Building muscle & abs

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veevero2016
veevero2016 Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What's a realistic time frame to begin noticing abs when working out 3-4 times a week and eating healthy? Also, what are great workouts for the pooch? I'm assuming planks and sit ups but what else?
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  • Mountainbum777
    Mountainbum777 Posts: 76 Member
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    Abs are all about body fat %, once it's low enough they will come. There are so many good ab workouts out there, my favorite though has always been a kneeling cable crunch.

    If you want a time frame, get your bf % measured and calculate your weight loss by your caloric defecit until you reach the % needed which for women I believe is around 8-10% bf but don't quote me on that.
  • codsterlaing95
    codsterlaing95 Posts: 221 Member
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    Females generally need to reach 20% to start seeing abs.
  • veevero2016
    veevero2016 Posts: 23 Member
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    What's a good website or how do I measure my bf? @Mountainbum777
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Mountainbum777 wrote: »
    Abs are all about body fat %, once it's low enough they will come. There are so many good ab workouts out there, my favorite though has always been a kneeling cable crunch.

    If you want a time frame, get your bf % measured and calculate your weight loss by your caloric defecit until you reach the % needed which for women I believe is around 8-10% bf but don't quote me on that.

    Those % are more for men, though you can probably start seeing them around 14%, depending on where you carry your fat. for women it is more like 15-20%. also direct ab works wont do much for abs showing.

    Best to lower BF% Are the following:
    -a small deficit, 0.5lbs/week weight loss goal if you don't have a lot to lose.
    -adequate protein (since you don't know your BF% I would suggest 0.8grams per lb of goal weight)
    -progressive strength training program
    -time.

    adequate protein, a smaller deficit, and progressive strength training routine will ensure that a larger % of your weight loss will come from fat, and less from muscle than if you didn't get/do those things, meaning you will be a lower BF% at your goal weight, or hit your goal BF% at a higher weight.
  • marymorris1044
    marymorris1044 Posts: 5 Member
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    codsterlaing95 wrote: »
    Females generally need to reach 20% to start seeing abs.

    20% is where you body fat should be to see abs ???
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    marymorris1044 wrote: »
    codsterlaing95 wrote: »
    Females generally need to reach 20% to start seeing abs.

    20% is where you body fat should be to see abs ???

    depending on where you carry your fat you may be able to see them at 20%, if you carry fat in your abdomen, you may need to get as low as 15%.
  • Mountainbum777
    Mountainbum777 Posts: 76 Member
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    I stand corrected on womens % Erick thanks for posting the above. My lowest measured bf so far was 16.5%, and while close I still never saw those as I carry my weight in my stomach and chest.
  • Mountainbum777
    Mountainbum777 Posts: 76 Member
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    @veevero2016 as far as measuring your bf there are quite a few methods you can find online but I've never trusted the accuracy of doing it myself. If you have a gym membership simply ask them to measure it for you, they should have a handheld device or something similar. I've worked out in a lot of gyms and never been to one that doesn't have one, or been to one that wouldn't do it without charge.
  • HamsterManV2
    HamsterManV2 Posts: 449 Member
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    Men and women have vastly different bodyfat%s required to see abs, on top of genetics and existing muscle.

    Men vs Women
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I see my abs around 15%-16%, most females are a touch higher while most males are a touch lower.

    You can eat any food you want and still see abs, it's BF% that will reveal them.

    If you are losing weight currently no exercise is going to make them show more.
    I don't do ab exercises for the point if making them shoew, only for strength purposes and even then I rarely isolate them. Probably the best one would be hanging leg raises.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    veevero2016 wrote: »
    What's a realistic time frame to begin noticing abs when working out 3-4 times a week and eating healthy? Also, what are great workouts for the pooch? I'm assuming planks and sit ups but what else?

    There is no good answer. If you can't currently see abs, then the answer is "longer than you've been at it so far". I'm not being snarky.. it's the truth. There are too many variables to make statements about time frame. Even Eric's BF figures above are huge generalizations and reality can vary greatly from person to person.
  • bodyfuelnutritionllc
    bodyfuelnutritionllc Posts: 15 Member
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    All people are different. Some see when others can't at diff bf. I can see mine at 18... Finally. Keep pushing.
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
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    Abs are completely built in the kitchen..
  • happymom221
    happymom221 Posts: 73 Member
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    I disagree with the kitchen. Genetics play a huge part in it
    I am 5'4 and 155 pounds. I lost 65 pounds in 2015. I have no idea on my body fat. I do no ab work or isolated work. I lift heavy- upper and lower. lt9t2xwqhspt.jpg
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I disagree with the kitchen comment too. The kitchen, meaning eating less and losing fat, plays a big part. But a lot of people have nothing to cut to, meaning that they have very little muscle mass, and are only going to end up skinny and soft looking. Then they post pictures of themselves saying "no matter how much I cut I can't get rid of this belly pouch" and I want to say stand up straight, stop slouching, eat more, and lift weights.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,521 Member
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    I can see my abs; I'm guesstimating I'm around 21% bf right now (based on previous bf measurement and math). Most of my fat is in my butt/thigh region. I've been lifting heavy for 2.5 years...and recomping for most of that time. So as far as a time frame, you could probably diet your way to abs faster than I did, but I like food and beer.
  • veevero2016
    veevero2016 Posts: 23 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Mountainbum777 wrote: »
    @veevero2016 as far as measuring your bf there are quite a few methods you can find online but I've never trusted the accuracy of doing it myself. If you have a gym membership simply ask them to measure it for you, they should have a handheld device or something similar. I've worked out in a lot of gyms and never been to one that doesn't have one, or been to one that wouldn't do it without charge.

    That's awesome I had no idea it'd be available at my own gym. I will ask tomorrow. Thanks so much
  • veevero2016
    veevero2016 Posts: 23 Member
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    happymom221 wrote: »
    I disagree with the kitchen. Genetics play a huge part in it
    I am 5'4 and 155 pounds. I lost 65 pounds in 2015. I have no idea on my body fat. I do no ab work or isolated work. I lift heavy- upper and lower. lt9t2xwqhspt.jpg

    You look great!
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Mountainbum777 wrote: »
    @veevero2016 as far as measuring your bf there are quite a few methods you can find online but I've never trusted the accuracy of doing it myself. If you have a gym membership simply ask them to measure it for you, they should have a handheld device or something similar. I've worked out in a lot of gyms and never been to one that doesn't have one, or been to one that wouldn't do it without charge.

    Those BIA (bioelectric impedance) devices/scales are worthless. They're less accurate than looking in the mirror and estimating your bodyfat, and accuracy-wise they're probably somewhere in the ballpark of the dude at the carnival who will guess your weight. When I joined the gym I'm at now, they offered to do a free body composition analysis. I asked how they did it and they said they had a handheld analyzer. I said no thanks, don't want it. I have a set of calipers at home which, while they're not 100% accurate (nothing but autopsy truly is), are more accurate than BIA. I have a Withings scale at home which does BIA and the only thing I look at the numbers for is amusement. They fluctuate sometimes 2% - 3% on successive days.


    Here's an article which explains BIA and why it's not a good way to measure your BF%:

    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-4-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-3-and-4-bod-pod-and-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/the-pitfalls-of-bodyfat-measurement-part-4-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/
  • M30834134
    M30834134 Posts: 411 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Mountainbum777 wrote: »
    @veevero2016 as far as measuring your bf there are quite a few methods you can find online but I've never trusted the accuracy of doing it myself. If you have a gym membership simply ask them to measure it for you, they should have a handheld device or something similar. I've worked out in a lot of gyms and never been to one that doesn't have one, or been to one that wouldn't do it without charge.

    Those BIA (bioelectric impedance) devices/scales are worthless. They're less accurate than looking in the mirror and estimating your bodyfat, and accuracy-wise they're probably somewhere in the ballpark of the dude at the carnival who will guess your weight.

    Totally agree! My bathroom scale along with scales of 2 of my friends consistently clock me at 22-24% body fat, which I know was wrong as I've had abs showing for a while. I did a DEXA scan yesterday - 13% body fat.

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