My commitment to get fit and get a 6-pack.

Chrono

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2001
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wanna get started and it's difficult. what can i do to help me on my way to achieve that 6-pack? i'm at 18% body fat right now. suggestion for exercise, diet, and ways to deter from eating unhealthy foods during this time of the year (christmas). i think i get heavy cravings at night all the time... how to prevent this? Thanks!
 

Special K

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2000
7,098
0
76
Unfortunately, merely not eating unhealthy foods is not likely to get you a six pack. For maximal results, you need to take a more methodical approach.

Losing fat is ultimately a matter of burning slightly more calories than you consume over an extended period of time.

What you need to do is start tracking exactly what you eat each day. Fitday makes it easy. You will also need a starting point for your BMR - this is the number of calories you would need to eat in a day to exactly maintain your current weight. You can find an estimate here - make sure to click on the link labeled "Daily Calorie Needs" to find an estimate based on activity level.

Now, eat that number of calories each day for a week, and track your weight first thing each morning. If at the end of the week, you have not lost a pound, then cut 300 calories from your daily total and eat that amount for each day of the next week. Continue to track your weight, and keep making reductions until you are losing about 1 lb./week. I recommend getting 1.5 gm of protein/lb of bodyweight, 0.5 gm of healthy fats/lb bodyweight, and the rest carbs. Try spacing your caloric intake evenly among 6 meals throughout the day. Need help on what to eat? Check out this link

If you want to preserve muscle, I would recommend a weightlifting program focused on basic compound movements, low reps, and heavy weight. This will help persuade your body to burn fat instead of muscle while you are in a caloric deficit.

If you want to do some cardio on top of this then go for it, but it is not required for losing fat. If you want to do cardio, I would recommend shorter, high intensity sessions instead of longer, lower intensity.

Finally, you could have just done a search. This question, or something similar to it, gets posted at least once a week.

Also, check out the link in my sig if you really want to get in depth with this. There are lots of knowledgable people on that board who would be more than happy to help beginners.

I swear, I need to make the "ATOT Bodybuilding/Physique Improvement sticky" or something.
 

Special K

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2000
7,098
0
76
Originally posted by: sash1
start running a lot. no fat = abs will show

The problem with that is that he may very well lose muscle along with the fat. You need to eat correctly and ideally lift weights.
 

acegazda

Platinum Member
May 14, 2006
2,689
1
0
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: sash1
start running a lot. no fat = abs will show

The problem with that is that he may very well lose muscle along with the fat. You need to eat correctly and ideally lift weights.

right. For the cardio part, I would consider swimming, unless you are an absolutely horrendous swimmer. I am personally on a swim team and it gives you a total body workout, and would be an EXCELLENT way to burn fat, if you commit to a tough workout. Swimming is especially good for your core as well, but certain strokes will work different parts of your abs (for instance: freestyle/backstroke work the obliques and butterfly and breastroke work your upper to total abs). If you want some more info on swimming, don't hesitate to ask.
 

Ballatician

Golden Member
Dec 6, 2007
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Originally posted by: acegazda
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: sash1
start running a lot. no fat = abs will show

The problem with that is that he may very well lose muscle along with the fat. You need to eat correctly and ideally lift weights.

right. For the cardio part, I would consider swimming, unless you are an absolutely horrendous swimmer. I am personally on a swim team and it gives you a total body workout, and would be an EXCELLENT way to burn fat, if you commit to a tough workout. Swimming is especially good for your core as well, but certain strokes will work different parts of your abs (for instance: freestyle/backstroke work the obliques and butterfly and breastroke work your upper to total abs). If you want some more info on swimming, don't hesitate to ask.

What would be a good swimming workout if you could make it to the pool about once a week?
 

acegazda

Platinum Member
May 14, 2006
2,689
1
0
Originally posted by: Ballatician
Originally posted by: acegazda
Originally posted by: Special K
Originally posted by: sash1
start running a lot. no fat = abs will show

The problem with that is that he may very well lose muscle along with the fat. You need to eat correctly and ideally lift weights.

right. For the cardio part, I would consider swimming, unless you are an absolutely horrendous swimmer. I am personally on a swim team and it gives you a total body workout, and would be an EXCELLENT way to burn fat, if you commit to a tough workout. Swimming is especially good for your core as well, but certain strokes will work different parts of your abs (for instance: freestyle/backstroke work the obliques and butterfly and breastroke work your upper to total abs). If you want some more info on swimming, don't hesitate to ask.

What would be a good swimming workout if you could make it to the pool about once a week?

not much, that's why I said you would need to commit to a training regiment. Where does it say in the OP that he only has one day a week?
 

onlyCOpunk

Platinum Member
May 25, 2003
2,532
1
0
Swimming needs to be done much more then once a week in order to start seeing immediate benefits. Since it is getting to be Winter though, an indoor pool is always a pleasure. Probably an hour at least 4 times a week should be real effective.
 

Rickten

Golden Member
Apr 17, 2001
1,607
0
0
I have a 4 pack minus the bottom two. I really believe that getting a six-pack requires a lifestyle change. No diet or 90-120 day excerise regimen is going to give you a six pack. I've just about given up and getting the last two to show through because I'm not willing to do all the crunches and give up some of the foods I really like.

some things I tell people all the time and I'm sure have been said many times before on this forum.

Don't eat three hours before you sleep. Don't be having a bunch of chips and soda 30 minutes before your going to hit the sack.
Stop drinking soda. 90 ounces of water every day spaced throughout the day. People will lose weight but really are just losing water weight.
Fruits and vegetables everyday no matter what.
Excerise outside your comfort zone every single day. None of this lets goto the gym and jog on the treadmill, you should be drenched in sweat. A little pain is your friend.
Eat throughout the day, not just once in the evening. (i've been guilty of this one in the past)

Unfortunately to get a six pack you have to get your body fat fairly low and it can be very very difficult unless your doing some kind of sports every single day. Personally I run everyday 7 miles fairly quick. I don't lift weights because it just doesn't fit into my schedule, some others will say weights are a must but I think its boils down to doing something and making your body really work while your doing it.
 

Azndude2190

Golden Member
Jul 4, 2005
1,779
0
76
^lifting weights increases muscle mass which increases metabolism which increases body fat being burned...you would be burning fat at twice the rate than if you were to run 7 miles a day not weight lifting

...it just seems a lot easier this way than to over compensate on one end to avoid doing the other.
 

Rickten

Golden Member
Apr 17, 2001
1,607
0
0
Originally posted by: Azndude2190
^lifting weights increases muscle mass which increases metabolism which increases body fat being burned...you would be burning fat at twice the rate than if you were to run 7 miles a day not weight lifting

...it just seems a lot easier this way than to over compensate on one end to avoid doing the other.

running increases my metabolism, burns fat and increases my heart rate. I would need to see some proof that I could burn twice as much fat lifting weights than what I'm burning from running. Its not like running is a cakewalk that doesn't use any muscle or increase muscle mass.
 

skace

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
14,488
7
81
Originally posted by: Rickten
I don't lift weights because it just doesn't fit into my schedule, some others will say weights are a must but I think its boils down to doing something and making your body really work while your doing it.

Oversimplification is dangerous. It's fine to admit you don't have time to lift, but don't pretend cardio and lifting are the same affect. First off, cardio can actually have a negative impact to muscle depending on duration and intensity. The main goal of cardio is to improve your cardiovascular system. This has more to do with your organs and circulation than your muscles. Lifting is all about muscle definition. And muscle definition is everything we attribute to 'looking healthy' these days.

The 2 are equally important. ~45 minutes of cardio (@target heart rate) is considered the best way (outside of ketosis) to directly target fat stores. It is also the best way to improve blood circulation. Your cardiovascular system plays an important part when you go to lift weights, it improves how much energy you have, how long you can lift for, and how quickly you recover.

It all comes full circle. You perform cardio to improve your cardiovascular system so you can workout longer. You workout longer to build muscles. Your muscles allow you to run easier which burns more fat and makes your muscles more visible.
 

wwswimming

Banned
Jan 21, 2006
3,695
1
0
only time i ever had a six-pack was in 1989. i swam
11 10K's plus a lot of shorter swim's and, by golly,
i made it.

now i don't care about whether i have a 6 pack.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,639
6,522
126
Originally posted by: Rickten
I have a 4 pack minus the bottom two. I really believe that getting a six-pack requires a lifestyle change. No diet or 90-120 day excerise regimen is going to give you a six pack. I've just about given up and getting the last two to show through because I'm not willing to do all the crunches and give up some of the foods I really like.

some things I tell people all the time and I'm sure have been said many times before on this forum.

Don't eat three hours before you sleep. Don't be having a bunch of chips and soda 30 minutes before your going to hit the sack.
Stop drinking soda. 90 ounces of water every day spaced throughout the day. People will lose weight but really are just losing water weight.
Fruits and vegetables everyday no matter what.
Excerise outside your comfort zone every single day. None of this lets goto the gym and jog on the treadmill, you should be drenched in sweat. A little pain is your friend.
Eat throughout the day, not just once in the evening. (i've been guilty of this one in the past)

Unfortunately to get a six pack you have to get your body fat fairly low and it can be very very difficult unless your doing some kind of sports every single day. Personally I run everyday 7 miles fairly quick. I don't lift weights because it just doesn't fit into my schedule, some others will say weights are a must but I think its boils down to doing something and making your body really work while your doing it.

you could easily get a 6-pack in 90-120 days as long as you stick to something. keeping it is going to require that you still continue to eat properly though after you have one.

also the more muscle you have, the more fat you will burn as you are doing cardio. and running does not increase muscle mass.
 

TecHNooB

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2005
7,458
1
76
Eat low carb, low fat, high protein. Avoid losing fat too quickly. Do cardio. Maintain your current lifting. Ab workouts.
 

Mr Pickles

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
4,103
1
0
Originally posted by: TecHNooB
Eat low carb, low fat, high protein. Avoid losing fat too quickly. Do cardio. Maintain your current lifting. Ab workouts.

Funny but the last suggestion is the one that people forget about the most. We typically do 6 different excercises to maintain one muscle, not just a muscle group. But when it comes to abs, a whole lot of muscles, we do one thing, crunches, and think its going to help us out. Google some ab workouts and make sure get all of the groups during each workout you do. You'll find there is way more to it. Your abs should hurt the next day just like your arms and chest do after you work out. Don't forget that.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,639
6,522
126
Originally posted by: MrLee
Originally posted by: TecHNooB
Eat low carb, low fat, high protein. Avoid losing fat too quickly. Do cardio. Maintain your current lifting. Ab workouts.

Funny but the last suggestion is the one that people forget about the most. We typically do 6 different excercises to maintain one muscle, not just a muscle group. But when it comes to abs, a whole lot of muscles, we do one thing, crunches, and think its going to help us out. Google some ab workouts and make sure get all of the groups during each workout you do. You'll find there is way more to it. Your abs should hurt the next day just like your arms and chest do after you work out. Don't forget that.

crunches are one of the 5 or 6 exercises I do when I do my abs. my abs are sore more often than my shoulders are typically.

but yah you are right, a lot of people think that crunches are the only ab exercise to do.
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
16,843
2
0
Squats, do more squats

Squat = legs = increase your testerone levels = build more muscle = use more calories at rest (your metabolic rate) to sustain the muscle. If your not doing squats and deadlifts your MISSING A MASSIVE part of your training. No the leg press and smith machine aren't cutting it.

Crunches are okay. Do incline sit ups with weights on your chest, 12reps x 3-4sets is plenty 2x a week. You don't have to do 100x of them. Thats total BS.

First thing is to get the bf% down to about 12% to show your abs. You can get a lean 6 pack at around 12% bf if you have DEVELOPED abs. If your 12% with no abs you DO NOT HAVE DEVELOPED abs.

Developed abs stick out like brick work. It gives the perception that your much leaner then you are.

You have to eat VERY carefully to stay lean with a 6/8 pack all year around.

Add up the amount of carbs your eating. You should aim for less then 100g a day at the VERY TOP. Cut down to about 60-80g and now we're talking. Cut down further to 40g and you are low carbing pretty hardcore.

Eat more SWEET POTATOES. They are only ~ 5% sugar in it, which is deal if your low carbing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato

Sweet potatoe with tuna mayo is a good meal.

AVOID BREAD LIKE THE PLAGUE. Each piece of toast has 18-19g of SUGAR in it!

Getting and maintaining a 6 pack is a LIFE STYLE CHANGE. Well unless your training as a sprinter you probably will have to eat clean and train differently.

My ab exercises of choice:
Incline sit ups with weights : as you get better have your legs straight and use more weight
DragonFlags: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p...-%20Dragon%20Flags.wmv : you can do these on a bench also
Bulkoffs: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p...a/Koing%20BulkOffs.wmv : the swinging won't help you kick in excess of 9feet up!

There are about 2 more that are great also.

ALSO DO NOT FORGET TO DO YOUR BACK EXERCISES. This will help to keep your abs pulled in also. Hyper extensions, good mornings, deadlifts etc.

Koing
 

Chrono

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2001
4,959
0
71
Originally posted by: Koing
Squats, do more squats

Squat = legs = increase your testerone levels = build more muscle = use more calories at rest (your metabolic rate) to sustain the muscle. If your not doing squats and deadlifts your MISSING A MASSIVE part of your training. No the leg press and smith machine aren't cutting it.

Crunches are okay. Do incline sit ups with weights on your chest, 12reps x 3-4sets is plenty 2x a week. You don't have to do 100x of them. Thats total BS.

First thing is to get the bf% down to about 12% to show your abs. You can get a lean 6 pack at around 12% bf if you have DEVELOPED abs. If your 12% with no abs you DO NOT HAVE DEVELOPED abs.

Developed abs stick out like brick work. It gives the perception that your much leaner then you are.

You have to eat VERY carefully to stay lean with a 6/8 pack all year around.

Add up the amount of carbs your eating. You should aim for less then 100g a day at the VERY TOP. Cut down to about 60-80g and now we're talking. Cut down further to 40g and you are low carbing pretty hardcore.

Eat more SWEET POTATOES. They are only ~ 5% sugar in it, which is deal if your low carbing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato

Sweet potatoe with tuna mayo is a good meal.

AVOID BREAD LIKE THE PLAGUE. Each piece of toast has 18-19g of SUGAR in it!

Getting and maintaining a 6 pack is a LIFE STYLE CHANGE. Well unless your training as a sprinter you probably will have to eat clean and train differently.

My ab exercises of choice:
Incline sit ups with weights : as you get better have your legs straight and use more weight
DragonFlags: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p...-%20Dragon%20Flags.wmv : you can do these on a bench also
Bulkoffs: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p...a/Koing%20BulkOffs.wmv : the swinging won't help you kick in excess of 9feet up!

There are about 2 more that are great also.

ALSO DO NOT FORGET TO DO YOUR BACK EXERCISES. This will help to keep your abs pulled in also. Hyper extensions, good mornings, deadlifts etc.

Koing


Sup Koing, how you doing man? Long time no talk. I'll be messaging you on AIM for further advice from now on :). Just a warning.
 

Syrch

Diamond Member
May 21, 2004
3,382
2
0
As far as i know showing your abs is not an easy thing to do. From what i hear its the hardest muscle on your body to show and only those with REALLY low fat percentages can show it. I would guess its going to take a lot of work.
 

wwswimming

Banned
Jan 21, 2006
3,695
1
0
when i was a kid i used to do 500 sit-ups every morning. didn't work,
just wore the skin off my butt.

i think it's more important to find a workout you really like, so that
you keep coming back for more.
 

LittleNemoNES

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2005
4,142
0
0
Getting your abs to show is easy. All you have to do is lower your body fat and use weights when you work them out every other day. Your ab muscles need to grow just like your biceps, etc.

Eat lean and stay active=abz.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,639
6,522
126
Originally posted by: gersson
Getting your abs to show is easy. All you have to do is lower your body fat and use weights when you work them out every other day. Your ab muscles need to grow just like your biceps, etc.

Eat lean and stay active=abz.

so you would workout your biceps, etc every other day?
 

rstrohkirch

Platinum Member
May 31, 2005
2,434
367
126
There was a short article I read a while back that sighted some interesting research. It showed that an average human burns 50-75% more calories from fat if their muscle's energy stores were pre-exhausted before a cardio workout.
If this indeed is the case than most people with extensive cardio only routines would greatly benefit from cutting it in half and using the time gained before hand to lift weights.
I'm sure it would work vise versa for individuals who only do weight lifting and not cardio if a portion of their goal is to lose fat.

 

LittleNemoNES

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2005
4,142
0
0
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: gersson
Getting your abs to show is easy. All you have to do is lower your body fat and use weights when you work them out every other day. Your ab muscles need to grow just like your biceps, etc.

Eat lean and stay active=abz.

so you would workout your biceps, etc every other day?

Yes, in my case literally every other day. One day I kick my ass, the next day I get plenty of rest.

Some people work out only 2x a week.