Abdominal & Pectorial.....

Hi all, ive been working out now in the gym three times a week, usually always focusing on building my chest, shoulders and legs area's, however I would never do any Cardiovascular work such as treadmill, rowing machine and so forth. The thing is I have been doing sit ups in 3-4 different variations for some time now yet i know ive got the abs but i cant see them unless i tense really hard to flex to the left or right. Do I need to go for a run when im not at the gym? and also can press ups increase how much I bench?

Here is some pics of me when i first started in the gym about 4-5 weeks ago, i weight 156 lbs i think and have a fast metabolism.

Help
2-3 week going

3-4 week going
 
Please guys i know there are people on this forum that can help me, as my gym does not come with a personal trainer of any kind, and well instead of chatting to other gymers i just get on with things, please guys, just a few tips
 
Hey buddy,

judging from your photos, you are on the right track.
Just out of curiosity, what is your body fat % at ? Usually people whose bf% is below 9% or so, are able to see definition in their abdominals :)

^^ and from my personal experience, you do not require cardiovascular training at all if you want to lose bodyfat. Dieting is the main thing here.

So my question, again to you is :

What is your diet like?
What is your body fat % ?
 
A little hard to tell from your pictures. But like people say on this forum, "abs are made in the kitchen." If you want them to show, it's all about lowering your bodyfat. Doing an excess amount of situps and variations of situps won't bring your abs out any quicker. If you want to increase your bench, concentrate on benching. And triceps.

Good luck!
 
Hey buddy,

judging from your photos, you are on the right track.
Just out of curiosity, what is your body fat % at ? Usually people whose bf% is below 9% or so, are able to see definition in their abdominals :)

^^ and from my personal experience, you do not require cardiovascular training at all if you want to lose bodyfat. Dieting is the main thing here.

So my question, again to you is :

What is your diet like?
What is your body fat % ?

Ok Joey man thanks for your informative reply, im not gonna lie, im a noob in the area of fitness i dont know how to calculate my BF, if you tell me how i could do so and get bk do you, My diet is simply mornings 2 eggs, glass of milk, then for lunch ill have tuna, onions and chilli's, just before dinner a 1bannana or 2, then dinner spagetti and before bed fruit and fibre cereals.

I may add i work out 3 times a week and in between take a break but run 2 times a week and when not at the gym i would do variations in sit ups for about 30 mins max.
 
Ok Khris, for your body fat test,

I'd suggest that you visit your local gym and get a test there, it is "FREE" :D
they measure the skinfold, pinching your skin from parts of your body.
This is an accurate measurement, compared to body fat tests that you can take online such as

go to there for now if you wish to do a "at home body fat test" follow instructions on it.

&&
looking at your diet. Overall, looks like you are eating the right foods, but I see the loophole, you need to eat more meals man! lolz

For me, I break up my meals to 5 a day. Every 2 or so hours. I put about 200 - 300 calories worth of protein/and healthy fat. Not only does it keep my metabolism high ** for burning calories **, it also helps my body be more efficient.

figure out what your daily caloric needs are. The calculation will then determine how much calories you would need to eat in a day to sustain your current weight, so if you wish to lose weight, thus burning fat. you would have to eat a suggested deficit of 200-300 less calories a day. If you were to be bulking up ** building muscle or gain weight ** you would eat more than you are supposed to in a given day.

&& thats perfectly fine that you are working out 3 times a week. I, myself, go to the gym least 3 times a week. && I like that you are doing some type of cardio :)

It seems to me that your abdominal exercise routine is okay... for now , but I know of more advanced routines you may try out later on. but for now. you should figure out what your body fat % is... and figure out what your daily caloric needs are.
 
Well man if i have done the test correctly my Body fat is 12%, which tells me : 8.2 Kilograms of fat and 59.8 Kilograms of lean (muscle, bone, body water)., Looking at me is that about right from an educated guess?

I also think that if my calorie test (BMR) was correct my calorie intake for the day should be "2,727", again would this be about right?, if so how do i define my abs more such as getting the channels and so forth, if im eating the right stuff?

thanks
 
after reading your first post again. and knowing that you "do" have abdominal muscles. When you contract your stomach, you feel the hardness... thats the abs :)

My knowledges tells me that there is still a slight amount of fat covering your stomach =)

From what I know, your body fat % maybe be off by 2% at most because of its accuracy. You maybe either be at 13-14% or 10%... u just need to spice up your diet lol.

&&

You seem like a slim/slender frame guy, so you probably do not have to worry too much about shedding those extra fat off. Its really easy for you folks :) hahha , what you need to do though is to start splitting your meals to 5 a day man.

so you eat 2,727 calories a day as a requirement? know that 1500 calories = 1 lb of fat.

2,727 - 200 = 2527 calories a day is how much you should eat, I wouldn't create a deficit less than this. because your body will probably not shed the fat because you would be "starving yourself." 150-250 calories deficit is the maximum IMO :)

so 2527 / 5 meals = 505.4 calories per meal. <<<

my suggestion to you is. keep up with your exercise routines.
Your problem is your diet =)

I hope this helps. and if you need help organizing a new food plan. feel free to ask :D
 
after reading your first post again. and knowing that you "do" have abdominal muscles. When you contract your stomach, you feel the hardness... thats the abs :)

My knowledges tells me that there is still a slight amount of fat covering your stomach =)

From what I know, your body fat % maybe be off by 2% at most because of its accuracy. You maybe either be at 13-14% or 10%... u just need to spice up your diet lol.

&&

You seem like a slim/slender frame guy, so you probably do not have to worry too much about shedding those extra fat off. Its really easy for you folks :) hahha , what you need to do though is to start splitting your meals to 5 a day man.

so you eat 2,727 calories a day as a requirement? know that 1500 calories = 1 lb of fat.

2,727 - 200 = 2527 calories a day is how much you should eat, I wouldn't create a deficit less than this. because your body will probably not shed the fat because you would be "starving yourself." 150-250 calories deficit is the maximum IMO :)

so 2527 / 5 meals = 505.4 calories per meal. <<<

my suggestion to you is. keep up with your exercise routines.
Your problem is your diet =)

I hope this helps. and if you need help organizing a new food plan. feel free to ask :D

Thanks alot joey, I would like your help on organising a new food plan for me that works, bare in mind I live in U.K, some foods arent the same as US or elsewere. Out of intrest how much calories does an egg contain?

Thanks man
 
Cheers man, Could you assist me with my food plan?

I was thinking:

--Morning: Bowl of Dried fruit & Cereal+Yogurt+Glass of Milk

Pint of Water

--Lunch: Tuna with 1 egg, Onions and Chilli

Pint of Water

--Dinner: Pasta with Prawns & Cheese

Glass of water

--Before bed: Bannana

What do you think?
 
Hm, if you want my opinion, if you want to loose some bf, in order to reach 9%, from what i've been reading, after 20.00 pm +/-, you shouldn't eat anything, or just drink after that hour.
And from my own personal experience, it's one of the most important things to consider. In one week, without any worries of what i'm eating, i lost 2 kg.
i ate what i want during the day, and after 7/8 pm, if i felt hungry, i would just drink something.
Another thing to consider, is to join some tea, before going to bed. It makes you go to the bathroom during the night and ont he other day as well, but that's a good thing, cause you'll lose the liquids that are attached in your body.

Ps.( i'm neither english or american, so i'm sorry for any mistakes, i did my best :eek: )

Cheers
 
Hm, if you want my opinion, if you want to loose some bf, in order to reach 9%, from what i've been reading, after 20.00 pm +/-, you shouldn't eat anything, or just drink after that hour.
And from my own personal experience, it's one of the most important things to consider. In one week, without any worries of what i'm eating, i lost 2 kg.
i ate what i want during the day, and after 7/8 pm, if i felt hungry, i would just drink something.
Another thing to consider, is to join some tea, before going to bed. It makes you go to the bathroom during the night and ont he other day as well, but that's a good thing, cause you'll lose the liquids that are attached in your body.

Ps.( i'm neither english or american, so i'm sorry for any mistakes, i did my best :eek: )

Cheers

Dehydration isn't a very clever way to go, you need water for your body to function properly and it's just a temporary loss
 
Dehydration??
I haven't said that.
In fact, i said, that you should drink if you feel hungry..
One curious thing, is that, one of my gym teachers, is making a plan for the summer. The plan consists that you should only drink for one entire day each week.
drink water, yogurts,milk, etc. you also shouldn't exercise on those days, and also have an apple or some snack, in case you get headaches, the body needs time to get use to it, with time you'll see some changes.
 
It makes you go to the bathroom during the night and ont he other day as well, but that's a good thing, cause you'll lose the liquids that are attached in your body.

Sorry but that sounds like dehydration to me, you should try and keep your hydration levels as high as you can all day, it helps your body function and therefore regulate weight better.

I think if you eat properly, and keep to 6 meals a day you should never feel hungry in the first place, I often eat way after 8pm and never gain fat as I have a high level of muscle that takes care of that late meal during the night. If I didn't eat late then what would my body use for fuel while I sleep? I just try and keep the late meal light on carbs
 
For most healthy persons with a normal thyroid and metabolism, the ONLY thing that matters is the law of energy balance in a 24 hour period. With me I have eaten before bed for MONTHS, drink water all the time (and how one can tell if there dehydrated (like I say for normal healthy persons), if the urine is YELLOW.......your not drinking enough water, if its CLEAR to the point you can read a fricken newspaper (LOL) your getting enough. Just because you piss alot (cafiene can cause one to piss alot) DOES NOT mean your drinking enough, without being funny.......the color of the urine should be your guide (as my own doctor told me months ago). 8 glasses of water is only a guide, some persons dependent upon activity, etc, may need more. WATER IS GOOD! FLUSHES OUT THE SYSTEM, renews blood, shuttles creatine in the muscles, and the list is endless---and it AIDES FAT LOSS.

One note: there are exeptions. There are some persons sensitive to carbs (carbs harbor water, and covert to glucose in the blood, get store in the liver, and other areas of the body), these types may be better served to curb carbs at night (when we burn about 60 to 80 cals per hour--average), im not saying not eat before bed, but may curb carbs a tad or eat the slow releasing types or none at all (like eat a lean piece of chicken--virtually no carbs in BAKED skinless chicken).
 
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Those pics look like they've been taken from a porno set.
 
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