?
And what does her having a baby have ANYTHING to do with the comment. it's a true statement- baby or no.
Your post is significantly more sexist- and by 'significantly' that you'rs is highly- and his isn't at all.0 -
This reply provided no valuable info to the OP's original post.I do Pilates to strengthen my whole body. I've just posted my before and after pics for before Pilates and three weeks on. Doing cardio will also help with shedding the calories. Make sure you log everything you eat and keep to the calories allowed every single day.
Great, you like Pilates. I didn't offer my routine as advice.
Pretty sure everyone knows cardio burns calories and without logging you don't know how many calories you are really consuming.
And pics! Wow, different lighting, angle and white balance. What else am I supposed to notice?
You're such a jerk. Yes the light is bad in the first one but I can see a difference without the pic.
You're the one resorting to name calling...
I honestly dont/cant see a difference. I'm not saying there isn't one, only that those two pictures are not only small but completely different and impossible to tell anything with. I'm sorry
That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.0 -
That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.
You know that feeling when you're the minority opinion and a handful of individuals feel the exact opposite of the way you do? It's usually for a reason...0 -
I love the hypocrisy, calling someone out for not being nice and then resorting to insults. As to the OP, why ask a question about spot reduction when you know it is impossible?0
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if you dont feel like spending 50-100 bucks for a paper back you can find the same info here
http://stores.wacobar.net/pdf_files/LegendaryAbs.pdf0 -
another dose of MFP love0
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This lady has recently had a baby.... Typical man post... Put down the knife and fork.....
I would have said it first- but he beat me to it- guess that makes me a typical man too?
And what does her having a baby have ANYTHING to do with the comment. it's a true statement- baby or no.
Your post is significantly more sexist- and by 'significantly' that you'rs is highly- and his isn't at all.
Lol! The irony is laughable!
The sad thing is taking offense to a piece of advice that is 100% accurate, then commenting on the sexist nature of said advice, only to deliver the comment in an even more sexist manner - ultimately to be called out by a member of the same sex! ( A badass member, if I may say so, but that's why we're MFP buds
)
I'd rather be honest and straightforward, then to be considered one of those MFP "friends" that will tell someone who just "binged" or "went way over their calorie goal" that it's "ok", or "tomorrow is another day" or "that's just your body telling you that you need to eat more"... but that's just me.
Bottom line: OP asked for ab toning exercises AFTER stating she is aware you can't spot reduce/tone. Thread should have ended before it ever began.
[/thread]0 -
It's not candy coating, it's called having a heart.
No, that is not called "having a heart". It's called "sugar coating" to think you can be a friend and let someone while away and not obtain what they are truly capable of, to draw some shining curtain over their failures in some misguided attempt to save their feelings.
Having a heart is having the courage to be direct with feedback that no one wants to hear. It's opening yourself up to being called a "bully" or a "meanie" or a "*kitten*" by telling someone the truth they need to hear. It's the resilience to continue to tell them "no, honey, put the fork down and work compound lifts - it will help more than just your 'abs' and you will find the progress you're looking for" in spite of all the "bleeding hearts" like you who would rather slow and derail and sugar coat the OPs problems rather than help her gain the courage and fortitude to face them with strength and determination.
Having a heart is being willing to be seen as a villain by the people you're trying to help and knowing that, with time, they will obtain the goals they have set for themselves.
Having a heart is being selfless enough to tell it as it is, regardless of how many people will ***** you out for it and how many times you will be called mean or thoughtless.
Having a heart is caring enough to really invest in someone - to take it to heart when they fail and to get frustrated by that because you know that they're able to be better than their failures and it hurts to see them fail.
If I'm a douche bag mean bully who doesn't "have a heart" because I know that OP can obtain the body she wants once she works through the immediate (and understandable) feelings of defensiveness, then so be it. I'll proudly be some douche bag bully who is "mean" and doesn't "have a heart". I don't care what you think of me, I care what OP accomplishes.
Because that's why we're here - we're not here to commiserate in our failures. We're here to break down our bad habits and build up better ones.
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If you know you can't spot reduce, then why are you asking for exercises to spot reduce?I'm really wanting to tone my abs (I know I can't spot reduce that's not what I'm saying I just want to focus on abs mostly right now) I'm looking for some great ab workouts that will show visible toning thanks for any tips! :-)
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Because, I was wanting to learn some NEW ab exercises to add to the other workouts that I do, just because I ask for only ab exercises doesn't mean I don't do other workouts, I DO, I just know a whole lot more about other areas of working out and just wanted to see if there were some other ab workouts I could do that would change up my routine a little bit NOWHERE in my post did I say can you please give me some ab workouts so I can only ever do those. :-)0
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