Six Pack

[buttheadyeah Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buttheadyeah]

ya southern joe...i do that with my push ups...ill do finger tip, diamond, hopping, wide, marine, ju jitsu, and then with my pull ups i do regular side, wide, inverted, and then i only use a 30lb dumbbell for each arm.

the 30lb dumbbell is enough to make sure i dont lose my mass while burning down fat to get my abs

I dont have much mass compared to what i was 20" arms, right now im around 16" arms, but the 30lb dumbbell maintains that believe it or not...plus when im doing push ups and pull ups im pulling 180 lbs up....can't wait to get my six pack, i'll post a picture when it happens.

[Lazy 8 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lazy 8]

Fyi, a crunch is the most effective ab exercise (and yet, the most basic) for a number of reasons. This exercise, when performed properly, isolates the abs and involves no other muscle groups whatsoever. A sit-up is essentially a crunch with some hip flexion towards the end of your rep. The spine can only curl 30-45 degrees, so at some point your abs are fully crunched and your hip flexors kick in to get you the rest of the way up. This, in my opinion, exhausts you sooner, and doesn't allow you to do as many reps as if you were doing only crunches.

Jelq, are you a fan of doing crunches on a stability ball? It certainly is more comfortable but I also find it more exhausting=a better work out.

[Thimsile Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thimsile]

Just an FYI for anyone doing v-ups: this exercise puts a ridiculous amount of stress on the spine, and should be avoided at all costs! It also is a very poor choice for spinal flexion, which the abs do directly (more often than not, people pike at the hip rather than crunch through the core). Perhaps the worst choice of an ab exercise on the planet. Whoever invented it, as a matter of fact, should be shot. A lot.

This brings me to my next point; leg raises. These also DO NOT WORK THE ABS! People will tell you that it does, and so will Muscle & Fiction magazines. The fact is, the joint moving is the hip which the abs do not control. At all. You may be performing an isometric contraction (static, holding) and thus working the abs slightly as a stabilizer. However, we do not define exercises by what muscles are used for stabilization, only what is happening concentrically.

Working your core has many advantages. Also, it allows for a six-pack to be leaner, sexier, and more visible at higher bodyfat levels. The goal is for every muscle in the body to be worked at least somewhat on a regular basis. Even if this means 100 crunches a week.

Joe hit the nail on the head: do some HIIT (better for PE anyway) and watch that diet! You're about the same stats as me, pretty much. I'm 5'9" about 180 (although I'm roughly 8% BF and have abs). Shouldn't be hard for you to get "in shape" judging by your older posts about high school. Also, high protein diets are usually a good idea.

Good luck, bud!

Can you explain to me why my lower abs got inches thicker and much harder with leg lifts? IF you're doing them right, you can't bring your legs straight up with just hip flexors or leg muscles.

[C.Phantasy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close C.Phantasy]

Something to think about:
If you do an exercise and your abs get tired and fatigued. How can you say that it does not work your abs?

[buttheadyeah Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buttheadyeah]

I just watched a video on getting abs, and got some statistics i'd like to share for everyone's benefit.

95% of gaining abs IS NOT AB WORK OUTS.

it is

1) CARDIO ( sadly i hate that)
2) NUTRITION ( eat 5 times a day most vegetables)
3) 5% ab workout, preferably crunches.

I've tried this routine before and have had a nice sixpack..i will be doing it again and hopefully it will work again lol...

oh and please POST some of your favorite cardio workouts...since i hate cardio i want to see if anyone has any good exercises i could do. THANKS

HOPE THIS HELPS!

[kingpole Retired ModeratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close kingpole]

You guys are helping me develop my four pack. Today in the shower i saw my first indention. Im on my way. Not bad for a 45 year old fart that was fat m ost of his life. I wpould giver you all eps points for your contributions if i could. .....Butthead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Use capitol letter please!!!!!!!!!!

[Thimsile Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thimsile]

Congratulations KP! A middle aged six pack will be impressive.

Oh and if anyone has heard of crossfit, that is another thing that I have been doing for several months. It is excellent if you don't have much time. It's kind of like a fitness club in a way but you pay per workout, only like $4 here in Kansas. It's basically like doing an hours workout in 10 minutes, with a combination of Olympic lifts and body weight exercises. You lift as heavy as you can for a set amount of high reps in as little amount of time possible. Since I've started, my body has never been so ripped and my cardio is improving unbelievably. Just something for thought.

[buttheadyeah Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buttheadyeah]

Oh, i'm also having amazing results. My new thing is to hang from the pull up bar and lift legs up to workout abs.

I posted before that ab workout isnt key, but this a good way to do the ab workouts when needed.

Oh and because of where i live i do jumping jacks for cardio. They work great! I recommend them, plus your legs feel buldging afterwards.

[Jelqasaurus Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jelqasaurus]

Can you explain to me why my lower abs got inches thicker and much harder with leg lifts? IF you're doing them right, you can't bring your legs straight up with just hip flexors or leg muscles.

working different areas of fibers, perhaps? My point was basically that people believe the abs are separated into groups, when in fact it's all one muscle which has fibers in only one direction (unlike the traps, for example, that have fibers in every which way, thus enabling it to be classified as "upper" or "lower" traps). If you do a crunch, ALL of your ab muscles contract, not just the top part. Also, you can absolutely do a leg lift with only hip flexors. As a matter of fact, if you had your abs removed from your body you could still do a full leg lift providing you had ample hamstring/glute/erector spinae flexibility.

Lazy 8: I love those! The ball absorbs your momentum making it much harder (if you do them right), and yes, it's way more comfy! Like a win-win!

[bulldog28 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bulldog28]

There is a common misconception about "six-packs" in the fitness world. People think they have to work their abs every day and work them harder than all of your other muscles. In reality, the key to getting a six-pack can be found mostly in your diet. Everyone has abs but most people have too much fat covering them. I never work my abs and I never will. But I have a six-pack because I'm lean in the stomach area (132 lbs). Just staying in decent shape, doing total body workouts, and simply keeping the fat off of your gut is all you need to get defined abs. Crunches, V-ups, Mason twists, and bicycles are the best core exercises

I have heard this too...I guess the difference is if you want your abs to "POP", then you do need to focus on doing exercises for them, but you are right most people have abs, just too high body fat %

[Lazy 8 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lazy 8]

The best exercise for abs - also known as "the table muscle" - is the pushback and you need to practice it at least three times a day. When you are eating, you push back from the table before you finish everything on your plate. And, remember what your mother told you: "If you don't clean your plate, you don't get dessert." Since you haven't cleaned your plate when you do the pushback, you don't get dessert either! In other words, portion control is the key to getting your abs to show up. I have about an extra pound right there, and I'm determined to unveil a six-pack within six months. If I just cut out a glass of wine with dinner, that would probably do it - but what a sacrifice! I'm going for burning more calories during the day.

[bulldog28 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bulldog28]

The best exercise for abs - also known as "the table muscle" - is the pushback and you need to practice it at least three times a day. When you are eating, you push back from the table before you finish everything on your plate. And, remember what your mother told you: "If you don't clean your plate, you don't get dessert." Since you haven't cleaned your plate when you do the pushback, you don't get dessert either! In other words, portion control is the key to getting your abs to show up. I have about an extra pound right there, and I'm determined to unveil a six-pack within six months. If I just cut out a glass of wine with dinner, that would probably do it - but what a sacrifice! I'm going for burning more calories during the day.

good idea.

However its not 100% about diet. YOu can eat great all year long, but you still have to do exercise to burn fat and build muscle..since building muscle actually burns fat too.

If you are eating right, at the right times, with the right portion control and making sure protein, fats, carbs are properly balanced, then you can utilize cardio or any weight training to your advantage to prevent losing muscle while losing weight, and focus more on fat burning.

Eating right and doing cardio only will help, but you will lose muscle as well.

[C.Phantasy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close C.Phantasy]

good idea.

However its not 100% about diet. YOu can eat great all year long, but you still have to do exercise to burn fat and build muscle..since building muscle actually burns fat too.

If you are eating right, at the right times, with the right portion control and making sure protein, fats, carbs are properly balanced, then you can utilize cardio or any weight training to your advantage to prevent losing muscle while losing weight, and focus more on fat burning.

Eating right and doing cardio only will help, but you will lose muscle as well.

There are 2 ways of loosing unwanted fat.

1.Excercise more
2.Eat less

It is not really recommended combining these 2.

Also keep in mind:
-You can achive an sixpack without doing any crunches or ab work.
-Ab work could also be contraproductive.

With these things in mind,carry on with the discussion.

[Lazy 8 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lazy 8]

I agree, Bulldog, although PEsuccessGuy says he doesn't need to do ab workouts because he has so little fat on his body. I have a SERIOUS ab routine, given to me by my trainer (who was on the Mexican track team at the Beijing Olympics). We'll see if I can keep my schedule.

[bulldog28 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bulldog28]

There are 2 ways of loosing unwanted fat.

1.Excercise more
2.Eat less

It is not really recommended combining these 2.

Also keep in mind:
-You can achive an sixpack without doing any crunches or ab work.
-Ab work could also be contraproductive.

With these things in mind,carry on with the discussion.

Hrm...that is a little too generalized regarding #1, #2, or the combination.

To lose 1lb, it requires a 3500 calorie deficit in 1 week (7 days). This means 500 less calories a day to reach that. On the flip side, to gain 1 lb it means to eat 500 more calories per day, or a 3500 calories surplus.

Everyone has a Resting Metabolic Rate so your body requires a certain amount of calories just to maintain itself. If you implement exercise into your schedule, its a good idea, I believe to add 20% of your RMR calorie intake to make up for the exercise. So lets say I require 2000 calories just to "live", I would increase that to 2400 calories daily if I planned on including moderate exercise (cardio, weight lifting, etc...).

Now, if my goal was to lose 1 lb per week, I "believe" you reduce that 2400 to 1900, which includes the exercise.

Sometimes to lose weight, you have to eat...sound weird but its true. But to say you can't eat less and exercise more, or vice versa is wrong IMO.

If you are used to eating 2500 calories per day and you reduce it to 2000, then you burn 200 calories a day with cardio, and you did this everyday...you would be on track to lose close to 1.5lbs per week.

Of course, if you are exercising or lifting weights... at some point you are trading fat for muscle, so your weight might not actually drop much if you are pushing all your variables in the right direction.

I could be wrong on a couple things up above, but that is kind of how I understand it.

But if you are eating less, like a lot less...then exercise depending on the kind may make you lose weight and muscle...but you also might not have much energy for it to begin with.

Don't ever eat less then 1600 calories a day..that is plain unhealthy.