The past week I've been working on my abs.
The following post is being made without knowing your current physical condition (members bare this in mind)
Now, all I have been doing are simple sit ups and crunches, but sets of 100 at a time, until I reach the goal of the night (1-3 thousand)
Why are you doing sets of 100 and have a goal of 1000? These rep numbers are not optimal. I think its just due to you not knowing. DO NOT be discouraged. Between myself and the others we will get you on the right track, young man!
Wouldn't you rather reach your goal by doing LESS and having the LESS work be more productive and applicable toward your goal?
To build good visible abs one has to:
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1. Have good torso base composition from genetics (even if its covered by fat tissue and one cant see them)
Lets face some facts here. Though we all have torso/ab muscles, they are not all made genetically the same. Look around and you will see this to be true.
For example, since I was a teen my torso/abs were always large, and then I couldnt see them over the next 20 or so years because I ate like a pig and my nutrition stunk just as bad--until I wised up (and you are gonna have to wise up), started an exercise program, got my diet right, and uncovered them in my 40's. If I would have listened to to the many opinions (on other forums, family opinions, etc) that abs can be only gotten in youth (under 35), I wouldnt of accomplished crap.
Though you can improve this area through diet and exercise---no doubt, composition plays the larger role IMO. I am only saying this to motivate you: If a man in his 40's (46) can do it, so can you. You have youth on your side, I have age working against me, and as time goes on, the harder it will be logically for a person of my age=======>SO LETS GET WITH IT!
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2. A diet plan optimized for fat tissue loss.
A. Determine your MT Line.
B. Create a small deficit
C. Create calorie TARGETS each day
D. EACH WEEK......KNOW whether you are gaining or losing weight. Dont play games with your hard work.
Begin here with this Link:
http://training.fitness.com/nutriti...uest-nutritional-sticky-29123.html#post237101
This link may be come dead over time as we are currently working on making the contents a nutrional sticky and it may be moved.
In addition, a continuing education on diet V exercise techniques (manipulations of calories, manipulation of the three nutrients, etc) to combat and deliver to ones self--
in the event this "extra" education is needed to assist in eliminating problems.
The advanced Diet V Exercise techniques may not be a major player in your goal NOW, but they MAY when your body fat drops. Think to the future.
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3. A training program that attempts to build and/or tries to maintain muscle for the entire body. A Full Body Routine. (FBW)
Develop a FBW at least 3 times per week. Get the body working in unison---it WILL PAY OFF. If this isnt possible with your lifestyle, then an upper/lower split or another compromise may have to be done--to get the weight training in.
1. Develop a FBW
2. Track your Weights Used, Sets, and Reps
3. Pay close attention to your progression on exercises.
4. Pay CLOSE ATTETION to the RETURN RESPONSE/FEEDBACK from your weight training routine
5. Make adjustments as necessary.
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4. A good solid understanding on how each exercise effects the body--both indirectly and directly.
Therefore, if you examine the Squat and Deadlift for example, the torso (or ab region) performs its base function really well, and is hit indirectly with these two KINGS of ALL LIFTS--because they provide a support function.
You want abs, then you get the diet right, and add these two lifts to your training.
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With genetics willing, to get the abs to show,
is a function of low body fat, and they are litterally made in the kitchen.
AB/Torso definition is 'nearly' 100% diet.
One has to understand that the muscle in the torso region (ABS) ARE different in the sense of how they grow.
These muscles simply WILL NOT grow like the chest, legs, or back--though dependent on the starting position of the person, they WILL grow but it will be limited no matter what one does. IMO.
After a certain point, they grow more in strength more than anything else just by the nature of their bodily function, IMO.
In addition, if you are not TOO concerned with "optimizing" muscle growth (and I dont really know if our forum members even do enough cardio to even--hurt muscle growth in the first place), you can add cardio along with a good sound diet for additional fat loss benefits.
Getting abs is optmizing your diet for fat loss and supporting this diet with a overall weight training routine that involves full body (including the two exercises I mentioned)
You can implement direct ab work, but understand this work is only a MINOR step toward your goal--dependent on your starting point.
You can include: Leg lifts, weighted crunches (or regular crunches),russian twists, Hanging leg raises (and its variations).
On the "half-up" situp or Crunch:
Half-up situp: 30 degrees up
Start out with no weight until you reach the first set of 25 reps. IF on the first set you reach 25R, then add a 2 1/2 lb plate (as an example, you can add more like 10lbs, or 20lbs to obtain the desired rep range) on the second set, and then continue, and then do a 3rd. Be progressive. Each time the FIRST set hits 25, add weight.
There is no need to hundreds and thousands of sit ups and crunches. The 25 rep range is just an example. You can, if you desire, lower the rep cap to about 15 to 20, or something comparable.
The MAIN ISSUE to remember is to be "progressive" when training your abs. If you do the same thing, the body is going to give you the same thing. If you continually give it a reason to change it will continually change.
Ab definition is "primarily" brought through lowering your body fat and direct ab work play a role, but it is minor and pales in comparison to the primary player in the equation.
BARE FACTS:
Let me tell you the TRUTH. Its flat hard work to lower your body fat down.......low enough...to get the abs to show, and its just as hard to maintain IMO (believe me I KNOW).......because IMO it takes a POWERFUL will and desire---through diet to get them---you are going to be REQUIRED to raise your WANT-O-METER.......you dont have a choice---if you want them.
Getting the abs to show is hard work (as is building muscle) are you up to the task?
ROCK ON!
Best wishes to you my friend,
Chillen
