How to get a six-pack (abs)?

[swai]

hmm.. this thread got me thinking.... why does everyone care soooo much about abs?? what about the rest of your body?

 

[skace]

"hmm.. this thread got me thinking.... why does everyone care soooo much about abs?? what about the rest of your body?"

Abs are the hardest area of the body for a male to keep tone due to it being the first area you store fat. So in most conditions, on most males, it is the area they are most ashamed of and need the most work on. If you have perfect abs, chances are any other part of your body is easily within reach of where you would want it. Show me a guy with perfect abs and manboobs going "BUT HOW DO I GET RID OF THESE BOOBS?!?!".

 

[Kanalua]

seven.....................................


..................................................minute....................................




...........................................................................................................abs.................................................

 

[StageLeft]

<< "hmm.. this thread got me thinking.... why does everyone care soooo much about abs?? what about the rest of your body?"

Abs are the hardest area of the body for a male to keep tone due to it being the first area you store fat. So in most conditions, on most males, it is the area they are most ashamed of and need the most work on. If you have perfect abs, chances are any other part of your body is easily within reach of where you would want it. Show me a guy with perfect abs and manboobs going "BUT HOW DO I GET RID OF THESE BOOBS?!?!". >>

True enough...personally my abs could do with some toning, however, and I can pick out a zillion guys that have a 6 pack and I'd never trade my body with them. The reason is because I can benchpress more than 1/4 of my weight. 😉

As Rudee mentioned hanging leg raises are great, but unless you're already fairly strong doing them properly is difficult. Most people just swing their legs haphazardly all over the place when they do them.

 

[Koing]

<<

<< "hmm.. this thread got me thinking.... why does everyone care soooo much about abs?? what about the rest of your body?"

Abs are the hardest area of the body for a male to keep tone due to it being the first area you store fat. So in most conditions, on most males, it is the area they are most ashamed of and need the most work on. If you have perfect abs, chances are any other part of your body is easily within reach of where you would want it. Show me a guy with perfect abs and manboobs going "BUT HOW DO I GET RID OF THESE BOOBS?!?!". >>

True enough...personally my abs could do with some toning, however, and I can pick out a zillion guys that have a 6 pack and I'd never trade my body with them. The reason is because I can benchpress more than 1/4 of my weight. 😉

As Rudee mentioned hanging leg raises are great, but unless you're already fairly strong doing them properly is difficult. Most people just swing their legs haphazardly all over the place when they do them. >>



Yes most people ignore form when doing exercises. IF you have strict form its harder and you will be able to do less but it makes sense. I'd take form all the time over reps.

I do 20repx3 set leg raisers when your back is on the floor

20repsx3 set of leg rasiers when your leg is parallel to the ground and your back is straight up.

If you can do this I bet your abbs are strong. They'll be ripped if you have a lower body fat %

Another note I wouldn't recommend these if you have a weak back or if your back isn't trained as more then likely your going to bust your back. So you decide if you can do it. If you haven't done any leg raisers or not trained I wouldn't dot hem like this. Do them hanging from a bar instead and then raise your legs if you can. This puts less stress on your back.



<<

<< your 18 then its going to be easier. if yoru about 25 still good for you. Best time should have been the ages of 18-23 to get ripped.

Also CUT OUT BEER IF YOU CAN. Each pint of bear has about 230 calories. And you will quickly realise if you drink say 10 pints a night out thats 2300calories, and THAT is your WHOLE body's intake in ONE night of drinking. >>




How is beer any worse than soda? I can easily go through 450Cal in Pepsi Twist in one day. >>



Jerboy I didn't say it was worse then soda. I just didn't know the quote of calories for sodas thats all. So how many calories are there in a can of Pepsi Twist??? If you drink that everyday then the weight is going to mount on pretty quickly unless you have high metabolism or your diet is lacking in some places.

 

[skace]

"Another note I wouldn't recommend these if you have a weak back or if your back isn't trained as more then likely your going to bust your back. So you decide if you can do it. If you haven't done any leg raisers or not trained I wouldn't dot hem like this. Do them hanging from a bar instead and then raise your legs if you can. This puts less stress on your back."

Do you know an exercise that specifically helps work out those lower back muscles to make these easier? In the past I've noticed my back hurts a lot when I do these - more so then I feel comfortable about.

I wish I had a metal bar in my house to do hanging leg lifts from, but all my cielings are too low for a 6'6" person to hang from 😀

 

[skace]

"one thing i wondered though, technically shouldn't your body stay the same appearance if you only eat when hungry? im 16 and growing but i only eat when im really really hungry. if i ate like this later in life technically wouldn't i stay the same appearance? yer body only produces more fat when your intake is higher than what you use. i never do any activities besides walking around and arm curles but i only eat when im starvin "

The reason most older people get fat is because they begin to eat out of habbit (gotta have my 3 meals a day!). Also, they don't recognize when their diet needs to modify to their lifestyle, EX: A guy who played soccer in college but now has a desk job, but he still eats like he did when he was playing soccer. If you only eat when your hungry, you will likely stay the same weight or even end up losing some. Just remember that if you are losing TOO much weight, to force yourself to eat a little more or make sure your not excluding a certain type of food too much. That is the dangers of eating only when your hungry, you could end up missing a vital foodgroup for awhile and not really realize it. Whereas a person eating constantly will usually hit all the foodgroups 🙂

 

[JEDI]

Skoorb, benchpress onbly 1/4 bodyweitht?? geez..i'm 140 and can benchprerss 100, or 2/3 body weight. but can't get a damn 6 pack 🙁

 

[patrickj]

I have seen a lot of advice here, however, I haven't seen any mention of drinking enough water. If you want your body to process what you eat efficiently, you need to maintain a proper hydration level. If you add cardio to your workouts, you sweat even more and need to put that water back in your system. I know it sounds like cr@p, but your body needs the water to burn the fat.

 

[StageLeft]

<< Skoorb, benchpress onbly 1/4 bodyweitht?? geez..i'm 140 and can benchprerss 100, or 2/3 body weight. but can't get a damn 6 pack 🙁 >>

I was exagerating 🙂 I weigh right now 185 and I can bench about 250 or so for one rep free weights (not that I've tried it but I got 235 three times a few weeks back). Although my abs don't show much I'd rather have my current build than a rippling six pack and barely able to lift a computer monitor!

 

[HappyFace]

When I ran and swam in the summer, I saw a huge improvement in how my abs looked. I'd recommend running at least 3 times a week, and if you have access to an indoor pool, go swimming!!

 

[JMaster]

Drink lots and lots of water. Then drink some more water.

 

[Rudee]

<< "one thing i wondered though, technically shouldn't your body stay the same appearance if you only eat when hungry? im 16 and growing but i only eat when im really really hungry. if i ate like this later in life technically wouldn't i stay the same appearance? yer body only produces more fat when your intake is higher than what you use. i never do any activities besides walking around and arm curles but i only eat when im starvin "

The reason most older people get fat is because they begin to eat out of habbit (gotta have my 3 meals a day!). Also, they don't recognize when their diet needs to modify to their lifestyle, EX: A guy who played soccer in college but now has a desk job, but he still eats like he did when he was playing soccer. If you only eat when your hungry, you will likely stay the same weight or even end up losing some. Just remember that if you are losing TOO much weight, to force yourself to eat a little more or make sure your not excluding a certain type of food too much. That is the dangers of eating only when your hungry, you could end up missing a vital foodgroup for awhile and not really realize it. Whereas a person eating constantly will usually hit all the foodgroups 🙂 >>



Bad things start happening to a body as a person ages. After you hit 30, testosterone starts to decline, and when combined with a inactive lifestyle and a poor diet (consisting mostly of refined carbohydrates) metabolism starts to go south, and with it comes the dreaded "gut".

 

[Turbopit]

<<
Also, they don't recognize when their diet needs to modify to their lifestyle, EX: A guy who played soccer in college but now has a desk job, but he still eats like he did when he was playing soccer. 🙂 >>




Yeah, I had that problem. I wrestled in high school and for the most part, ate healthy, but I could also eat as much of anything I wanted to and not have a problem. I had 3 hours of practice everyday, plus some weight lifting/running everyday. Then I went to college and didn't work out at all. I "only" gained 20 pounds or so, but I also lost a bunch of muscle. That sucked. I am now getting back into shape.

 

[breakit23]

You can't cut down a certain areas fat and if you want a 6 pack you can't have much bodyfat fat. So if you have fat on your stoamch you have to diet down and loose overall body fat and once its low enough, you'll see the abs it's differnet for alot of people but they become visable at around 10% give or take a couple.


Don't bother with all those products that they sell. Situps, crunches, leg raises and etc are fine diet is the key.