Has anyone ever gotten a completely flat stomach or abs?
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I agree with ummijaaz560. I gain weight in my thighs and backside but have always had a flat stomach, regardless of any weight gain. I am 42 and actually have kept defined upper abs that I developed in my early 20s when I used to do knee lifts using the hanging ab straps in the gym and really have not done a focused ab workout since; hard to explain but I have kept a strong core. A few years ago I was really into hula hooping and could go for hours (with a heavy duty weighted hoop, not a child's hoop) and it really strengthened my core in a short amount of time so perhaps that is a fun workout to incorporate that creates some serious muscle. On a positive note, I don't really agree with those who have said you can't spot reduce though you do need to work the entire muscle system. I transformed my "kitten" doing focused backside work (Brazil Buttlift DVD workout) however one apparently needs to keep up on it as here I am again working to pass the "pencil test".0
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Ahh, the flat stomach... it's a volatile thing. I had it at BMI 19-20, lost it after I gained merely 5lb and reached BMI 21. It was still technically flat, but i start to see a little pooch in my lower abs. I was surprised about that because I generally have a pretty strong core and defined abs.1
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I agree with ummijaaz560. I gain weight in my thighs and backside but have always had a flat stomach, regardless of any weight gain. I am 42 and actually have kept defined upper abs that I developed in my early 20s when I used to do knee lifts using the hanging ab straps in the gym and really have not done a focused ab workout since; hard to explain but I have kept a strong core. A few years ago I was really into hula hooping and could go for hours (with a heavy duty weighted hoop, not a child's hoop) and it really strengthened my core in a short amount of time so perhaps that is a fun workout to incorporate that creates some serious muscle. On a positive note, I don't really agree with those who have said you can't spot reduce though you do need to work the entire muscle system. I transformed my "kitten" doing focused backside work (Brazil Buttlift DVD workout) however one apparently needs to keep up on it as here I am again working to pass the "pencil test".
you cant spot reduce fat,it comes off where it wants when it wants thats why its said that you cant spot reduce. sure you can work your core and focus on that area,but all the exercise in the world isnt going to work if you dont lose the fat over your abs to see the muscle.and for that a deficit is needed,sure some may be able to lose some fat in a recomp. but for the most part its deficit that helps you to lose fat which is why a lot of bodybuilders and weight lifters do bulk and cut cycles.2 -
you cant spot reduce fat,it comes off where it wants when it wants thats why its said that you cant spot reduce. sure you can work your core and focus on that area,but all the exercise in the world isnt going to work if you dont lose the fat over your abs to see the muscle.and for that a deficit is needed,sure some may be able to lose some fat in a recomp. but for the most part its deficit that helps you to lose fat which is why a lot of bodybuilders and weight lifters do bulk and cut cycles.[/quote]
Requiring a deficit and losing fat is a given, that is why people are using MFP. You and I have been around on this before and again, you don't seem to place value in anyone's experience.0 -
First, you have Abs. If you can't see them, it's because you have too much fat to see them. [note this is NOT a bad thing.] Abs/flat stomach come from very low % of body fat. If you google "percentage of body fat to see abs site:builtlean.com" It should bring up a picture example of men and women and the % of body fat you need to see the abs. DO NOTE that the lowest % shown may not be in a sustainable [healthy] range. The lowest ranges are competition [bodybuilders and fitness models] or magazine spread weight. The person will regain a higher % after the show/shoot to maintain their health.
As we say, Abs are made in the kitchen. They are formed in the gym where you build them but if you want to see them or have a flat stomach, you have to lose the bodyfat.
Also note they show up to 50% body fat for women and up to 40% for men on that page. Yep. That is what it looks like. Genetics may distribute it differently but that pretty much it.1 -
you cant spot reduce fat,it comes off where it wants when it wants thats why its said that you cant spot reduce. sure you can work your core and focus on that area,but all the exercise in the world isnt going to work if you dont lose the fat over your abs to see the muscle.and for that a deficit is needed,sure some may be able to lose some fat in a recomp. but for the most part its deficit that helps you to lose fat which is why a lot of bodybuilders and weight lifters do bulk and cut cycles.
Requiring a deficit and losing fat is a given, that is why people are using MFP. You and I have been around on this before and again, you don't seem to place value in anyone's experience. [/quote]
honestly I dont remember you , or going rounds with you. but hey if it makes you feel better to attack me then so be it.but I will be ignoring you from now on since you seem to want to start an argument and Im not going to engage in one with you.0 -
Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.0
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Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.
yeah having kids takes a toll on our bodies. loose skin will sometimes bounce back but can take up to 2 years from what I have read/have been told. sometimes plastic surgery is needed. but I figure it this way,if I have a little lose skin at least I can cover it up and not many people will know, being pregnant can stretch out stomach muscles so it could be why it looks different too.The older we get the harder it is to keep things in their place lol or get them back to the way they were.0 -
I usually only have to lose 20lb after a bulk at best, but I just do big lifts and almost never isolation ab exercises besides inverted pikes for yoga.
It's really about body fat % than anything else. Keep losing and if you can work with a full body workout and you will get more than enough ab work for strength.
My current profile picture is after two major surgeries through my ab area in my forties. It's possible to have decent results.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.
yeah having kids takes a toll on our bodies. loose skin will sometimes bounce back but can take up to 2 years from what I have read/have been told. sometimes plastic surgery is needed. but I figure it this way,if I have a little lose skin at least I can cover it up and not many people will know, being pregnant can stretch out stomach muscles so it could be why it looks different too.The older we get the harder it is to keep things in their place lol or get them back to the way they were.
My abdominal muscles actually tore in pregnancy. I have a distinct line down the center when at my healthy weight. My son is 11 now. I have made peace with the skin and new look of my body. At this point my goal is to be healthy and in shape whatever that looks like.2 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.
yeah having kids takes a toll on our bodies. loose skin will sometimes bounce back but can take up to 2 years from what I have read/have been told. sometimes plastic surgery is needed. but I figure it this way,if I have a little lose skin at least I can cover it up and not many people will know, being pregnant can stretch out stomach muscles so it could be why it looks different too.The older we get the harder it is to keep things in their place lol or get them back to the way they were.
My abdominal muscles actually tore in pregnancy. I have a distinct line down the center when at my healthy weight. My son is 11 now. I have made peace with the skin and new look of my body. At this point my goal is to be healthy and in shape whatever that looks like.
yeah thats still great goals to work towards.1 -
I'm 5'4" and had a pretty flat stomach in the 120s. No ab work for me though.
ETA: I'm 140 again. I have a little round belly but it's not too bad.1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.
yeah having kids takes a toll on our bodies. loose skin will sometimes bounce back but can take up to 2 years from what I have read/have been told. sometimes plastic surgery is needed. but I figure it this way,if I have a little lose skin at least I can cover it up and not many people will know, being pregnant can stretch out stomach muscles so it could be why it looks different too.The older we get the harder it is to keep things in their place lol or get them back to the way they were.
My abdominal muscles actually tore in pregnancy. I have a distinct line down the center when at my healthy weight. My son is 11 now. I have made peace with the skin and new look of my body. At this point my goal is to be healthy and in shape whatever that looks like.
Similarly, the surgery I mentioned in my post way up near the top cut my abdominal muscles vertically, and I have a large and lumpy scar now ... and have had for about 25 years. It's like a massive seam.
I will never wear a bikini bathing suit or anything like that.
However ... it doesn't stop me from doing the cycling I love.
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Sit ups and crunches only tackle the actual abs (the muscles that run verticallyupthe middle of your belly) but belly shape and flatness is more influenced by the obliques (diagonal belly muscles) and especially the transverse (the big flat muscle that runs sideways under the others). The transverse is tricky to exercise but specific core strength exercises can tackle it, eg Pilates.0
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.
yeah having kids takes a toll on our bodies. loose skin will sometimes bounce back but can take up to 2 years from what I have read/have been told. sometimes plastic surgery is needed. but I figure it this way,if I have a little lose skin at least I can cover it up and not many people will know, being pregnant can stretch out stomach muscles so it could be why it looks different too.The older we get the harder it is to keep things in their place lol or get them back to the way they were.
My abdominal muscles actually tore in pregnancy. I have a distinct line down the center when at my healthy weight. My son is 11 now. I have made peace with the skin and new look of my body. At this point my goal is to be healthy and in shape whatever that looks like.
Similarly, the surgery I mentioned in my post way up near the top cut my abdominal muscles vertically, and I have a large and lumpy scar now ... and have had for about 25 years. It's like a massive seam.
I will never wear a bikini bathing suit or anything like that.
However ... it doesn't stop me from doing the cycling I love.
Why not? I go shirtless all the time with my massive scars, it's nothing to be ashamed of.1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.
yeah having kids takes a toll on our bodies. loose skin will sometimes bounce back but can take up to 2 years from what I have read/have been told. sometimes plastic surgery is needed. but I figure it this way,if I have a little lose skin at least I can cover it up and not many people will know, being pregnant can stretch out stomach muscles so it could be why it looks different too.The older we get the harder it is to keep things in their place lol or get them back to the way they were.
My abdominal muscles actually tore in pregnancy. I have a distinct line down the center when at my healthy weight. My son is 11 now. I have made peace with the skin and new look of my body. At this point my goal is to be healthy and in shape whatever that looks like.
Similarly, the surgery I mentioned in my post way up near the top cut my abdominal muscles vertically, and I have a large and lumpy scar now ... and have had for about 25 years. It's like a massive seam.
I will never wear a bikini bathing suit or anything like that.
However ... it doesn't stop me from doing the cycling I love.
Why not? I go shirtless all the time with my massive scars, it's nothing to be ashamed of.
I don't like looking at myself ... and just wouldn't want people to stare.
That said, my husband is just fine with it ... he tells me it is really not that bad. 0 -
Mouse_Potato wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »YES. But it's not going to happen if you still have 25 lbs to go. I had/have an apple shape and started at 152 lbs and a large roll of belly fat. Now at 115 lbs, my stomach is flat. I have the 2 lines on the sides but no ab definition. I'd have to lose even more fat to reveal proper ab definition. I don't do ab exercises or weights. I just do cardio(hiking, cycling etc).
We sound very similar. I am also an apple shape and I started at 149. I am 115.8 as of this morning. I do have a flat stomach and I have the outline of abs though they aren't very defined. I do not do targeted ab workouts, but I do lift heavy and I am an aerialist which means my core gets a lot of work.
OP, you will have to get your body fat down pretty low (if you carry your weight in your tummy like I do). If you are carrying 25 extra pounds, you've still got a ways to go.
If you don't mind me asking, how tall are the both of you? Because right now I weigh about 150-155ish, and I wanted to get down to 120 but everyone keeps telling me I'll be too skinny so I decided to go for 130 I'm 5'7I wrote the post that was linked above. If you still have 25 pounds to lose there's nothing else you can really do besides lose the fat. A full body lifting program will do a lot more for your abs than a bunch of isolation exercises. I went from 265 pounds to having abs, it took a few years of work and you're simply not going to have abs until your body fat is lower.Traveler120 wrote: »YES. But it's not going to happen if you still have 25 lbs to go. I had/have an apple shape and started at 152 lbs and a large roll of belly fat. Now at 115 lbs, my stomach is flat. I have the 2 lines on the sides but no ab definition. I'd have to lose even more fat to reveal proper ab definition. I don't do ab exercises or weights. I just do cardio(hiking, cycling etc).
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Mouse_Potato wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »YES. But it's not going to happen if you still have 25 lbs to go. I had/have an apple shape and started at 152 lbs and a large roll of belly fat. Now at 115 lbs, my stomach is flat. I have the 2 lines on the sides but no ab definition. I'd have to lose even more fat to reveal proper ab definition. I don't do ab exercises or weights. I just do cardio(hiking, cycling etc).
We sound very similar. I am also an apple shape and I started at 149. I am 115.8 as of this morning. I do have a flat stomach and I have the outline of abs though they aren't very defined. I do not do targeted ab workouts, but I do lift heavy and I am an aerialist which means my core gets a lot of work.
OP, you will have to get your body fat down pretty low (if you carry your weight in your tummy like I do). If you are carrying 25 extra pounds, you've still got a ways to go.
If you don't mind me asking, how tall are the both of you? Because right now I weigh about 150-155ish, and I wanted to get down to 120 but everyone keeps telling me I'll be too skinny so I decided to go for 130 I'm 5'7I wrote the post that was linked above. If you still have 25 pounds to lose there's nothing else you can really do besides lose the fat. A full body lifting program will do a lot more for your abs than a bunch of isolation exercises. I went from 265 pounds to having abs, it took a few years of work and you're simply not going to have abs until your body fat is lower.Traveler120 wrote: »YES. But it's not going to happen if you still have 25 lbs to go. I had/have an apple shape and started at 152 lbs and a large roll of belly fat. Now at 115 lbs, my stomach is flat. I have the 2 lines on the sides but no ab definition. I'd have to lose even more fat to reveal proper ab definition. I don't do ab exercises or weights. I just do cardio(hiking, cycling etc).
I am about 5'3.5" I think. I was 5'4" in my younger years, but I've shrunk a bit. 0 -
Mouse_Potato wrote: »Traveler120 wrote: »YES. But it's not going to happen if you still have 25 lbs to go. I had/have an apple shape and started at 152 lbs and a large roll of belly fat. Now at 115 lbs, my stomach is flat. I have the 2 lines on the sides but no ab definition. I'd have to lose even more fat to reveal proper ab definition. I don't do ab exercises or weights. I just do cardio(hiking, cycling etc).
We sound very similar. I am also an apple shape and I started at 149. I am 115.8 as of this morning. I do have a flat stomach and I have the outline of abs though they aren't very defined. I do not do targeted ab workouts, but I do lift heavy and I am an aerialist which means my core gets a lot of work.
OP, you will have to get your body fat down pretty low (if you carry your weight in your tummy like I do). If you are carrying 25 extra pounds, you've still got a ways to go.
If you don't mind me asking, how tall are the both of you? Because right now I weigh about 150-155ish, and I wanted to get down to 120 but everyone keeps telling me I'll be too skinny so I decided to go for 130 I'm 5'7I wrote the post that was linked above. If you still have 25 pounds to lose there's nothing else you can really do besides lose the fat. A full body lifting program will do a lot more for your abs than a bunch of isolation exercises. I went from 265 pounds to having abs, it took a few years of work and you're simply not going to have abs until your body fat is lower.Traveler120 wrote: »YES. But it's not going to happen if you still have 25 lbs to go. I had/have an apple shape and started at 152 lbs and a large roll of belly fat. Now at 115 lbs, my stomach is flat. I have the 2 lines on the sides but no ab definition. I'd have to lose even more fat to reveal proper ab definition. I don't do ab exercises or weights. I just do cardio(hiking, cycling etc).
You don't need my stats. I'm a competitive bodybuilder. Someone who hasn't been lifting for as long as me at my height and weight would still have high body fat.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Yes, but I carry most of my excess weight in my thighs and butt. My stomach was naturally very flat up until I had my son and it was effortless. I just didn't really gain there. Now that Im older and have had a child my stomach looks different and even when I lose weight and tone there is loose skin in that area.
yeah having kids takes a toll on our bodies. loose skin will sometimes bounce back but can take up to 2 years from what I have read/have been told. sometimes plastic surgery is needed. but I figure it this way,if I have a little lose skin at least I can cover it up and not many people will know, being pregnant can stretch out stomach muscles so it could be why it looks different too.The older we get the harder it is to keep things in their place lol or get them back to the way they were.
My abdominal muscles actually tore in pregnancy. I have a distinct line down the center when at my healthy weight. My son is 11 now. I have made peace with the skin and new look of my body. At this point my goal is to be healthy and in shape whatever that looks like.
Similarly, the surgery I mentioned in my post way up near the top cut my abdominal muscles vertically, and I have a large and lumpy scar now ... and have had for about 25 years. It's like a massive seam.
I will never wear a bikini bathing suit or anything like that.
However ... it doesn't stop me from doing the cycling I love.
I do bikinis but opt for the vintage style high waisted ones. I wont show my lower abs to anyone but my partner, and thats ok.2
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