KaseMeOutside
Based
- Oct 18, 2011
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Getting dat 6 pack
- Thread starter KaseMeOutside
- Start date
Every day sounds counterproductive. Your abs need rest as much as any other muscle group.
Most men (not all) who are doing some sort of exercise regularly will get some sort of six-pack as long as the body fat % is low enough. What is your body fat %? You should probably be down to somewhere around 10% before your abs start to really show. A proper "magazine" like six-pack and you would need to go below that as well (most likely - I'm sure there are some individual differences to where your body will store fat).
Because abs are used "indirectly" in so many exercises I don't need to take a single situp to get a six-pack. I still do core exercises including different types of situps, but that is for the benefit of a strong core - not primarily because of the aesthetic benefits.
As for core exercises - my favourite (posted it before, but still is my favourite).
Also I like leg raises. Either lying down or hanging (I do not like the hanging ones where your back is supported). Different variations of these:
Most men (not all) who are doing some sort of exercise regularly will get some sort of six-pack as long as the body fat % is low enough. What is your body fat %? You should probably be down to somewhere around 10% before your abs start to really show. A proper "magazine" like six-pack and you would need to go below that as well (most likely - I'm sure there are some individual differences to where your body will store fat).
Because abs are used "indirectly" in so many exercises I don't need to take a single situp to get a six-pack. I still do core exercises including different types of situps, but that is for the benefit of a strong core - not primarily because of the aesthetic benefits.
As for core exercises - my favourite (posted it before, but still is my favourite).
Also I like leg raises. Either lying down or hanging (I do not like the hanging ones where your back is supported). Different variations of these:
UnrealMachine
Registered User
- HIIT cardio 3x week; or
- Hill sprints 3x week; or
- Metcons 3x week
+
- Consistent training; and
- Consistently clean diet; and
- Lots of patience
- Hill sprints 3x week; or
- Metcons 3x week
+
- Consistent training; and
- Consistently clean diet; and
- Lots of patience
KaseMeOutside
Based
- Oct 18, 2011
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I had heard the ab area is the one spot where you could consistently work almost everyday, is it better to go 1 day on 1 day off?
I just started some HIIT last week, looking forward to it.
what i've generally been doing is..
2 mile walk to the gym
weight lifting
cardio
swimming
2 mile walk home
been doing it for a little while, car is out of service ATM but walking to the gym has me pretty well warmed up by the time i get there
I just started some HIIT last week, looking forward to it.
what i've generally been doing is..
2 mile walk to the gym
weight lifting
cardio
swimming
2 mile walk home
been doing it for a little while, car is out of service ATM but walking to the gym has me pretty well warmed up by the time i get there
I have not seen any evidence suggesting that core muscles are any different than any other muscle.
That said there are some indications from scientific studies that muscles can be trained more frequent than the "old school" minimum of 48 hours of rest. Not sure if anyone has done any studies on frequency purely on size, but certainly for strength you can train fairly high frequent (almost every day). BUT this requires that you rarely push yourself to the max. Often we are talking sets at 50-60% of maximum (which is a bit more tricky with abs and core muscles than for example bench press or squats).
I'm somewhere around 14% body fat myself at the moment. Got decent enough abs, but at 14% they won't really show that much unless I'm dehydrated. At 14%, for me personally at least, the % probably differs slightly between people, it doesn't really matter what I do - my abs will just show in the upper region. At 12% there is a fairly significant difference and for me personally below 10% I got a proper six-pack.
That said there are some indications from scientific studies that muscles can be trained more frequent than the "old school" minimum of 48 hours of rest. Not sure if anyone has done any studies on frequency purely on size, but certainly for strength you can train fairly high frequent (almost every day). BUT this requires that you rarely push yourself to the max. Often we are talking sets at 50-60% of maximum (which is a bit more tricky with abs and core muscles than for example bench press or squats).
I'm somewhere around 14% body fat myself at the moment. Got decent enough abs, but at 14% they won't really show that much unless I'm dehydrated. At 14%, for me personally at least, the % probably differs slightly between people, it doesn't really matter what I do - my abs will just show in the upper region. At 12% there is a fairly significant difference and for me personally below 10% I got a proper six-pack.
I've always bought into "you work your abs to build them, but a clean diet is what shows them".
Basically you have to have a fairly low body fat % to show your abs. Clean diet (calorie deficit if you're cutting) and HIT cardio is what I believe is best to achieve this.
blue425
Registered User
If you're eating clean, and from the looks of things you're well on your way, one or two days a week should be plenty.
I only work my abs once a week.
I only work my abs once a week.
Mrb1p
PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
Never really do any "sit ups".
I only do core exercises to get stronger to help lifting, and at my leanest I get a six pack.
What UnrealMachine said sounds right, but I'd add some core training in there, just for the feeling of actually knowing where your muscles are. Find it gives me motivation, I don't know why.
I only do core exercises to get stronger to help lifting, and at my leanest I get a six pack.
What UnrealMachine said sounds right, but I'd add some core training in there, just for the feeling of actually knowing where your muscles are. Find it gives me motivation, I don't know why.
UnrealMachine
Registered User
Yeah, I just meant that it is way, way more of a function of low body fat than it is ab strength/tone. I still do core work almost every workout, but my abs won't show unless I'm around 10% body fat or less.
An example of a guy who can't really get a proper six-pack even with very low body fat. Some are just genetically unlucky I guess.
I think he is an exception though. Never seen anyone that fit basically having no six-pack with so little body fat (even if his readings are off and his real number is 9-10% most people would have much more of a six-pack showing).
I think he is an exception though. Never seen anyone that fit basically having no six-pack with so little body fat (even if his readings are off and his real number is 9-10% most people would have much more of a six-pack showing).
Bluelines
Python FTW!
- Nov 17, 2013
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Its mostly diet and it can be dangerous, your body fat has to be low and largely dependent on how low you go to get that body fat to the right %, it can be harmful to your health.
Generally, experts say that a man has to get down to about 10 percent body fat in order for his abs to show. For women, the number is closer to 15 percent fat. And that’s not even for fitness-model-level definition. According to a 2009 guideline from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), about 2 to 5 percent fat in men and 10 to 13 percent of fat in women is essential. That is tough on the body. Essential fat is the fat that is incorporated into bodily tissues, like bone marrow, the spinal cord, and various organs. The ACE categorizes an athletic body fat percentage as 6 to 13 percent for men and 14 to 20 percent for women; others argue that these numbers could be a bit lower for young adults and a bit higher for older adults.
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/articles/when-six-pack-abs-are-bad-for-your-health-w435224
Generally, experts say that a man has to get down to about 10 percent body fat in order for his abs to show. For women, the number is closer to 15 percent fat. And that’s not even for fitness-model-level definition. According to a 2009 guideline from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), about 2 to 5 percent fat in men and 10 to 13 percent of fat in women is essential. That is tough on the body. Essential fat is the fat that is incorporated into bodily tissues, like bone marrow, the spinal cord, and various organs. The ACE categorizes an athletic body fat percentage as 6 to 13 percent for men and 14 to 20 percent for women; others argue that these numbers could be a bit lower for young adults and a bit higher for older adults.
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/articles/when-six-pack-abs-are-bad-for-your-health-w435224
Mrb1p
PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
I have a hard time believeing he's 9%.
Abs are abs... He doesn't have one big muscle instead of 8 small ones... If he was lean enough, they'd show.
Obviously he seems to have excessive fat storage in there, because he is quite lean.
He has what Id call the skinny guy syndrome
Next to no muscle definition, but low BF because he can.
Kitten Mittons
Registered User
- Nov 18, 2007
- 48,903
- 80
Next to no muscle definition?He has what Id call the skinny guy syndrome
Looking at his back in that picture to the right I don´t think 9-10% is out of the question. I would say he is certainly below 10, but 7.7% seems a bit too low.
Anyway - to have such a back and no abs is very odd. I would say a "normal" person would have to specifically train for it to be that "imbalanced".
Not related to abs, but my legs have always been more developed than the rest of my body. During this summer I didn´t do any weight lifting with my legs, but I cycle quite a lot. Even if cycling does build volume to a certain extent I expected to lose some muscle during that period compared to my regular routine with squats etc. After 8-9 months without squatting (partly due to cycling - and a couple of months lost due to an injury) my muscle mass was exactly the same as before. So in the same way I can keep (and build if I want to) muscle mass in my legs quite easily I can see the opposite being possible for others in other areas. My "weak" area is my arms. I have no idea why, but relative to the rest of my upper body they are always slightly smaller. I don´t lift weights to "sculpture" my body in a certain way though - so I don´t really care that much. It just happen to "be" that way. My goal is just to be strong doing "everything". I guess the same thing happened to the guy in the video.
Anyway - to have such a back and no abs is very odd. I would say a "normal" person would have to specifically train for it to be that "imbalanced".
Not related to abs, but my legs have always been more developed than the rest of my body. During this summer I didn´t do any weight lifting with my legs, but I cycle quite a lot. Even if cycling does build volume to a certain extent I expected to lose some muscle during that period compared to my regular routine with squats etc. After 8-9 months without squatting (partly due to cycling - and a couple of months lost due to an injury) my muscle mass was exactly the same as before. So in the same way I can keep (and build if I want to) muscle mass in my legs quite easily I can see the opposite being possible for others in other areas. My "weak" area is my arms. I have no idea why, but relative to the rest of my upper body they are always slightly smaller. I don´t lift weights to "sculpture" my body in a certain way though - so I don´t really care that much. It just happen to "be" that way. My goal is just to be strong doing "everything". I guess the same thing happened to the guy in the video.
imo:
Complex lifts like deads, squats, turkish get-up, kettle bell swings, ...
Bodyweight exercises like planks, pullups, deep resting squats, pilates/yoga, and "natural movement" exercises.
HIIT, sprinting, ice hockey, riding a bike outside, sex.
I'm not a fan of focused abdominal exercises. The above with a good diet worked for me.
Complex lifts like deads, squats, turkish get-up, kettle bell swings, ...
Bodyweight exercises like planks, pullups, deep resting squats, pilates/yoga, and "natural movement" exercises.
HIIT, sprinting, ice hockey, riding a bike outside, sex.
I'm not a fan of focused abdominal exercises. The above with a good diet worked for me.
Whiplash27
Quattro!!
Most complex lifts engage the abs. One doesn't necessarily need to do ab focused workouts. The hardest part is getting your body fat levels down so that your abs will actually show.
Jim Bob
RIP RJ
Kitten Mittons
Registered User
- Nov 18, 2007
- 48,903
- 80
I get to the point where I can see my abs, then my body is like "nope, I'm dying, I want fat", I start binge eating, gain back that layer of fat as security blanket. Rinse and repeat.
Mrb1p
PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
Kitten Mittons
Registered User
- Nov 18, 2007
- 48,903
- 80
Yeah, I just don't want it bad enough. I'm more concerned about making progress in training and constantly undereating catches up with you.
Mrb1p
PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
Not if its planned carefully. Obviously if you just cut your calorie intake for the sake of it without putting much thought in it its not gonna be optimal.
