6 pack abs

[Master Moron]

I've been striving for years to get six pack abs. I've tried cardio, I've tried different ab workouts, I've tried eating less, nothing seems to work. While I've definitely lost some weight, and my abs are beginning to show on the top, my stomach still isn't in the shape I want it. So, naturally, I looked up stuff on the internet and found this site:

http://www.fatlosstips.com/

Has anyone ever tried this stuff? Some of this stuff sounds pretty radical, like eating six meals a day. But, this site kind of helps to explain why doing cardio didn't do anything for me. On this site he says doing cardio any other time other than as soon as you wake up really won't help you lose fat. Well, I'm willing to try anything, but doesn't Dr. Phil do cardio as soon as he wakes up? And he's fat...

Anyway, I've been working my abs every other day for months, but apparently, I should only work them two times a week. Also, apparently, eating less calories was worthless because by eating fewer calories I'm lowering my metabolism. Ugh, this is so complicated. Well, regardless, I guess I can try doing cardio as soon as I wake up in the morning, this site says three times a week is good.

[EinBebop]

Some people can work out and work out but their bodies just aren't made to be "ripped". Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia was in a whole steroid scandal last year, claimed the only reason he did them was because he couldn't get anything resembling such a physique without them.

Of course, I'm certainly no expert on the subject.

[chevy citation]

Eating 5 or 6 tiny meals a day instead of 3 isn't too weird sounding. I've always heard your stomach is about the size of your two fists balled up and put together. People who eat big-sized restaurant platters of food all the time have big potbellys. Eating lots of smaller meals is the only way to get all the calories you need without stretching your stomach.

[Shnay]

I think, although I'm by no means knowledgeable on the subject, that the way to ripped abs is through very specific types of sit ups, crunches and weight machines. A lot of exercises work only on very specific muscles, and the lower stomach muscles are probably tough to work. There are excercises for them, though. A Google search for "lower stomach muscle exercises" turns up some examples.

Best of luck.

[JohnCrichton]

Join high school wrestling.

Through the rigorous torture and horrors I survived in that sport I actually got myself an eight pack once upon a time.

It's mostly gone now, but its ghost remains.

[Quagmire]

1000 crunches a day for 6 weeks straight is a guaranteed 6-pack. It would take a lot of dedication to accomplish though.

[Master Moron]

I think, although I'm by no means knowledgeable on the subject, that the way to ripped abs is through very specific types of sit ups, crunches and weight machines. A lot of exercises work only on very specific muscles, and the lower stomach muscles are probably tough to work. There are excercises for them, though. A Google search for "lower stomach muscle exercises" turns up some examples.

Best of luck.

I've tried, but some of the exercises my searches have come up with don't specifically work the lower muscles. One site I found listed that bicycle thing where you put your hands behing your head and touch your knees with your elbows as working your lower abs. But, those work your sides, and my sides are already really muscular. I currently do three ab exercises, 4 sets of each. But, I don't know whether they work lower or upper abs. I've seen some people do this exercise where they lie down and raise their legs in the air. I think that's supposed to work your lower abs, but I've tried them and I didn't feel a thing. I must be doing them wrong.

[Master Moron]

1000 crunches a day for 6 weeks straight is a guaranteed 6-pack. It would take a lot of dedication to accomplish though.

In a row? I don't think that would be possible. And I thought you were supposed to let your abs rest a day. I thought doing it every day would damage your muscles. See, this is why exercising is confusing. Everyone says completely different things.

[Evil & Lovin It]

You're right. You can't simply start off doing that many every day. The principle of exercise and muscle building is that you tear and damage your muscles, then they heal stronger than they were before (it makes sense if you think about survival techniques, if something is damaged then it must be made stronger)Some people can work out and work out but their bodies just aren't made to be "ripped". Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia was in a whole steroid scandal last year, claimed the only reason he did them was because he couldn't get anything resembling such a physique without them.

Of course, I'm certainly no expert on the subject.Absokutely correct, there are three basic body types: Endophyte, Ectophyte, and Mesophyte.
Endophyte: usually shorter and rounder, find it harder to lose body mass.
Ectophyte(me): Usually taller and skinnier, find it harder to build muscle mass.
Mesophyte: An excersise machine, builds muscle mass more easily. This is the body type of most of the people us regular folk envy (bodybuilders and other fitness celebrities)
Of course this doesn't mean that an Endo or Ectophyte can't be in very good shape, nor does it mean that a Mesophyte is simply born looking ripped, you always have to work at it.

[Youko Recca]

Hahahahaha! Ah that's a hoot...

I was very close when I still played football last year but I slacked a little and went back to the quad. Guess I should try again. The advice before my appearence here has seemed pretty good. All I can really think of is doing my normal training procedures, and then go beyond that.

If it's any consolation, you've inspired me to try harder.

[purplehairedwonder]

Oooh, ooh, me me!!! *jumps up and down* Heh, sorry. I'm just interested in nutrition...:p
Has anyone ever tried this stuff? Some of this stuff sounds pretty radical, like eating six meals a day. But, this site kind of helps to explain why doing cardio didn't do anything for me. On this site he says doing cardio any other time other than as soon as you wake up really won't help you lose fat. Well, I'm willing to try anything, but doesn't Dr. Phil do cardio as soon as he wakes up? And he's fat...Eating six meals a day isn't radical in the least. The whole point is to have 5-6 small meals instead of 3 big ones. It's a way some people use to try and lose weight. It doesn't really matter which you do though, as long as you eat the same number of calories. It's just a personal thing. I find I like 3-4 meals a day the best. And cardio right after you wake up... that sounds sketchy. You need energy to be at your peak performace, so if you did it right after you wake up, you'll probably be a bit fatigued from sleep and nothing to eat. Eat some light carbs for energy when you get up then do it.

Anyway, I've been working my abs every other day for months, but apparently, I should only work them two times a week. Also, apparently, eating less calories was worthless because by eating fewer calories I'm lowering my metabolism. Ugh, this is so complicated. Well, regardless, I guess I can try doing cardio as soon as I wake up in the morning, this site says three times a week is good.You shouldn't do muscle working exercises on consecutive days. Like lifting weights, you should do abs like every other day, so 3 days a week. That's because (I think...) in order to build muscle, you make slight tears during toning exercises and it takes a day for it to heal. Cardio 3-5 days a week for at least 30 minutes is the recommendation.

1000 crunches a day for 6 weeks straight is a guaranteed 6-pack. It would take a lot of dedication to accomplish though.Yeah... no. Crunches alone aren't going to do it. For a six pack, you have to work your entire stomach, which means doing a variety of exercises for all the parts. That and cardio, because without losing fat the muscle will be under the fat, making you look bigger than you want:shrug:

Anyway... hope that helped in some way, shape, or form.

[Avery]

I've seen some people do this exercise where they lie down and raise their legs in the air. I think that's supposed to work your lower abs, but I've tried them and I didn't feel a thing. I must be doing them wrong.
To do that, you have to lift your legs up, and raise them about a foot with *only* your abs. It's hard to do, becasue you really want to use your back/lega/butt muscles to rasie them, but you have to train yourself not to.

One of my friends is fitness obessed, and they swear by this technique for working the lower abs- get one of those big inflatable balls- the taller you are, the bigger it should be. Get on top of it, on your knees. Balance, standing only on your knees. Don't use your arms to steady yourself. I've treid this, it's *crazy* hard, but I definitly noticed an effect.

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

Why go through all the pain and agony of crunches and such when you can have an Ab-Abber 2000 (http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail77.html)? :D

[Youko Recca]

Oooh, ooh, me me!!! *jumps up and down* Heh, sorry. I'm just interested in nutrition...:p

You need to post your picture.

[GCFyouthcamper]

I don't have the proof to back this up, but my brother says that six pack abs are a genetic thing and so not everyone has the ability to get them.

[Evil & Lovin It]

Eh... I don't know about that... my brother says:

"Well you see, I think human beings have always turned to the supermarket for answers. I mean, look at history, communism has been a constant throughout the universe. Some of the most famous people of our generation, Plato, Julius Caesar, George Washington, they all played video games you know?"

See? Brothers aren't the best source of info...

[cross blues]

hmm, so muscles are genetic, but not everyone has them? lmao... everyone has abs, most people just have a layer of fat on top so they're not visible. if you poke around your stomach, you should be able to feel your abs unless you have a serious weight issue. all you have to do is lose that fat and you'll have a 6 pack.

- NEVER consume complex carbs late in the day (never after lunch). your body doesn't burn off all those carbs and they're stored as fat.

- cardio does help you lose weight. you have to get to your target heart rate and keep it there for any time over 15 minutes. any amount of time over 15 minutes is when you'll be burning fat. Dr. Phil is an idiot.

- drink lots of water

- crunches don't only help build abdominal muscles, the exercise also helps burn fat in that specific area. the reason running is so effective is that besides the cardio, you naturally twist when you run and your core muscles get a workout too.

- you can do ab exercises up to four days a week. any other muscles (pecs, biceps, triceps) shouldn't be worked more than three.

- if you are able to do 1000 crunches, you're doing something wrong. focus on using your abs to lift your upper body (or legs, depending on the exercise), don't pull with your quads. 2 exercises, 3 sets of 20-30 crunches each should be plenty.

[Master Moron]

Has anyone ever tried the exercise on this site? http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/ab_workouts.htm
Basically you just stand up and suck in your gut while breathing in and out. Seems easy. Easy enough that it wouldn't hurt to try. But, I'm doubtful it will actually do anything.

[cross blues]

Has anyone ever tried the exercise on this site? http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/ab_workouts.htm
Basically you just stand up and suck in your gut while breathing in and out. Seems easy. Easy enough that it wouldn't hurt to try. But, I'm doubtful it will actually do anything.it would work if you do it all day. it wouldn't make your abs bigger but it would make your stomach tighter. you should feel your muscles tighten, like the way you'd tighten them if someone was going to punch you in the gut. that is the form you should use for all ab exercises, including crunches.

[Raven Rock Ball]

I would do some outdoor activities like skateboarding and all that stuff. i don't know why but i think that is a good way to lose wieght cause their is this one guy at my school who is a sk8er and i know in the yearbook he looked chubby, but after i came back from california je lost alot of weight, and he doesn't look bad. i don't know if that helps but who knows, i think it does. but like i said im not sure if it works, but i thought it would help.:D . srry if it doesn't.

[Master Moron]

Hmmm...well, I actually have a skateboard, but I don't have any wheels or anything attached to it. I guess I could use it as a surfboard if I wanted to, but it's probably too small. Any idea how much would it cost to attach wheels to it?

Well, I've been trying to do cardio, emphasis on TRYING. I could have sworn that my parents had an exercise bike. But, instead they have this cardio glide thing. You basically sit on it like an exercise bike and you push the bottom part forward with your legs while pulling the top part towards you with your arms. I did it for 40 minutes and my heartbeat was barely up at all. What a piece of junk. My arms felt kind of tired though. They also have a rowing machine, but it seems like that's the same type of movement almost. I don't see how you can get a cardio workout from moving your arms. I mean, it's pretty hard to move your arms fast enough to get your heartbeat up, and your arms aren't really holding your body weight up like your legs so I would imagine it would be less effective.

Are there any cardio exercises you can do without any fancy equipment? This morning I tried running up and down the stairs. I collapsed after 10 trips. That only took 5 minutes, can't be too much of a workout. I remember in the video game forums some people were talking about using Dance Dance Revolution to lose weight. I wonder how much the game and pad would cost to buy. Of course, really, I suppose I could dance without a dancing game, but it would be pretty hard to determine how many calories you're burning and stuff.

Oh, by the way, I got on the scale today, and it said I weighed 159. It would appear that I lost 4 pounds, but I suppose that could just be a daily fluctuation.

[Raven Rock Ball]

sorry i don't know how much the cost of wheels would be to put on your skateboard, if i knew i would tell u but i don't.:sad: . srry.

[purplehairedwonder]

Are there any cardio exercises you can do without any fancy equipment? This morning I tried running up and down the stairs. I collapsed after 10 trips. That only took 5 minutes, can't be too much of a workout. I remember in the video game forums some people were talking about using Dance Dance Revolution to lose weight. I wonder how much the game and pad would cost to buy. Of course, really, I suppose I could dance without a dancing game, but it would be pretty hard to determine how many calories you're burning and stuff.You could try Tae-Bo tapes (or other workout videos. They carry them at the library and video stores). I know, they are kinda out, but I love the Tae-Bo workouts. There are different skill levels and you can go at your own pace. Other workout videos like Denise Austin or something would be good as well. Even just walking is good exercise. A half hour walk a day can really add up.

You need to post your picture.I'll work on it:)