body builders out there, help!!

[mojo40 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mojo40]

i seek the advice of any body builders on the forum please
you will laugh when you read the subject as it will be a very familiar problem

ABS!!!!!!!! why the hell are'nt they showing!!!! sooooo frustrating
300 crunch's a day + other abs work, hasnt worked in a whole year of trying
im now on a high fibre diet and doing some INSANE cardio workouts as i still have a small amount of belly fat that needs its arse kicked.
is this the right way to go for abs? or am i going to waste another year?
ive also tried the deadlifts to bring out my abs, made my back ache, bad lift tecnique i guess or maybe my backs not upto too much.
thanks for any opinions people

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

lol 300 crunches? Oh dear. You're going to hurt yourself by doing that worthless movement.

Abs are made in the kitchen, my friend. you can build the muscle, but the amount of body fat will determine how your abs are shown. What do you eat throughout the day?

Cardio will only get you so far in the abs department. I mean, it's good for burning fat only if you aren't overdoing your cardio workouts (which might help increase your fat stores).

[iNeedan8in Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close iNeedan8in]

there is a layer of fat blocking your abs from showing . cardio cardio cardio . keep doing your ab workouts but also start running .

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

Eat less.

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

Abs are made in the kitchen. No truer words have ever been spoken.

[phallic1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close phallic1]

Toadstool said it all right there.

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

A good ab workout should mean you need 2-3 days to recover from it.300 crunches a day lol...what a waste!!!

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

A good ab workout should mean you need 2-3 days to recover from it.300 crunches a day lol...what a waste!!!

It's sad to say, but all of that was not only a waste of time, but arguably detrimental! All of those crunches are likely yanking on your psoas muscle group (lower back). Over time, you might irritate and weaken then or pull something and injure yourself.

You want the ultimate ab workout? Follow these simple tips:

- Minimize processed foods of any sort. Lots of scientific literature has gone in to explaining why food-like products up your fat stores and promote disease. So get rid of all of it.
- Eat your fruits and veggies. Eat more than your fair share of them. When it comes to salad, my attitude is that you can eat an unlimited amount green-leafy things and still stay lean and lose weight.
- Up your protein intake and minimize your animal-based fat intake unless you know specifically where it comes from (example is that grass-fed cattle and corn-fed cattle have different nutritional make-up and will affect your body differently). Eat organic butter. Ditch the margarine bullshit.
- Eat more plant-based fats while you're at it. Avocados, nuts, seeds, coconut, olive oil.
- Juice if you can.

Keep your cardio sessions short and intense.

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

Agree.Subsisting on water, vegetables and fruits is what one should do if you can afford it.

[Bnip Retired Moderator Member of the Month July 2013PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Bnip]

You will notice abs at 12% BF but will really notice them at 10%...when you achieve 8% your six pack will show. Bottom line...what toadstool said with eating. Ab exercises are used to shape the abs, not bring them out from your fat. Good luck

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

I kind of agree with you there Bnip, but with a body fat percentage of 10.. Well then your pack is already really showing! However, when down on 7-8 %, to give a good example, your BF% becomes so low that even the lower abdominals become visible. So you technically go from having a "6 pack" to a "8 pack".
(That being said, with good enough genes, and big enough abs, you can still have a 8 pack at 10 %)

However, something that I think that is missed being said here is that, yes, You need a relative low BF% to see the abs... However, if you really want to have big nice defined abs, then you have to build them while being on a diet with a surplus in calories compared to equilibrium, just like any other muscles.
My point is, that if you are a really really skinny person, without much muscle size normally, well then you are not gonna see the same type of abs as you see on fitness models, body builders, or for that sake, the general hobby athlete.
So once again, abs are made in the kitchen

Anyway, try to get down at a lower BF% (12-10%) and see what you got to play with, then you can always take it from there.

And about doing crunches everyday... well.. Just like any other muscles, to see any gains, you need to give time to heal.
Ever thought about why we have off-days in PE?
Well thats the exact same principle: We have off days to give our unit time to rest and heal, to become bigger and stronger! Usually on the rest days that's where the growth is made.. and mostly, when you are sleeping. So get those 7-8 hours

[mojo40 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mojo40]

thanks for the info guys, im off to the kitchen now to get myself a portion of abs
ive already cut right down on the crunch's a few weeks back .
i will stick with the cardio for a while as its doing me the world of good for my general fitness and well being.
thanks again people.

[camaro Senior Member Member of the month June 2013 Find all posts View Profile Close camaro]

Do hanging leg raises instead.

[Bnip Retired Moderator Member of the Month July 2013PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Bnip]

Good point about BF%. Those are the percentages where I see the most change and I carry all my fat in my stomach so it takes lower BF% for it to show on myself. A person that doesn't carry their weight in there mid section may not need to go down so much in BF%.

I am a very fit person and I only do ab exercises to shape my ab region and to help support my core for intense squats and deadlifts. I only spend 8-10 minutes 2 maybe 3 times a week on abs. Focus your energy on other lifts. Also, if you tan or get some sun on your stomach, you will see definition more. That is if your bF% is low enough. That is why in bodybuilding they use skin tanning lotion before stage along with rubbing themselves will some oil.

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

First off, you don't do dead lifts to bring out your abs, that is to thicken your back muscles. It may incorporate a bit of abs, but is mainly a back muscle. What is also important is your lower back. Make sure you work out your lower back muscles with your abs, because that is your core foundation.



EXPOSING YOUR ABS is a matter of getting very low body fat levels.


The lower your body fat level, the "thinner" your skin will be (actually the "skinfold" which contains skin and subcutaneous fat), and the more your abdominal musculature will show through.


DEVELOPING YOUR ABS - is a matter of training, and in that respect, the popular maxim "abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym" is not entirely true. It's only true that without the proper diet ("kitchen"), the ab exercises by themselves are useless because well-developed abs can remain covered up with a layer of fat and it's possible to out-eat any amount of exercise.


Here are some of the top 10 ab exercises:


Number 10
Reaching crunch on ball


Instructions: Sit on a Swiss ballwith your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Lean back, so that your back is almost parallel to the floor. Straighten your arms and point them toward the ceiling. Contract your abs, as you would for a crunch, while you reach for the ceiling with your fingertips. Hold the contracted position for three seconds. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.




Number 9
Twist and crunch


Instructions:Place a mat on the floor and lie down on your back, with your hands by your ears and your legs perpendicular to the floor. Twist your hips slightly by contracting your left oblique muscles; hold that position. Using your abs, bring your right elbow across your body to the outside of your left knee. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the movement on your right side. Do 10 reps.




Number 8
Russian twist


Instructions: Sit on a decline bench, with your legs firmly under the pads. Lean back slightly, so that your thighs and torso form a 90° angle. Extend your arms in front of you, so that they form a 90° with your torso, and clasp your hands together. Keeping your back straight, your chest out and your arms straight, make a semi-circle with your arms. With your abs flexed, move as far as you can from right to left and left to right, and do the motion as quickly as you can without sacrificing proper form or range of motion. Work your way up to 60 seconds of continuous movement.




Number 7
Hip raise/leg raise


Instructions:Lie down on a flat bench with your legs up and perpendicular to the bench (hold the bench behind your head for stability). Lift your hips slightly off the bench by contracting your lower abs, hold for three seconds, and lower your hips. Keep your back flat on the bench, your legs straight and lower your legs until they almost form a straight line with the rest of your body. Hold for a count of three and bring them back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.




Number 6
Woodchop


Instructions: Add some weight (try 25 pounds) to a multipurpose pulley machine and grasp the handle attachment at shoulder height with your left hand. Square yourself to the machine and take a few steps to the right (away from the machine) until there is sufficient tension. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bring your right arm across your body, and clasp your hands together while holding the handle. Keeping your arms straight and at shoulder-height, use your abs to bring your arms across your body, as though you were making a woodchopping motion. Bring them back to the starting position. Do 10 reps on each side for the excellent core workout.




Number 5
Jackknife


Instructions: Place a mat on the floor, lie down on your back and extend your arms above your head. Simultaneously lift your arms and legs toward the ceiling, until your fingertips touch your toes (if you can). Slowly return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.




Number 4
Windshield wipers


Instructions: Place a mat on the floor and lie on on your back with your arms in the "T" position for stability. Lift your legs so that they are perpendicular to the floor and rotate your hips, keeping them in contact with the floor, so that your legs move from left to right, in a "windshield wiper" motion. Make sure to move in a slow and controlled manner. Do 10 reps.




Number 3
Reverse crunch


Instructions: Lie down on a bench with your knees bent and your upper legs at a 90° angle with your torso; grab the bench above your head for stability. Use your ab muscles to pull your knees toward your chest until they reach your elbows. Hold the crunch position for three seconds and return to the starting position. Do 10 reps.




Number 2
Side crunch on ball


Instructions: Firmly place your right hip on a Swiss ball and lean into the ball; ensure that your torso is off the ball. Support yourself by pressing the soles of your feet against the bottom of a wall. Place your hands by your ears, and contract your left oblique muscles, lifting your torso up as far as you can. Hold for three seconds and release. Do 10 reps and repeat on the opposite side.




Number 1
Front plank on ball


Instructions: Rest your elbows on a flat bench and the balls of your feet on an exercise ball. Contract your abs so that your body is parallel to the floor and there is no dip in your lower back. Hold the plank position for 60 seconds.


rock-hard abs


Throw a few sets of these ab destroyers between your other exercises at the gym, and within a few weeks, you'll be amazed at your new found ripped and rock-hard midsection.


Read more: Top 10: Ab Exercises - AskMen






Diet is extremely important.

So you need to watch what you eat. And you also have to build the ab muscles so that when you reach that low body fat level you will have something to show.


What to eat to get a six pack is to stop eating all the junk food. Therefore chocolate bars, hamburgers, French fries, puddings, pizza, etc. will have to go out of your diet. The abs diet should


mainly consist of greens. You can opt for different salads, but you should not use any dressing which is heavy. Use olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, herbs, etc. dressing. It will ensure no extra


calories make their way in your diet.Include lean meats in your diet along with egg whites, sprouts, lentils ,etc. They will prove to be of help in building the muscles of the stomach. Ensure


there are some whole grain carbohydrates in your meal. They make for an important part of the six pack diet plan. Include plain milk and nuts in your diet as well.


Your diet should be divided into 5 to 6 small meals. When you eat at regular intervals, there will be no cravings, which will ensure junk food does not make it to your stomach.


Here is my 6 meal a day plan of what I eat, but you can change what you see fit for your own needs because this is my bulking diet to gain more muscle mass but you want to shed more fat.


Mon-Sun:




6AM- 4 egg whites, 1 cup oatmeal, 1 banana.
9AM- Protein Drink
12PM- 8oz Chicken Breast, I cup brown rice, Salad


3pm- Pre work out Protein Drink


3:30pm- Work out


4:30pm- Post work out Protein Drink


6PM- 8oz Steak & 1 cup brown rice,1 baked potato, 1 apple
9pm- Protein Drink
11PM- Protein Drink before bed to help feed the muscles while they repair themselves.




Sometimes I will substitute a salad for pasta. You should have one cheat day a week to eat what ever you want
but just keep in reasonable.




Here is a more simpler diet if you are on the go all the time...


Breakfast: Bacon and scrambled eggs
Snack: Handful of mixed nuts
Lunch: Tuna salad with peppers and olives
Snack: Greek yoghurt
Dinner: Steak with sweet potato fries






Hope this helps.