YAWT : working out the abs

[MC]

If you work out your abs with weights limit you to 6-8 reps, you do it 3 times 6-8 reps each work out session instead of doing 984348 reps without weights.

Will it helps you to have 6 packs? Or will your abs just get _bigger_ since i understand that if you want to gain mass, you do less reps with more weight. I don't want to get mass on abs, just get toned and have 6 packs if you know what i mean.

 

[Spoooon]

One prerequisite for a 6 pack is a low body fat percentage.

 

[yobarman]

yeah you definately need a body fat percentage of 6-8%, but ab exercise is also needed. Weight and unweighted are all good. Try not to do weight oblique exercises because your obliques will grow out making you look fatter

 

[MC]

ttt

 

[Encryptic]

"I'm coming out with Seven Minute Abs. If you don't get a complete workout in seven minutes, we'll send you the extra minute free."

 

[MC]

Originally posted by: Encryptic
"I'm coming out with Seven Minute Abs. If you don't get a complete workout in seven minutes, we'll send you the extra minute free."

extra free minute? COOL!

 

[ManSnake]

Originally posted by: yobarman
yeah you definately need a body fat percentage of 6-8%, but ab exercise is also needed. Weight and unweighted are all good. Try not to do weight oblique exercises because your obliques will grow out making you look fatter

What if your body fat percentage is 2%? Will the abs show?

 

[Entity]

Originally posted by: ManSnake

Originally posted by: yobarman
yeah you definately need a body fat percentage of 6-8%, but ab exercise is also needed. Weight and unweighted are all good. Try not to do weight oblique exercises because your obliques will grow out making you look fatter

What if your body fat percentage is 2%? Will the abs show?

If your BFP is 2%, then you better be a gymnast.

Yes, abs will show. It's just about impossible (just about, not entirely) to get to that, though.

Rob

 

[StageLeft]

You may find it difficult to keep your form good with reps that low.

The whole "working your muscles for tone vs. size" is a big fable. Basically to look good with your shirt off you want a) Larger muscles and b) a lower body fat. 90%+ of how your abs look is bodyfat, so if you're above around 10% bodyfat you can work them all freaking year long and you're not going to see them until you lose weight. You can either believe that or waste time working them anyway but only thin people have good [looking] abs.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: Spoooon
One prerequisite for a 6 pack is a low body fat percentage.

probably why I have one.

I just do regular sit-ups and side situps (about 200 total) each day after my run. Though, my 6-pack mostly shows because I'm a twig (only 105lbs.)--not becasue I do so many situps

~Aunix

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Originally posted by: AunixM3

Originally posted by: Spoooon
One prerequisite for a 6 pack is a low body fat percentage.

probably why I have one.

I just do regular sit-ups and side situps (about 200 total) each day after my run. Though, my 6-pack mostly shows because I'm a twig (only 105lbs.)--not becasue I do so many situps

~Aunix

Dood how tall are you? 105lbs is uber skinny unless you're about 5 feet tall

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: Angrymarshmello

Originally posted by: AunixM3

Originally posted by: Spoooon
One prerequisite for a 6 pack is a low body fat percentage.

probably why I have one.

I just do regular sit-ups and side situps (about 200 total) each day after my run. Though, my 6-pack mostly shows because I'm a twig (only 105lbs.)--not becasue I do so many situps

~Aunix

Dood how tall are you? 105lbs is uber skinny unless you're about 5 feet tall

5'8"

~Aunix

 

[sash1]

good ole double post!

 

[kindest]

my BFP is below 8% but I got damn man boobs
i do like 100 pushups everyday and i cant get rid of them.
Im super skinny other then my man boobs, how do i rid these luscious beauties.

 

[ManSnake]

Originally posted by: kindest
my BFP is below 8% but I got damn man boobs
i do like 100 pushups everyday and i cant get rid of them.
Im super skinny other then my man boobs, how do i rid these luscious beauties.

Plastic surgery would help!

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Entity

Originally posted by: ManSnake

Originally posted by: yobarman
yeah you definately need a body fat percentage of 6-8%, but ab exercise is also needed. Weight and unweighted are all good. Try not to do weight oblique exercises because your obliques will grow out making you look fatter

What if your body fat percentage is 2%? Will the abs show?

If your BFP is 2%, then you better be a gymnast.

Yes, abs will show. It's just about impossible (just about, not entirely) to get to that, though.

Rob

No man. At 2% bf you would be DEAD. Your body needs to sustain 4% bf. That is the quoted figure by Dr's. Anyone with technically less is BS or they are dying .

Well 6-8% is a bit low. I was at 12.7% BF measured on some scales but thats likely to be HIGHER if anything. Can't imagine it to be any lower though. pic and they are pretty visible.

My recommendation is to incrase the weights so that each REP of the sit ups/ crunch whatever you want to call it is HARD. Hit 6-8 or even 10 reps if you want. Do them at an incline with the weight behind your head. I currently do them at about 25-30degree incline with 5kg behind my head. Form is nice and strict. This will give you the apperance that your abbs *bulk* out like in the pic. The abdominal muscle is ONE muscle in fact. NOT individual muscles. I find that doing incline sit ups with weights help your abbs to bulk out so it is lumpy and like 6 bricks put to gether with space inbetween.

Then to do CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO. This will lower your bf%. I did 4 miles a day running for 5x a week. After 6 weeks I was looking cut.

This year I did it also. I did it for 2 weeks and carried on with my training (3x O-Lifts and Gymnastics a week and I play a bunch of Tennis). I am looking more cut then in that pic. I dropped 2.7kg also to be at 76.450kg. 6 Weeks ago I was at 79.150kg and was not as cut.

Also you have to work out your obliques. Help to shape the side of your abbs so they look more cut.

I recommend doing 30second static holds.

Have your feet on a table or something now lean on your side so that one of your sides is facing the ground and the other the sky. Not with your stomach to the ground. Now have your arm bent at the elbow and rest. Your hand fingers should be pointing infront of you where your face should be. Hold for 30seconds. Repeat on the other side NO REST, repeat again so you hit both sides 2 twice for a 30second duration. I use to a bunch of isometric holds for my abbs. Helped in shaping my abbs.

Koing

 

[kindest]

Originally posted by: ManSnake

Originally posted by: kindest
my BFP is below 8% but I got damn man boobs
i do like 100 pushups everyday and i cant get rid of them.
Im super skinny other then my man boobs, how do i rid these luscious beauties.

Plastic surgery would help!

heheh

 

[StageLeft]

Koing in that pic I'd think you're probably lower than 12.7 but it's difficult to tell with a 2x4 pixel picture

To the guy with the man boobs at 8% if your body fat truly is as low as 8% and you have jiggly chesticles there is only one way to get rid of them: doctor. You can firm them a bit with a huge amount of chest muscle underneath but basically you'd need a doctor to remove your he-tits.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: kindest
my BFP is below 8% but I got damn man boobs
i do like 100 pushups everyday and i cant get rid of them.
Im super skinny other then my man boobs, how do i rid these luscious beauties.

Are you sure your bf is below 8%?

You should not have man boobs at that %.

Do bench press that will help turn some of that fat in to muscle or the muscle their will help make your pecs look how they should instead of man boobs.

Cardio is good.

Just exercise the area. Doing push ups are good but they do not hit the pecs much. Try doing them weighted if you can not bench press anywhere. Have a ruck sack on and put some books in it.

Originally posted by: ManSnake

Originally posted by: yobarman
yeah you definately need a body fat percentage of 6-8%, but ab exercise is also needed. Weight and unweighted are all good. Try not to do weight oblique exercises because your obliques will grow out making you look fatter

What if your body fat percentage is 2%? Will the abs show?

Besides probably being VERY ill at 2% if you stayed alive long enough the answer is *probably* but if you have not developed your abdominals NOTHING WILL show. Your stomach will be flat but you will have no 6 pack look, because you haven't developed them.

Same thing where people can have big arms but not have the bicep muscle show much or the shape of the triceps show much. Its just one blob with no real shape. If you trained and exercised them the muscles would begin to form a better shape once tense.

Koing

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Koing in that pic I'd think you're probably lower than 12.7 but it's difficult to tell with a 2x4 pixel picture

To the guy with the man boobs at 8% if your body fat truly is as low as 8% and you have jiggly chesticles there is only one way to get rid of them: doctor. You can firm them a bit with a huge amount of chest muscle underneath but basically you'd need a doctor to remove your he-tits.

The pic is uploaded at geekfitness so I used that one. Small as the avators are small.

I don't think it would be much lower if lower. I still carry fat man. No kidding on that and it won't get much lower though. You can pinch quite a bit of fat but when I tense then it looks like that. They have moderate shape when I do not tense but still fat. The % can't be less then 10% though I'm guessing. I think most people either get a bf% measured too low also or its not just accurate. As I think if your body fat is in the sub 10% you should be pretty bloody ripped!

Koing

 

[sash1]

"Besides probably being VERY ill at 2% if you stayed alive long enough the answer is *probably* but if you have not developed your abdominals NOTHING WILL show. Your stomach will be flat but you will have no 6 pack look, because you haven't developed them."

I'm still alive. And I'm telling you: skinny = abs show more!

~Aunix

 

[sash1]

wtf is up with all these double posts?

 

[StageLeft]

Walker has less than 1 1/2% body fat on a body that has never lifted weights I think that that's inaccurate - I think you're right Koing that less than around 4% just is not feasible.

 

[halik]

sdfdsf

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: AunixM3
"Besides probably being VERY ill at 2% if you stayed alive long enough the answer is *probably* but if you have not developed your abdominals NOTHING WILL show. Your stomach will be flat but you will have no 6 pack look, because you haven't developed them."

I'm still alive. And I'm telling you: skinny = abs show more!

~Aunix

How was that 2% measured? The only accurate way is to do it with the water submerssion stuff. That is pricey just to get a bf%. The scales are NOT accurate when the % get below 10%. They are a good way to get an indication and to TRACK progress BUT not really that accurate.

If it was with calipers that can vary WIDLY depending on the person and the amount of experience they have had.

Your abbs should SERIOUSLY ripped to the point where you can almost see each muscle fibre at that %. You got pic?

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Walker has less than 1 1/2% body fat on a body that has never lifted weights I think that that's inaccurate - I think you're right Koing that less than around 4% just is not feasible.

Ditto. Dr's have said its dangerous to get a percentage less then 4% even if you could obtain it. Pro bodybuilders with the amount of crazy things they, drugs and supplements etc have about 6-8% and they area RIPPED. They also have a better chance at a lower bf% as they are bigger also. So they can have more fat on them because they are bigger but the % is less.

You being 105lbs with 2% you would have about 2.1lbs of fat on you WHOLE body. That to me doesn't sound feasible. If you were say 270lbs its more feasible but at 105lbs.......

Koing