Don't want to lose my abs
BonyCastro
Posts: 110 Member
I'm paranoid about losing my abs definition. I'm trying to bulk for the first time and I have gained a couple of pounds which looks nice in jeans but my abs are not the same!!!! I'm trying to work my abs harder on purpose. Any advice !!
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Replies
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Comes with the territory. No advice here. I just tried to focus on my gym performance during my bulk and not get too caught up with the fat gains, though at times it was difficult I know.1
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arditarose wrote: »Comes with the territory. No advice here. I just tried to focus on my gym performance during my bulk and not get too caught up with the fat gains, though at times it was difficult I know.
^This. When I was bulking I tried to focus on the parts that were growing in a positive way (in my case it was my glutes). Working your abs will not prevent fat gain there, fat will go where it goes unfortunately. When you cut you can work on getting your abs back again and I'm sure they will look even better than before0 -
^ what they said. Regardless of how much you work your abs, you will gain fat during a bulk and you can't control where the fat is gained. It's why you cut after your bulk. The only way to kind of mitigate that is get really lean and then slow bulk until you can stand it and then repeat.1
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If you want to keep your abs then do a slow bulk, and stay fairly on a clean diet. It does work but it can take a while..good luck1
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I'm sorry but it just happens often. I am bulking and lost my abs 7 lbs ago. I miss them but I know that I will uncover them again soon. Instead I like to look at all the great gains I've made in my back and glutes . I know it will all come together again in a few months. Its hard to look at but just remember that your doing this to improve and they will come back !0
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Don't worry about them, as long as you're disciplined on your cut you'll get them back. I didn't make all the gains I should have during my first bulk this past winter since I was scared of losing my abs too. I finally got with the program but it was pretty late in the game.0
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I second @IbrahimMohidin. Slow bulk (TDEE+250 calories), you will slow your muscle gains but also your fat gains.0
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Working your abs more regularly through a bulk will not prevent fat gain, but will develop your abs so that they will be more prominent and visable at a slightly higher BF%. If you do this you'll reap the rewards on your cut.0
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if your food intake is the only thing that changes then you will get fat but if you increase your training intensity/frequency and eat 90% clean, you can make steady gains without excess fatHamsterManV2 wrote: »I second @IbrahimMohidin. Slow bulk (TDEE+250 calories), you will slow your muscle gains but also your fat gains.
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IbrahimMohidin wrote: »
if your food intake is the only thing that changes then you will get fat but if you increase your training intensity/frequency and eat 90% clean, you can make steady gains without excess fatHamsterManV2 wrote: »I second @IbrahimMohidin. Slow bulk (TDEE+250 calories), you will slow your muscle gains but also your fat gains.
Eating clean has no impact and is an erroneous term. If macros and calories are held constant and you follow a progressive lifting program, your results will be the same, whether you eat chicken and broccoli or whatever.1 -
IbrahimMohidin wrote: »
if your food intake is the only thing that changes then you will get fat but if you increase your training intensity/frequency and eat 90% clean, you can make steady gains without excess fatHamsterManV2 wrote: »I second @IbrahimMohidin. Slow bulk (TDEE+250 calories), you will slow your muscle gains but also your fat gains.
Eating clean has no impact and is an erroneous term. If macros and calories are held constant and you follow a progressive lifting program, your results will be the same, whether you eat chicken and broccoli or whatever.
Clean eating is also an ambiguous term. I agree with psulemon, control your marcros (and calories) and stick to a good lifting program.0 -
In short, get over it. Slow bulking is akin to spinning your wheels. Your abs won't be "gone". Just hibernating for a little while until you pull the blanket off them again.0
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If you want to keep your abs it's possible, just a slower process but it will play a less emotional role on your mind and you won't have to worry about cutting to the extent if you just bulked. I slightly disagree with "clean eating" being erroneous or ambiguous but everyone has a different belief (yes I still eat fast food, conservatively, before someone reads and gets pissed off). The more a food is processed, the more it loses its nutritional value. Mcdonalds burger patty isn't going to have the same amino chains as a real patty, furthermore fast food has been shown to cause sluggishness and tiredness. People also pay no attention to the sodium intake in fast food, which also helps retain water and lose definition. Plus eating clean allows an easier transition of changing macros which could be the difference in keeping your abs or losing them regardless of the calories (dependent on your macros). Protein is the building base of muscle and there's been no studies (not that I have found valid) showing that excess protein converts to fat. Get your healthy fats in, get your carbs that allow muscle fullness and glycogen restore and energy but not more than you need, that will convert to fat. Anything else eat protein and micronutrients. The higher the protein will actually help your body burn more calories, plus remember protein can't convert. Protein (in studies) is estimated to be 61% more difficult for the body to breakdown than other nutrients which increases energy expenditure. I advise continue your research, choose what your comfortable with and will stick to, consistency is going to promote change. Also, if working your abs extra hard, don't neglect your lower back, never focus on one muscle group without working the compensating group to keep from forming imbalances. Best of luck1
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Really? Ask a vegan what "clean eating" is. Then ask a keto/low-carber. Then ask a Paleo dieter. Then ask a HCLF dieter. Then ask an IIFYM'er. You'll get different answers from every one of them, and most of them will be the exact opposite of the others....I slightly disagree with "clean eating" being erroneous or ambiguous...
How exactly do you eat micronutrients independent of macronutrients? Micronutrients are vitamins/minerals, which are contained within foods which also have calorie and macronutrient values. If you're eating foods for particular micronutrients, you also have to consider their calorie and macro values. Saying "eat protein and micronutrients" makes no sense. It's like saying "Eat pancakes and Vitamin K"....Anything else eat protein and micronutrients...
Psulemon had it right. "Clean eating" is an ambiguous term and the key is to stick to your macros and calories and put all the broscience aside.
As far as "keeping your abs" when bulking, it all comes down to how much you want to bulk. At least some degree of fat gain is inevitable in a bulk - maybe less if you're using anabolics, but you're still going to gain some fat in the process. If you don't want to lose your ab definition, all you can do is cut your bulk when you reach a BF% you're no longer comfortable with and cut back down. Anybody who is neurotic about losing their abdominal definition during a bulk is going to have a hard time putting on any appreciable mass.0 -
Lmao literally why I said I eat fast food before pissing anyone off, and why I said everyone has their own BELIEF, but the nutritional values are different, there are studies to back that, but I will ask because now I'm really interested in what their clean means. It's either clean, or got some form of alteration to it. As for micronutrients, yes your correct you can't just go eat vitamin k, but you can focus a good portion on your greens and micros. Majority of people overlook them and typically the macros that come with them are simple chains or relatively low to an active persons diet. I'd never suggest focusing on macros and not having a general idea of micros, but again, everyone has different beliefs.
The point is to the OP there's no real answer, and most people will tell you you can't do it,, gotta bulk then cut. But you can, I have, ive seen it done. Yes its a little slower, but it can be worth it having abs all year and not needing to cut. Like I said, continue your research and choose what your comfortable with, it's an experiment
But eating clean (non processed, no chemicals, additives, hormones, you get the picture) will have an impact if trying to keep abs, most people just havent done it correctly for a respectable amount of time0 -
Lmao literally why I said I eat fast food before pissing anyone off, and why I said everyone has their own BELIEF, but the nutritional values are different, there are studies to back that, but I will ask because now I'm really interested in what their clean means. It's either clean, or got some form of alteration to it. As for micronutrients, yes your correct you can't just go eat vitamin k, but you can focus a good portion on your greens and micros. Majority of people overlook them and typically the macros that come with them are simple chains or relatively low to an active persons diet. I'd never suggest focusing on macros and not having a general idea of micros, but again, everyone has different beliefs.
The point is to the OP there's no real answer, and most people will tell you you can't do it,, gotta bulk then cut. But you can, I have, ive seen it done. Yes its a little slower, but it can be worth it having abs all year and not needing to cut. Like I said, continue your research and choose what your comfortable with, it's an experiment
But eating clean (non processed, no chemicals, additives, hormones, you get the picture) will have an impact if trying to keep abs, most people just havent done it correctly for a respectable amount of time
So eating chicken that isnt hormone, antibiotic free or organic will prevent you from maintaining your abs? Or drinking diet soda because it has aspartame will prevent that too?
What determines when you lose fat based off a few factors; 1. How low your body fat is when you begin, 2. Genetics, 3. Size of your Suprlus, and 4. Training. Its not all about eating "clean foods".0 -
Never did I say its All about eating clean, I'm showing different options to the OP that she can consider and research to get her own view on,, as she's a little paranoid about keeping her abs. Obviously she knows how to lose fat and get them. The above works for me when gaining size and keeping abs while maintaining the same bf% (according to skin calipers). Fast food didn't yield the same results (I was running IIFYM) and I could literally feel my body getting sluggish when eating 4000 cals. Size of surplus.. For me, depends on what macro I've got my surplus in. As stated earlier protein don't convert and it raises energy expenditure so it's easier with "bro science" to manipulate your macros to be in a surplus or gain muscle, with the proper training regimen, and not gain bf%, sure still difficult to do, but it's possible
OP don't need help burning fat if she's got abs, she's looking to build muscle and keep abs visible, something that probably 98% of the population can't do. And whether people agree or not idc, because I know what works for me. That's why I said everyone has their own belief and told BonyCastro to continue with her research, that it's an experiment1 -
Well this went far.0
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It's honestly like watching a car accident in slow motion reading some threads.
People offer relatively harmless advice, someone jumps on their back and takes apart what was written as if it were spoken as gospel and not anecdotal advice.
There are never going to be any Eureka moments on MFP because people are more prone to picking apart someone else's anecdotes then actually taking a second to realize that MFP is entirely comprised of anecdotal accounts.
You can argue that said person is misinforming the OP, but the OP came here looking for advice, not scouring PubMed articles2 -
Also bulking for the first time, and I completely identify with the fear of gaining back the fat! But whenever I feel like freaking out, I just let myself freak out, then afterwards take a step back and consider my long term goals. In addition to all the advice here, this post from one of the stickies really helped kick my butt into gear: Former Fat Boy/Girl Syndrome Good luck!1
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Uh no. Surplus is energy overage and the body doesn't recognize whether it's from "clean" eating or "dirty" eating.IbrahimMohidin wrote: »
if your food intake is the only thing that changes then you will get fat but if you increase your training intensity/frequency and eat 90% clean, you can make steady gains without excess fatHamsterManV2 wrote: »I second @IbrahimMohidin. Slow bulk (TDEE+250 calories), you will slow your muscle gains but also your fat gains.
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I have no idea why people are so adverse to the term 'clean eating'. Clean eating implies a diet of healthy, unprocessed food from natural sources, as opposed to a dirty bulk of fast foods and takeaways.
Anyone wanting to gain lean mass and improve their physique will do better on clean foods which lack additives, chemicals and preservatives found in processed.
It's not just about calories, it's about your health too.1 -
BonyCastro wrote: »I'm paranoid about losing my abs definition. I'm trying to bulk for the first time and I have gained a couple of pounds which looks nice in jeans but my abs are not the same!!!! I'm trying to work my abs harder on purpose. Any advice !!
Get in a small surplus and focus on progressing #'s in the gym to "clean bulk". When all goes correctly you don't gain fat that others will notice, and then it's easy to lean down again. The trick is to go slow. Once you have it down, you always have "abs" - it's just a varying degree of how visible and deep they are.1 -
I have no idea why people are so adverse to the term 'clean eating'. Clean eating implies a diet of healthy, unprocessed food from natural sources, as opposed to a dirty bulk of fast foods and takeaways.
Anyone wanting to gain lean mass and improve their physique will do better on clean foods which lack additives, chemicals and preservatives found in processed.
It's not just about calories, it's about your health too.
It's because the term is arbitrary and has so many different meanings its not even funny. Well all agree that one should get a diet with a variety of nutrient dense foods (lean meats, fish, fruits, veggies, whole grains). No one is suggesting a diet all in pizza and doughnuts. And quite often, members come on here who struggle to get enough calories, so adding additional limitations by telling them to eat based on a subjective terms can make it even more difficult. But it doesn't matter how clean your foods are, if you aren't hitting a surplus, you aren't going to reach your goals.
But believe it or not, we all kind of agree that one should address their nutrient goals first before diving into the less nutritionally beneficial foods.1 -
I have no idea why people are so adverse to the term 'clean eating'. Clean eating implies a diet of healthy, unprocessed food from natural sources, as opposed to a dirty bulk of fast foods and takeaways.
Anyone wanting to gain lean mass and improve their physique will do better on clean foods which lack additives, chemicals and preservatives found in processed.
It's not just about calories, it's about your health too.
I don't think you know what dirty bulk means. It is all about calories. You can dirty bulk on whatever your meaning of clean foods are.0 -
_benjammin wrote: »I have no idea why people are so adverse to the term 'clean eating'. Clean eating implies a diet of healthy, unprocessed food from natural sources, as opposed to a dirty bulk of fast foods and takeaways.
Anyone wanting to gain lean mass and improve their physique will do better on clean foods which lack additives, chemicals and preservatives found in processed.
It's not just about calories, it's about your health too.
I don't think you know what dirty bulk means. It is all about calories. You can dirty bulk on whatever your meaning of clean foods are.
^ This. The difference between a "clean" and "dirty" bulk has nothing to do with the ridiculous, arbitrary phrase "clean eating".0 -
You guys prefer to argue the toss over every term you don't agree with, rather than provide help and advice to those seeking it.
I give up with these forums.1 -
_benjammin wrote: »I have no idea why people are so adverse to the term 'clean eating'. Clean eating implies a diet of healthy, unprocessed food from natural sources, as opposed to a dirty bulk of fast foods and takeaways.
Anyone wanting to gain lean mass and improve their physique will do better on clean foods which lack additives, chemicals and preservatives found in processed.
It's not just about calories, it's about your health too.
I don't think you know what dirty bulk means. It is all about calories. You can dirty bulk on whatever your meaning of clean foods are.
^ This. The difference between a "clean" and "dirty" bulk has nothing to do with the ridiculous, arbitrary phrase "clean eating".
quoted for truth.You guys prefer to argue the toss over every term you don't agree with, rather than provide help and advice to those seeking it.
I give up with these forums.
Meh- it's about trying to help people- if you don't want to be educated at all feel free to choose to stay under your rock.
Now- OP- options
1.) Go for a slow *kitten* recomp on the way up- and do your best to hold on to the abs.
2.) get over it and realize it's part of the territory
3.) don't bulk LOL
sometimes you gotta pick one and go with it.1 -
You guys prefer to argue the toss over every term you don't agree with, rather than provide help and advice to those seeking it.
I give up with these forums.
Correcting misinformation is helpful. Giving people false information will only cause them to be disappointed when they follow the information and not achieve the results they want. Bulking terms have specific meanings which have been skewed by communities of people. And those terms are directly tied to the size of the surplus, not the types of foods.2
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