i want killer abs

[wildchild]

my cousin has a machine to measure body fat and mine rarly goes above 8% - i eat as much as i want when i want and it never goes above 8%

 

[Eulogy]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
6% is near impossible to achieve without dehydration. what method did you use to measure this?

Lmao. WRONG, idiot.

Many bodybuilders (natural ones too) can achieve bodyfat levels as low as 2,3% for contests. Dehydration does NOT alter your bodyfat %, it only removes subcuatenous water, meaining they can get there with diet and cardio. I maintain 7-8% BF year-round without any drugs, and have gotten to 6% without any problems in the past.

 

[MindOverMatter]

I'll believe it when I see it.

edit - and by that I mean seeing you at 6% bf naturally. Even with a super clean cutting diet, you'd only get down to 8%, 7% MAYBE. 6% no way.

And I'd honestly like to see how much progress you've made with a 7-8% all year round bodyfat. Even with the cleanest bulk you will go over 9%, so for you to maintain that bf all year round tells me you probably haven't grown that much.

 

[wildchild]

Euology theres no point calling him an idiot hes just trying to help. It was about 9 month ago or so when i measured and had 6% body fat. I used a machine i believe sends a current through your body and measures the fat that way. The reason i was down to that weight is for some reason i went through a phase i lost about 1 and a half stone (at this when i lost this weight i also grew about 2 inches) and was going through a peroid of stress and was also smoking alot but also eating alot too. My mother also weighed herself at this point her fat was alot higher than mine ( and shes not a fat person. There has never been a point in my life were i have been fat and i have always been underweight - thats why i started body building because the only way i really gain weight is when i train and eat alot of protein. I never had a special diet to get down to 6% fat and at the point i was also trying to gain weight. Ive always been very skinny but also fast and fairly strong like i would be able to lift bigger weights and arm wrestle guys bigger than me in the past I think its just in my genes my grandad was the same.

 

[CLOONEY]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
It's easy bro! Once you get your bodyfat low to like 9-10%, execrise properly and eat enough protein / don't overtrain, you will gain mass fast. The reason I say have a low bodyfat first is because you will be able to see all your results as you improve, instead of not seeing them due to a layer of fat and being discouraged.

Another reason I say cut first before ever bulking is because most people will bulk properly, but cut improperly, and lose a lot of their gains. At the beginning, when you're still new to itall, it's best to do a clean bulk.

Other then that, the best advice I can give you is, don't worry about what your body looks like, and instead focus on your strength. Try to lift more and more every week. Make goals about how much you can lift, and break them. Focus on getting stronger first, and the body will follow.

Agree 100%. Dont need to say more.

 

[aolsuxs]

Any tips for the lower abs, my upper are showing fine but lower doesnt seem to get there and my BF is 8-10%

 

[wildchild]

for my lower abs i usualy do leg ups were u stand on a sorta frame thing and lift my legs straight up in this routine.

First cross left leg over right and lift leg 15 times
then right over left and lift leg 15 times
then both feet together and life str8 up(not crossed over)

then i do the same expect this time instead of lifting my legs str8 up i pull them into my body..hope this helps

 

[Ricky]

I started out 10 years ago as a skinny dude.

I rapidly put on mass as all newbies due and the first year was up over 20-25 lbs in weight.

Then to go to the next ten lbs I started eating like a pig. Fortunately it didn't make overfat, but my abs were lost.

I got them back 2 years ago on a summer of strict eating but promptly lost it again.

I am cutting now and will never lose the abs again (once I get them back)

Bulking is dangerous territory. Proceed at your own risk.

If you want to eat like a pig and bulk, thats great, but for some of us cutting back up is difficult as hell!

 

[CLOONEY]

Originally posted by Ricky

Bulking is dangerous territory. Proceed at your own risk.

haha, yes I definately agree with this. I have trained for probably about 8 or so years now, in boxing and weights. Although when I go into some of these bodybuilding stores for supplements, they always tell me to eat like a bi*ch to bulk. Then a couple of times, a guy walks in, and they use him as an example. Trouble is, the dude is FAT. He is bulky, but fat. No way I will ever be fat just to bulk. I find I can look twice as good as these guys, cutting first, and then bulking. I would rather be skinny for a while, and still have your facial features and definition showing, than being fat for a while and looking like a slob.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[madgame]

@MindoverMatter: whats your bf %? just wonderin

 

[MindOverMatter]

In the mornings when I take it, it tends to be high (10.6%), and in the evening after my workout, it tends to be around 9.4% now.

The range difference is because of the scale I use to measure it ( http://www.body-fat-calculator.com/details.asp?productID=4577 ). Last time I got my bodyfat taken at a body composition tank (about 4 weeks ago) I was at 9.8

 

[Ricky]

What I wonder about cutting is the following:

1) What level of bodyfat is truly a healthy range to shoot for? I guess I'm also asking, is a 6-pack something that is actually a healthy goal to achieve? Or is that too ripped and not a good level of bodyfat? I don't expect anyone hear to have a good answer on that

2) The dieting required to get ripped itself is many times not healthy, especially if done in a dramatic and quick fashion

3) By the converse, I'm definitely not saying it's ok to be fat. Obesity or even being mildly overweight creates the potential for a number of health problems.

 

[MindOverMatter]

the healthy bodyfat range for a male between ages of 18-30 is 8-20%. and the dieting it takes to get to 8-12% bodyfat needed for abs to fully show is easy. it just takes consistance, and willpower (i.e. no relapsing and drinking a beer with the boys "just this once", or ordering a pizza because you're too lazy to cook a clean meal.)

 

[Ixnys]

How long do you think it takes someone at 11.5% bodyfat to go down to 9%?

I'm 6'1" 185lbs 11.5% BF. How many pounds do I need to lose to be around 9-10%?

 

[Nightwing]

Originally posted by wildchild
how often should i work my abs i know they get bigger while they repair from the excersise so i dont wanna over do it because it wont give them time to grow so how often should i work them?

If you're trying to get a 6 pack, then focusing on your diet is the way to go. You can work your abs all you want, but that effort is nothing if you don't focus on your diet. Other than that, you'll just have firm abs under a bunch of abdominal fat.

 

[wildchild]

I used to drink alot of beer eat alot of food ( healthy and junk) and never gain weight i can only gain muscle mass for some reason.

 

[slims999]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
Hey guys

My daily calorie intake is usually around 5000, sometimes more, sometimes less.

What? Fvcking excuse me? 5k calories, Jesus Palomino, what do you eat? You must eat every hour for 12-13 hrs a day.

I eat a lot but goddamn, I'm having trouble getting 2-3k calories a day haha.

What all do you eat?

 

[wildchild]

Ive been going to the gym now for about 3 - 4 month twice a week and also doing thai boxing twice a week for just over a month( thai boxing gives you a killer workout especially on your abs) before i went to the gym or thai boxing i was 8 and a half stone and 5ft 8 now im around 9 and a half stone and 5ft 9 ( ive been taking protein drinks from time to time. This is my ab workout at the gym now. I do around 50 sit ups, 20 of those crunches mind over matter showed us, about 50 differnt leg ups and around 20 weighted sit ups ( thats were i put around 7kg of weight out str8 behing my head and do normal situps. So far im happy with the results... thanks for your help guys - **** how do i upload an image?

 

[wildchild]

 

[harwell]

Dang ya'll work out a lot.. some of you have yourselves working out 7 days a week! When do you rest! Sorry to break it to you guys but your not growing in the gym! You grow when you rest.. and that pump you get in the gym..? its just blood, supplying your muscles with needed oxygen during your workout. Thats why it goes away after a while, your muscles don't need as much oxygen anymore.

Anyway, back to the thread... you want abs? get your body fat down below 10%... that means you have to follow a healthy diet. Until then NO ABS. You also don't need to do like 10 different exercises to get to your "lower abdominals". Your working them all, for the most part, equally. Simple weighted crunches will get you those "great abs".

BF%... people dont have 2-3%... they would be in the hospital if they did... when you start getting lower than 6% your body starts to loose heat at an accelerated rate. You have to have a certain amount of fat to insulate your body.

All those electronic scales people are using are DEFINITELY not the best way to measure body fat... time of day, hydration, and eating can all affect the reading of those.... if you just want ball park figures, then they're fine... but once you start getting below 10% they're not that accurate. (Most of them even make a note about this at the bottom of the package, website, etc.) There is no absolutely accurate way to measure body fat, (except to cut you open and literally weigh the fat, which isn't a possibility). Calipers are the next best thing, however, no matter what your %. That is the best tool to use to gauge your bf%. (You have to have someone who knows hwo to use them to get an accurate reading though)

Robert