Ab Muscles and Genetics

B

berra2k

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Hi, I'm 17 and Ive been working out for few years now sometimes off and on (mostly on). I run about 6-8 miles a day (I run cross-country) and lift every other day. I do sit ups off and on. Sometimes ill do them for a month and quit because its the only body part that I dont see results in. I dont think Ive ever been really close to getting a true six pack, other guys on my team get them from the situps we do in practice alone.

I read in a previous post that your abs and the way they form is all genetics, it said that genetics dictates whether you get a 4-pack 6-pack or 8-pack and some people cant get anything. I'm curious to see if this is true? So does this mean that I will never get a 6 pack?

Also, before i started exercising I was out of shape and have NEVER lost the thin layer of skin/fat on my stomach. Can someone please tell me if this will ever go away? Or am I just a loss cause?

Any advice/ replies will be apreciated this is an extremely frustrating thing for me.
 
everyone has an 8pack, if you look in an anatomy book you will see that there are 8 abdominal heads to the stomach.
i doubt your friends are getting a six pack from the sit ups, most people who have six packs don't really know why they have them, they assume they are from a certain thing they do.
if your running 6-8 miles a day I'm pretty sure that you have a low enough body fat level.

if you want to build up your abs then research
"jack knife push up, janda sit up, one arm deadlift and saxon sidebend" I recommend the jacknife push up. start out by doing one set every day. then two sets every other day, then 3 sets every other day. Do no more than 5 reps. In a few weeks you will begin to see your ab muscles. Whether you have a defined 6 or 8 pack and how it looks (do the abs match up or are they crooked?" depends on genetics. Everyone can see their abs.
 
well, everyone theoretically has an 8 pack, but some people have said that for genetic reasons you cannot see it. My freind has said hes always had a 6 pack and he works out less than me. O and if the jackknife sit up is what this guy is doing

http://www.exrx.net/AnimatedEx/RectusAbdominis/WtJacknifeSitUp.gif

then i do that.
Except i do it with my arms across my chest and i do:
15(hold)15(hold)15hold
REST
15(hold)15(hold)15hold

Using the "holds" as isometric hols to target my central abs.
I also do that with bicycle sit ups in the same number with the same number of holds and to work my sides I:
Put both my legs to one side and do a crunch - I do this on each side with the same number of reps,holds, and rests as the jackknife

in addition i do 2 sets of 50 crunches and i do this 3 days a week.
My ab muscles seem to be there and when i tense them they become hard and I can feel the center ab muscle raise up over the outside of my stomach.
I beleive running 6-8 miles a day has still left me with a not so low percent body fat. I only have and fat or skin on my stomach and I can easily pinch it.
Even more frightening is that last season my weight went down to 122 lbs at 5'10" and it was still there.
 
You run 6-8miles every day???
Thats good, but not very benificial to your training, you would prob be much better off running 6-8 every other day with a long run at the weekend and then a rest day, but with weight training I'd say you should prob have 2 rest day.

Wht dont you post the times of the week you have availible and we'll all try to write a better program.

Its will be dificult to weight train whilst running long distance cos your metabolism starts using the muscles as an energy source, so you need to decide whats more important.

if running is most important then perhaps...
Work our A = push, work out B= pull

week 1
mon - 8mile
tues - weights A
wed - 8mile
thurs - weights B
fri - rest
sat - work out A + 15mile
Sun - rest

week 2
mon - interval training 4miles
tues - weights B
wed - I.T 4miles
thurs - weights A
Fri - rest
Sat - workout B + 15mile

I think this would be a good one to try as you'd be pushing your self more but also be getting important rest. plus you get to run strate one week and interval the next witch is a really good mix for fitness.
 
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