Will this get my abs out of hiding?
berrydana7
Posts: 78 Member
Hi! I currently have a layer of fat on top of my abs that i want to melt off to have a noticeable and toned mid-section. I am 5 ft 2 and am 19. i've been strength training for a year with cardio. I'm fit and healthy but my latest goal is to make my abs visible and have a smaller waist.
I have tried eating clean and intuitively but that was of no avail since i ate in huge portions and never tracked anything so the calories eventually accumulated to my maintenance or surplus calories. So it was difficult for me to see physical results from all my hard work at the gym.
I've decided to track macros and calories as i know that will be the most effective way to reach my goal. I'm having 1480 calories a day with a 35/35/30 split (129g carbs, 129 protein and 49 grams fat) I'll have a mix of "clean" and "dirty" foods during the day to reach my macros.
In terms of my fitness routine, it currently looks like this:
Monday: Upper body + 10-20min cardio (intervals on treadmill eg. 2min fast/ 2min slow)
Tuesday: Lower body + 10-20min cardio
Wednesday: HIIT (Sprints on spin bike) + 20-30 mins steady state or spin class
Thursday: Upper body + 10-20min cardio
Friday: Lower body + 10-20min cardio
Saturday: Arms + 10-20min cardio
Sunday: Rest
Feedback would be appreciated
I have tried eating clean and intuitively but that was of no avail since i ate in huge portions and never tracked anything so the calories eventually accumulated to my maintenance or surplus calories. So it was difficult for me to see physical results from all my hard work at the gym.
I've decided to track macros and calories as i know that will be the most effective way to reach my goal. I'm having 1480 calories a day with a 35/35/30 split (129g carbs, 129 protein and 49 grams fat) I'll have a mix of "clean" and "dirty" foods during the day to reach my macros.
In terms of my fitness routine, it currently looks like this:
Monday: Upper body + 10-20min cardio (intervals on treadmill eg. 2min fast/ 2min slow)
Tuesday: Lower body + 10-20min cardio
Wednesday: HIIT (Sprints on spin bike) + 20-30 mins steady state or spin class
Thursday: Upper body + 10-20min cardio
Friday: Lower body + 10-20min cardio
Saturday: Arms + 10-20min cardio
Sunday: Rest
Feedback would be appreciated
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Replies
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There are no "clean" and "dirty" foods. Eat at a deficit to lose, as the working out is for your health.0
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alright then! thanks!0
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Losing weight would help to have visible ab because the first place your bodyfat start to disappear is your belly. But also I think lower carb + higher protein for muscle gain for the ab is good.0
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you will need to lower BF % before you see any abs.
Lift heavy, Calorie deficit
Or if you don't have enough lean body mass then bulk and cut cycles will be needed0 -
You could try adding an extra 10-20 minutes of cardio to really burn away the calories and fat. You still want to keep in the strength training for overall fitness, a toned body, and lean muscle (which will burn more calories at resting). You could also focus on more HIIT training, for overall body toning WHILE keeping the heart rate way up and burning those calories.0
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Here, read this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
You're welcome.
PS: If you haven't seen the OP's abs yet, check them out on page 4 of the thread. That woman knows what it takes.0 -
I've had problems with belly fat my whole life, and just recently cut out bread and I have ALREADY seen a difference in my 'flabs'. I tried all sorts of diets and workouts, but nothing works quite like ditching bread. It was hard, but I already lost craving for it!0
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »There are no "clean" and "dirty" foods. Eat at a deficit to lose, as the working out is for your health.
Agree. Otherwise, no need to add in a 3rd upper body day. And if you're able to follow up HIIT with more cardio, you're doing HIIT wrong. Otherwise your routine is the same as mine, just without the 3rd upper body day and I do shorter cardio sessions (10 mins post-weights)0 -
Abs are made in the kitchen. Clean eating only.0
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I agree. You have 2 upper body days, and will be in a deficit. There is no need whatsoever for an "arms" day. I feel like a lot of people aren't doing true HIIT. They do interval training and call it HIIT. If you do HIIT correctly you'll not be able to follow it with anything but resting. You'd be to exhausted/taxed to do further activity without rest. If you do feel up to doing something after a HIIT session, you didn't go hard enough.Liftng4Lis wrote: »There are no "clean" and "dirty" foods. Eat at a deficit to lose, as the working out is for your health.
Agree. Otherwise, no need to add in a 3rd upper body day. And if you're able to follow up HIIT with more cardio, you're doing HIIT wrong. Otherwise your routine is the same as mine, just without the 3rd upper body day and I do shorter cardio sessions (10 mins post-weights)
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Clean eating only? My abs must not pay attention to that rule... There are no clean foods and clean eating is a completely meaningless term. You can eat virtually any food you want and still have abs providing you eat the foods in moderation.Abs are made in the kitchen. Clean eating only.
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That's gynetics. Not everyone is equally blessed ^0
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I agree. You have 2 upper body days, and will be in a deficit. There is no need whatsoever for an "arms" day. I feel like a lot of people aren't doing true HIIT. They do interval training and call it HIIT. If you do HIIT correctly you'll not be able to follow it with anything but resting. You'd be to exhausted/taxed to do further activity without rest. If you do feel up to doing something after a HIIT session, you didn't go hard enough.Liftng4Lis wrote: »There are no "clean" and "dirty" foods. Eat at a deficit to lose, as the working out is for your health.
Agree. Otherwise, no need to add in a 3rd upper body day. And if you're able to follow up HIIT with more cardio, you're doing HIIT wrong. Otherwise your routine is the same as mine, just without the 3rd upper body day and I do shorter cardio sessions (10 mins post-weights)
That's pretty much why I hate HIIT lol. I'd rather not be dead afterwards, I have a life to contend with!0 -
Genetics she says...genetics...lol Where were those genetics back in 2011??? I must have had latent genetics that didn't show themselves until I turned 27...That's gynetics. Not everyone is equally blessed ^
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It's only genetics in the sense that some people are genetically predisposed to bloat a bit when they eat certain foods. There is nothing "dirty" about those foods, just that some people have a digestive tract that responds to them by producing gas, retaining fluid, or both.0
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I'm going out on a limb and guessing that Vismal's genetics might have had a meeting with a diet with a calorie deficit and a workout plan that is rich in IRON.....0
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thats not enough cardio, imo. do 30-45 mins and especially run sprints.0
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Way to go Vismal. Looking great. I just started back working out n I've been hitting my abs hard. Hope my work pays off like yours. Good job.0
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Some_Watery_Tart wrote: »Here, read this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
You're welcome.
PS: If you haven't seen the OP's abs yet, check them out on page 4 of the thread. That woman knows what it takes.
OMG yes...a must read if you want abs (still a work in progress here)0 -
Abdominal muscles are muscles. In order for them to show beneath your skin you must work them out properly. Cardio does not grow muscle. Sit ups do. Lifting weights does. Anaerobic activity does. Treadmills do not. Vismal did not get his abs on the stairmaster. He got them by building the muscle.
This isn't just a mess of situps. Compound weight lifting tends to do the best. Weighted squats, deadlifts, etc. if you go that route. The right kettlebell routines can shred you pretty good as long as you get past those itty bitty 5lb bells.
And if you're like my wife, put down the rice, pasta and ramyun and pick up some shrimp, fish, pork, chicken lamb and beef. Tofu and other soy products are good too, but you'll need to supplement creatine if you want to do it exclusively. And beans, beans are good. Pretty much anything with protein. Muscles don't regularly feed and grow on carbs. You need fats and proteins.0 -
MelanieMamaof5 wrote: »You could try adding an extra 10-20 minutes of cardio to really burn away the calories and fat. You still want to keep in the strength training for overall fitness, a toned body, and lean muscle (which will burn more calories at resting). You could also focus on more HIIT training, for overall body toning WHILE keeping the heart rate way up and burning those calories.
thanks
So 10-20 mins cardio after lifting?
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »There are no "clean" and "dirty" foods. Eat at a deficit to lose, as the working out is for your health.
Agree. Otherwise, no need to add in a 3rd upper body day. And if you're able to follow up HIIT with more cardio, you're doing HIIT wrong. Otherwise your routine is the same as mine, just without the 3rd upper body day and I do shorter cardio sessions (10 mins post-weights)
Okay then, I will just do a 10-20 min sprint session Do you normally do anything before the sprint session?
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I agree. You have 2 upper body days, and will be in a deficit. There is no need whatsoever for an "arms" day. I feel like a lot of people aren't doing true HIIT. They do interval training and call it HIIT. If you do HIIT correctly you'll not be able to follow it with anything but resting. You'd be to exhausted/taxed to do further activity without rest. If you do feel up to doing something after a HIIT session, you didn't go hard enough.Liftng4Lis wrote: »There are no "clean" and "dirty" foods. Eat at a deficit to lose, as the working out is for your health.
Agree. Otherwise, no need to add in a 3rd upper body day. And if you're able to follow up HIIT with more cardio, you're doing HIIT wrong. Otherwise your routine is the same as mine, just without the 3rd upper body day and I do shorter cardio sessions (10 mins post-weights)
Alright so one back day and arm day would be good? because what i was doing before was back/triceps for 1 upper body day, back/biceps for the 2nd upper day and biceps/triceps for 3rd upper body day So the 10-20mins post-weights cardio is fine? Do you do HIIT on your off days? Yes i will keep that in mind, thank you for your feedback! 0
This discussion has been closed.
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