Getting a sixpack is eating away my other muscles!

[Jay26]

Hey guys,

I have a Vin Diesel type of somewhat bulky build, sorry, dont know the exact body fat number, it's around 10 percent from the looks of it, I can see the outline of my sixpack, but it's not very defined.

My question is, how the heck do you develop a sixpack more without starving yourself and eating away your other muscles?

It seems 90 percent of the work with abs is cutting down enough fat to be able to see them. My problem is, the more I cut and eat lean the more I can see my abs, but the more my muscles shrink, it's like a see-saw, big arms, small abs, small arms big abs, etc etc. I don't want a six pack if it makes me look like a bean pole! In that case I'd rather take the big arms.

I've tried eating less and less, doing more cardio but I'm bordering on making myself sick from lack of food etc and a general lack of energy. I am really beginning to feel this comes much easier to some people than others.

Are resistance excersizes the answer? If so, what are they?

 

[victor von doom]

.

 

[victor von doom]

You'd think that a big a$$ sticky at the top of the forum page that said "GUIDE TO CUTTING UP" would give you a clue, huh?

Oh yeah.. you're probably not as lean as you think you are.

 

[MackJr]

6 packs are overrated. You're at a level though, that you'd probably get better info from the bruisers at your local gym than from us here in cyberspace.

 

[victor von doom]

Originally posted by MackJr
6 packs are overrated. You're at a level though, that you'd probably get better info from the bruisers at your local gym than from us here in cyberspace.

why would you say that? most people who train have no fukkin' clue what they are doing.

 

[MackJr]

Originally posted by victor von doom
why would you say that? most people who train have no fukkin' clue what they are doing.

well I qualified it with 'bruisers'. If Rosanne Barr Arnold is lifting weights you probably won't get much useful info from her, but if you see the soloflex guy--well he'd probably know more about washboard abs than the average bear.

 

[victor von doom]

Originally posted by MackJr
well I qualified it with 'bruisers'. If Rosanne Barr Arnold is lifting weights you probably won't get much useful info from her, but if you see the soloflex guy--well he'd probably know more about washboard abs than the average bear.

That's still flawed reasoning... he could have awesome genetics, he could have been using roids.. just because someone is huge doesn't mean they know what they are talking about. You have to really consider the advice you are being given.. but of course the best advice is to educate yourself and learn what works best for you via a process of trial and error.

 

[Neo]

You can't take advice from just any big dude you see, otherwise we'd all be scrawny dudes wondering why arnie's advice did nothing for us

 

[madgame]

I think most people who are big should be able to give you good advice, though some might just have great genetics (I know somebody like that...believes actually that drinking lots of alcohol and working out made him muscular..tho its all genetics from what I can tell).

Dude, you seem to think that WORKING OUT your abs makes you lose muscle on your arms. Thats completely bull****. The only thing that affects your arm muscles might be your diet.
Though I think you might just imagine that your muscles are getting smaller (I know that feeling). Just cut up (--> guide to cutting up) eat enough protein while cutting up and work out exactly the way you did when you were bulking and see if your lifts stay the same. If you`re lifts stay the same your muscles ARE NOT shrinking. That should be a no brainer. I bet you really just think you`re losing muscle when you`re really just losing fat/ water.

By the way you`re probably like 20%+ body fat. No offense, but If you were not far from 10% you wouldn't be doing this.

 

[California Love]

definition is purely diet. Working the abs harder is a failed theory (spot reduction). Working an area will bring more nutrients into the area, hence more fat. Try a keto diet.


forum.bodybuilding.com

 

[madgame]

definition is purely diet. Working the abs harder is a failed theory (spot reduction).

true.

Working an area will bring more nutrients into the area, hence more fat.

Are you trying to say that if you work out your abs ull put on some more fat in your stomach are also?lol

 

[California Love]

Originally posted by madgame

Are you trying to say that if you work out your abs ull put on some more fat in your stomach are also?lol

yes i am

Fat storage is naturally centered around the waist, in the first place.

 

[madgame]

Fat storage is naturally centered around the waist, in the first place.

Yes it is (at least with men), but I was asking if you meant to say that working out your abs will make your stomach chubbier because more nutrients went there cause of working out?

 

[California Love]

Originally posted by madgame
Yes it is (at least with men), but I was asking if you meant to say that working out your abs will make your stomach chubbier because more nutrients went there cause of working out?

working out in close proximity to eating will cause the nutrients to go there.

I have read your posts. Madgame, I think you can contribute much more to the fitness section if you read up and get some more experience. No offense meant at all.

 

[madgame]

I have read your posts. Madgame, I think you can contribute much more to the fitness section if you read up and get some more experience. No offense meant at all.

I've been working out constantly for over five years now, have been able to gain muscle mass and hardly put on any fat (by cuttin down too) and Im pretty close to my personal goal. I probably made most of the mistakes that a lot of beginners make when I first started but for the last few years what Ive been doing has worked great for me. I just mean to share what I know and I dont really think I need to do a lot of reading-up. Of course there are probably a few little things Im doing wrong (though I cant think of anything right now, but maybe Ill find out about something in a couple of weeks or so..u never know) but Im pretty sure I got the basic knowledge and that I can help some guys by sharing my knowledge with them, though I'm far from a self-claimed expert like a few other guys on here.

You said you read my other posts, so please tell me where Ive given unsufficient or wrong advice.
By the way I actually think the same thing you think about me when I read some of your posts.

(This has nothing really to do with what I just said)

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by madgame

Are you trying to say that if you work out your abs ull put on some more fat in your stomach area also?lol
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


yes i am

Fat storage is naturally centered around the waist, in the first place.

To me this sounded like you meant to say that working out out your abs was a bad idea because itll make you gain fat in your stomach area and thus u should stay way from all exercises working out your abs.

The fact that fat storage is naturally centered around the waist, in the first place is true. Though it depends on your genetics (If you're a woman itll go to your legs,hips and ass in the first place. Besides I read that people who have dark hair tend to put on more fat weight at other places than people with blonde hair for example, though I dont think that this plays an important part (whether you think its true or not)). All in all it IS true that men put on most of the fat they gain in their stomach areas, but it has actually nothing to do with what I asked you.

working out in close proximity to eating will cause the nutrients to go there.

Ive heared that, too but if you think that this is an important point, you should have just said you shouldnt eat any meals high in fat for a certain time before and after you work out. So better go to that other thread and tell that one guy that he shouldnt eat peanut butter right before working out. Actually I have to say that I dont think this plays a big part as long as you try to build mass without putting on a lot of fat, by eating good carbs and hardly any meals high in fat.

No offense on my part either, this is just what I think. peace

 

[Rico S]

Abs are ALL about diet. You can achieve a six pack without any ab work.

 

[MackJr]

abdominal reduction

spot reduction is impossible, but if you have very little cardio in your routine, and work at a sit-down job, you're likely to get more abdominal fat than someone who gains the same amount of weight (from overeating) but has an active lifestyle.

And it works in reverse: high cardio workouts reduce abdominal fat faster than low intensity workouts.

here's my source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/05/030529081315.htm