Abs are made in the kitchen...

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TiffaniBarrett
TiffaniBarrett Posts: 369 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All!!

So. I am desperate for a flat stomach. I work out every day (almost) lifting heavy weights for 45-50mins and 12-15mins of interval running at the end of the workout. My day looks like this (roughly)

5min warm up run
3 x 10 leg raises
3 x 10 squats on smith machine (10kg either end of bar)
3 x 10 leg raises
3 x 10 shoulder press (6kg each hand)
3 x 10 leg raises
3 x 10 seated bicep curls (10kg either hand - and I will move onto standing bicep curls when Im more used to the weight)
3 x 10 leg raises
3 x 10 lateral pull downs (30kg)
3 x 10 russian twists with 6kg ball
3 x 10 tricep dips
3 x 10 leg raises

and maybe a few more if I can fit them in! I have been doing this for a lonnnnggg time. Months.


They say abs are made in the kitchen. Can someone look at my diary and tell me where I am going wrong?? I obviously have my 'off' weekends when I drink or eat more whatever. But its not every weekend.

I look forward to your answers!
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Replies

  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
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    Hi All!!

    So. I am desperate for a flat stomach.

    Yah that is a pretty usual goal :-)
    I work out every day (almost) lifting heavy weights for 45-50mins and 12-15mins of interval running at the end of the workout. My day looks like this (roughly)

    5min warm up run
    3 x 10 leg raises
    3 x 10 squats on smith machine (10kg either end of bar)
    3 x 10 leg raises
    3 x 10 shoulder press (6kg each hand)
    3 x 10 leg raises
    3 x 10 seated bicep curls (10kg either hand - and I will move onto standing bicep curls when Im more used to the weight)
    3 x 10 leg raises
    3 x 10 lateral pull downs (30kg)
    3 x 10 russian twists with 6kg ball
    3 x 10 tricep dips
    3 x 10 leg raises

    and maybe a few more if I can fit them in! I have been doing this for a lonnnnggg time. Months.
    They say abs are made in the kitchen. Can someone look at my diary

    No need to Tiffani
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Looks like you are coming in quite a bit under your calorie goal each day. The goal is something you should try to reach, not stay under.

    When it comes to your routine, I would suggest lowering or eliminating all off the isolation core exercises (Leg lifts), and you should not work the same muscle group on back to back days, take a day off in between.

    I would suggest you look into Starting strength, Stronlifts 5x5, or New Rules of Lifting for women to get a better program. These programs all use compound lifts that target the whole body and eliminate the unnecessary isolation lifts and ab work.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    After a few years of high intensity training and low calorie eating, I'm FINALLY starting to get the abs I want and it has nothing to do with my exercise routine. I lifted heavy for a couple of years but I've been off that for a while, I'm mostly boxing/kickboxing/running with maybe one day a week of weight training if I can fit it into my schedule. The change in diet is making all the difference. I eat 1900-2100 calories a day. Most of that is vegetables and meat, usually a yogurt daily for breakfast, and minimal grain.

    You can either get abs by starving all the fat off your body (this will result in reduced musculature but I've seen people do it), or by eating enough to support your activity level and convince your body that it doesn't need its fat reserves because it's being fed enough. Only the second one is working for me mentally and physically :P

    Ab work is completely and totally unnecessary. Your core is engaged whenever you are lifting properly, isolating your core is a waste of time.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    Ab work is completely and totally unnecessary. Your core is engaged whenever you are lifting properly, isolating your core is a waste of time.

    ^^ Completely agree with Lobster.......usually do......Lay off the leg raises....
  • Jessie__86
    Jessie__86 Posts: 71
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    bump
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    I have seen significant improvement in my belly since starting heavy compound lifts (squats, dead lifts, etc.) and my abs feel sore the next day from stabilizing my core while doing them.

    I would focus more on these exercises then the isolation exercises you are currently doing (that's a lot of leg raises!!). When you do compound lifts you work more muscle groups in a shorter period of time so that means.....more time to do other stuff!
  • Sheila_Ann
    Sheila_Ann Posts: 365 Member
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    bump
  • Jessicaruby
    Jessicaruby Posts: 881 Member
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    bump--- i would also suggest what others have. do more compound movements to target more muscles at one time. also dont do so much lifting in one day. thats what i used to do and was getting nowhere.... i now lift for 30min 5x a week different muscle groups each day. i do 20min cardio after lifting. either HIIT or steady state cardio. cardio only on thursday and rest on sunday :smile:
  • teamfit2day
    teamfit2day Posts: 213 Member
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    Just by looking at you diary for the last 7 days, your going WAY over your grams of FAT. Any body fat being used for energy, your putting right back into your body. Everything being said is true about cor engagement, but your Fat intake is too high for the amount of calories your eating.
  • mrsderosa
    mrsderosa Posts: 5
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    Hi, just curious.... what does "bump" mean? :huh:
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I always get flamed whenever I link anything from charles poliquin, but here's a link from him on the basics of how to do it:
    http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1305/Tip-374-Get-Better-Abs-Three-Strategies-for-Stronger-Leaner-Abs.aspx

    He seems to know what he's talking about in regard to exercise and fitness.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Just by looking at you diary for the last 7 days, your going WAY over your grams of FAT. Any body fat being used for energy, your putting right back into your body. Everything being said is true about cor engagement, but your Fat intake is too high for the amount of calories your eating.

    This is wrong, if she is eating below maintenance it wouldn't matter if all the calories came from fat. Dietary fat =/= body fat.

    Why is eating a high fat diet wrong?
  • Sharmender
    Sharmender Posts: 133 Member
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    I have the same problem, starting to think I'm just skinny fat...
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I have the same problem, starting to think I'm just skinny fat...

    Lift heavy weights and give it time.
  • Sharmender
    Sharmender Posts: 133 Member
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    I have the same problem, starting to think I'm just skinny fat...

    Lift heavy weights and give it time.

    Don't have money for the gym :( I'm doing 30ds for the second time now though which involves body weight moves.. Is that okay too?
  • GISFWCoachChris
    GISFWCoachChris Posts: 13
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    Looks like you are coming in quite a bit under your calorie goal each day. The goal is something you should try to reach, not stay under.

    When it comes to your routine, I would suggest lowering or eliminating all off the isolation core exercises (Leg lifts), and you should not work the same muscle group on back to back days, take a day off in between.

    I would suggest you look into Starting strength, Stronlifts 5x5, or New Rules of Lifting for women to get a better program. These programs all use compound lifts that target the whole body and eliminate the unnecessary isolation lifts and ab work.

    Agreed.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    Just by looking at you diary for the last 7 days, your going WAY over your grams of FAT. Any body fat being used for energy, your putting right back into your body. Everything being said is true about cor engagement, but your Fat intake is too high for the amount of calories your eating.

    Not sure if you're trolling or not, but you're completely wrong. Please do not spread misinformation.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I have the same problem, starting to think I'm just skinny fat...

    Lift heavy weights and give it time.

    Don't have money for the gym :( I'm doing 30ds for the second time now though which involves body weight moves.. Is that okay too?

    Definitely better than no strength training, but results in body composition will not be as dramatic as would be with heavy weight lifting (4-8 rep range sets)
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    The weights you included seem a little low for saying you've been doing it for a long time. Have you increased your weights recently?
  • blonde71
    blonde71 Posts: 955 Member
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    I didn't see my abs until I cleaned up my diet. Of course, lifting heavy helped but combined with the diet, that's what made the difference.

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