Abs

J

jonl

0
Ok well I want my abs to get bigger, They are there but kinda small...
I have heard so many different things about abs, everyday everyother day 2 days a week...

What would be the best for getting them bigger,
When to do them?
How many different exercises?
How many reps?

What types of workouts?

I usally do them 2 times a week and I do super sets. I do regular crunches,
decline crunches

then leg lifts and twist's...
usally 4 sets at whatever reps my abs can handle, and its not many reps when doing super sets...
 
Well, first off abs are just a muscle like any other so they need at least 48 hours rest so 2-3 workouts a week is plenty.

As for working abs, I personally do no ab isolation work, I think they're worked best by doing squats and deadlifts, you could always add some crunches after you've done those I guess but it might be overkill.

And remember that you need low body fat to get abs, all the crunches in the world won't help if your body fat % is too hign
 
Is my B/F to high for abs?

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Getting the abs to show (or show better and more defined) is basically a function of low body fat.

In other words, it is mainly accomplished through the diet---over 90% of getting the abs to show is the diet, and I leave a small percentage (when diet is correct) to direct AND indirect torso work, and other training.

If you want to lose overall body fat, get your diet in order, eat clean, learn what your approximate MT reference line is according to activities (and back off a HEALTHY margin), and perform overall weight training, and of course, include cardio (cardio DOES have its benefits other than burning calories, carbs, fat, ect).


Deficit dieting is the Ultimate fat burner, and EVERYTHING follows after this.

The general approximation is that it takes at least a -3500c to lose one pound of fat tissue (or the creation of -3500c deficit in the diet over a period of time); however, it is possible to lose muscle within this approximation. And, this is one of many reasons why, it is good to have a weight training program to assist in minimizing any muscle loss when deficit dieting. There is a SMALL trade off when deficite dieting, BUT you can minimize this if your VERY meticulous,,,,,in the diet and training.



The deficit can be implemented through the diet or exercise can cause the deficit when you know your MT line reference.

Without a adequate deficit, cardio WILL NOT burn fat off you. If a surplus calories exist, it can litterally whipe out the benefits of cardio (in the fat loss sense), no?

This is WHY I don't partake in the cardio debates of heart rate, etc........because the bottom line is the deficit diet....period, debate OVER. If there is a deficite diet, THEN cardio can tweak fat loss further--dependent upon the intensity levels.

If you stick to the basic: The Law of energy balance, and tip this to the negative side of the equation, you will be on your way, with everything considered equal and your healthy.

Losing fat is sort of like draining a pool. It usually leaves the shallow end first before the larger end starts to diminish. But, fat and/or tissue is lost all over when deficit dieting.

I owe Alot to the squat. I agree the squat is a great exercise to include and does workout the torso indirectly in the inclination of the movement. Include this beast.

In a deficit diet, your mind has to be a ROCK. In addition you have to understand the draw backs that defict dieting can bring.

It can bring low energy levels. And, one has to have a plan of attack to improve this and deplete the corresponding weaknesses. This CAN be improved through calorie MANIPULATIONS......that surround your scheduled workout, work, and other variances.

How?

Let me give an example. Bare in mind the hours used here are example and can be modified or taylored to you.

The CycleBack and CycleForward 24 hour Diet Cycle Technique, by Chillen (comparable to a zig-zag day, but not quite)


When I was talking earlier about learning your MT line and backing off an appropriate amount of calories, and eating there, the counsumption period is within.......a 24 hour cycle period.

However, one can do things with this 24 hour cycle period in providing more short term calories, and change up the clock, while at the same time, not letting the body get accustomed to a certain 24 hour cycle of eating patterns.

For example, say for the first week your 24 cycle clock is: 7AM to 7AM, on the 8th day, you could eat at 3AM (which is 4 hours earlier), technically your over your limit at that time, but lets say you train at 8AM (or something like that), for this period you have just provided a small surplus; however, the next day, you switch back to the 7A to 7A. Which erases (if your meticulous) the previous 4 hours the day before, and one could ramp up an exercise, say cardio, and cause a deficit instead of a balance.

I call this Cycle Back. The 24 hour clock can be anytime adjusted to your daily routine. This cycle back can assist with craving yearnings without the guilt of thinking your over eating. It feeds you and your mentality at the same time. One just has to adjust the next day as a consequence, but its something in place to assist with hunger when needed and assist the body in not adjusting to you.

Within the Cycle Back, you can also decide to leave the surplus, of say +300 or so, to allow the body to think it ate too much, and then just stay in the same 24 cycle as before (which is good to to with long term dieters---once in a while)

I use the cycle back most of the time to give the appearance of extra calories, to provide more energy--at the time for weight training, but in the end of things........the next day, it cancels out and I bring a deficit through exercise.

There is another technique I use called: Cycle Forward. Lets use the same 24 hour cycle clock, 7A to 7A, and I ate at 3A, I will push the caloric content at 3a as eating at 7a, and just push it forward, and count it within the same clock.

This is the tougher side of the equation, though, but this can used to assist cravings, but at the same time, you have to space out the meals a bit more intelligently, as you consumed some of the calories prior to the clock starting, but still counting in the same clock, so there is a consequence.

Both of these cycle types I constantly used when I lost my weight, and it worked for me and there is no doubt about it.

When I was on my quest to lose primarily fat wgt, I constantly manipulated my 24 hour diet clock cycle around my caloric content, 95% of the time I was in deficit, and this works. These are just two techniques I used as an example. I have other techniques.

I mainly wrote this short spot for the others viewing (and to show one way of MANY ways I use to adjust calories to stave off hunger, and prevent my body from getting adjusted),
 
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Hey man you seem to know exactly what your talking about! But I don't understand a word you said! lol
 
I added some more for ya. (added content to the other post)

Any questions, ask.

Here to help ya figure yourself out.........BRO!



ROCK ON!
 
Some Basic information that can lead you to fat tissue loss

Calorie calculation is an approximation science, remember this. Through your journey WATCH, LOOK, and LISTEN, to your body..........it will TELL YOU if your doing the correct things or combination of things!


○ Change your eating habits (below are some suggestion examples)

○ Substitute an artificial sweetener of your choice in the replace of refined white sugar (Refrain from Refined Sugar like you would a disease)

○ Try eating 5 to 6 smaller meals during the day

○ Balance your meals out during the day so in one day you have a mix of protein, carbohydrate and good fats

○ Drink lots of water during the day and before, during and after exercise

○ Simple Carb Examples: Grapefruit, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Strawberries, Oranges, Apples, Pineapple, etc

○ Complex Carb Examples: Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Oatmeal, Long Grain Brown Rice, Brown Pasta, Malto-Meal (Plain, whole wheat), etc

○ Good Protein Examples: White or Dark Tuna, Chicken Breast, Lean Turkey, Lean Ham, Very lean Beef, Quality Whey Protein Powder, etc

○ Good Fats Examples: Natural Peanut Butter, Various Nuts, Flax Seed, Fish Oils.

This is what you need to do:

This an approximation science, but you can narrow it down very close, if your meticulous in your vision when looking at the data.

Tweak your desire and passion by educating yourself on the basic requirements of losing fat tissue. With your age, sex, height, and weight, in mind, find your approximated base calorie needs (this is organ function, breathing, or bodily function needs). One can use the Benedict Formula.

Calculate your BMR:

The Harris Benedict equation determines calorie needs for men or woman as follows:

• It calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calorie requirements, based on your height, weight, age and gender.
• It increases your BMR calorie needs by taking into account the number of calories you burn through activities such as exercise. This gives you your total calorie requirement or approximated Maintenance Line (I call it the MT Line).

Step One : Calculate your BMR with the following formula:
•Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
•Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Step Two : In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
•If you are sedentary : BMR x 1.2
•If you are lightly active: BMR x 1.375
•If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 1.55
•If you are very active (You exercise daily.): BMR x 1.725
•If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 1.9

Create a Calorie Deficit:

In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time.

Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound.
If you cut back 500 calories a day, you will lose 1 pound per week.
If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you will also lose 1 pound per week.

Apply this knowledge by backing off the approximated MT Line (approximated Maintenance line), say for example, a -500c per day, for about 1 week. Before the week begins, weigh yourself in the AM when you FIRST get up (do not eat yet) (remember your clothing, preferably with just underwear and t-shirt or like clothes). Note the time, and the approximated wgt.

Each day spread your caloric content out throughout the day (keep the body fed, with calories in the 300 to 500c approximated calories each meal), or a like division which mirrors your end caloric deficit limit (meaning MT-500c).

This way you have your entire day and body encircled with nutrition (I assume you already know to eat clean), which if your eating right, will give an approximated good energy (not optimal because your in deficit) to fuel your training and exercising schedule.

At the end of the week, on the same day, the same time, with the same like clothes, weigh yourself again. Note whether you lost or gained tissue (or weight I mean). To further assist you, I want to tell you that for every approximated caloric deficit of (-3500c), one could lose 1lb of fat tissue. (though some may not all be fat tissue, this information is for another question, and isn't presently suited here).

Now, in this example you were calculating a -500c per day deficit. There needs to be -3500c to lose approximated 1lbs of fat. Now lets do some basic math. -500cX7=-3500c. With all things considered equal, and you were meticulous and faithful on the diet, you should have been CLOSE to losing at least one pound of tissue in the week.

If this didn't happen, this means you need to make finer adjustments, and the MT line is not accurate, and you need to adjust this on your own.

Based upon the FEEDBACK your body is giving you, ask yourself how faithful you were on the diet, AND how faithful in training (whether you kept the training schedule (if you didn't, this would effect the caloric equation, no?!), AND how accurate you figured in your activities caloric wise.........but, you have the base information to begin making adjustments.

One can not spot reduce. Losing fat is like draining a pool. The shallow end seems to drain before the larger deeper end. One can't choose where to lose fat; it will be lost all over the body.

The Nutrients are an essential factor in the diet; however, the law of energy balance within the DIET, is the ultimate KING while the Nutrients can play in some decisions made within the body.

Do yourself a favor, figure out your MT line, adjust off of this, eat well balanced spaced out meals (DONT EVER starve YOURSELF), AND listen to your body for the results.

While you are trying to figure out your body, IT WILL PAY YOU BACK, I promise. You have to learn to MASTER yourself to become the master of weight loss for YOURSELF.

You have the composition to bring more definition---just from the pic....you can see the abs.........NOW GET THE DIET RIGHT.........Adjust your training program........AND ROCKET IT OFF like a FRICKEN JET!


Best regards CHILLEN
 
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If its leanness you desire, then arrange a careful diet deficit under your Maintenance Line, and continue your progressive weight training schedule, and of course eat clean (try a frequency of 5 to 6 meals spaced out during the day)

On the Abs. I don't recommend doing them everyday. I suggest treating them like any other muscle. Do these every other day (or 48 hours), or 3 to 4 times a week---on a progressive scale.

I don't recommend doing cardio everyday. However, you may want to try 3 to 4 times a week, to give FULL DAYS of rest,,,,,where NO training is done.....let the central nervous system rest and recuperate for you.

I recommend a writing down the exercises, weight being used, and then keeping track of the reps completed---to track progression, and if need be enable FORCE progression techniques. The KEY to training, is PROGRESSION. Trying with FULL THROTTLE to progress from one workout to the next (whether its an increase in reps or weight or both).

On the abs keep the reps LOW (The ab core is a high endurance muscle) and in this context I mean low as in 25 or less. Try Crunches, reverse crunches, and hanging leg raises.......(only examples)

Many dont advocate Situps, but I do them. But I vary the technique by only going up 30 degrees (like half-up), and add weight to the exercise on a porgressive scale to keep reps under 25, and this works for me, but may not for others.

On Crunches, I have to use two 45 lbs plates, verted to the lower torso, and fully extend to get anything out this any more. Without weights, I can litterally go on forever, even with static holds of 1 to 5 seconds.

Best wishes

Chillen
 
Chillen said:
Some Basic information that can lead you to fat tissue loss

Calorie calculation is an approximation science, remember this. Through your journey WATCH, LOOK, and LISTEN, to your body..........it will TELL YOU if your doing the correct things or combination of things!


○ Change your eating habits (below are some suggestion examples)

○ Substitute an artificial sweetener of your choice in the replace of refined white sugar (Refrain from Refined Sugar like you would a disease)

○ Try eating 5 to 6 smaller meals during the day

○ Balance your meals out during the day so in one day you have a mix of protein, carbohydrate and good fats

○ Drink lots of water during the day and before, during and after exercise

○ Simple Carb Examples: Grapefruit, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Strawberries, Oranges, Apples, Pineapple, etc

○ Complex Carb Examples: Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Oatmeal, Long Grain Brown Rice, Brown Pasta, etc

○ Good Protein Examples: White or Dark Tuna, Chicken Breast, Lean Turkey, Lean Ham, Very lean Beef, Quality Whey Protein Powder, Malto-Meal (Plain, whole wheat), etc

○ Good Fats Examples: Natural Peanut Butter, Various Nuts, Flax Seed, Fish Oils.

This is what you need to do:

This an approximation science, but you can narrow it down very close, if your meticulous in your vision when looking at the data.

Tweak your desire and passion by educating yourself on the basic requirements of losing fat tissue. With your age, sex, height, and weight, in mind, find your approximated base calorie needs (this is organ function, breathing, or bodily function needs). One can use the Benedict Formula.

Calculate your BMR:

The Harris Benedict equation determines calorie needs for men or woman as follows:

• It calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calorie requirements, based on your height, weight, age and gender.
• It increases your BMR calorie needs by taking into account the number of calories you burn through activities such as exercise. This gives you your total calorie requirement or approximated Maintenance Line (I call it the MT Line).

Step One : Calculate your BMR with the following formula:
•Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
•Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Step Two : In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
•If you are sedentary : BMR x 1.2
•If you are lightly active: BMR x 1.375
•If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 1.55
•If you are very active (You exercise daily.): BMR x 1.725
•If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 1.9

Create a Calorie Deficit:

In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time.

Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound.
If you cut back 500 calories a day, you will lose 1 pound per week.
If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you will also lose 1 pound per week.

Apply this knowledge by backing off the approximated MT Line (approximated Maintenance line), say for example, a -500c per day, for about 1 week. Before the week begins, weigh yourself in the AM when you FIRST get up (do not eat yet) (remember your clothing, preferably with just underwear and t-shirt or like clothes). Note the time, and the approximated wgt.

Each day spread your caloric content out throughout the day (keep the body fed, with calories in the 300 to 500c approximated calories each meal), or a like division which mirrors your end caloric deficit limit (meaning MT-500c).

This way you have your entire day and body encircled with nutrition (I assume you already know to eat clean), which if your eating right, will give an approximated good energy (not optimal because your in deficit) to fuel your training and exercising schedule.

At the end of the week, on the same day, the same time, with the same like clothes, weigh yourself again. Note whether you lost or gained tissue (or weight I mean). To further assist you, I want to tell you that for every approximated caloric deficit of (-3500c), one could lose 1lb of fat tissue. (though some may not all be fat tissue, this information is for another question, and isn't presently suited here).

Now, in this example you were calculating a -500c per day deficit. There needs to be -3500c to lose approximated 1lbs of fat. Now lets do some basic math. -500cX7=-3500c. With all things considered equal, and you were meticulous and faithful on the diet, you should have been CLOSE to losing at least one pound of tissue in the week.

If this didn't happen, this means you need to make finer adjustments, and the MT line is not accurate, and you need to adjust this on your own.

Based upon the FEEDBACK your body is giving you, ask yourself how faithful you were on the diet, AND how faithful in training (whether you kept the training schedule (if you didn't, this would effect the caloric equation, no?!), AND how accurate you figured in your activities caloric wise.........but, you have the base information to begin making adjustments.

One can not spot reduce. Losing fat is like draining a pool. The shallow end seems to drain before the larger deeper end. One can't choose where to lose fat; it will be lost all over the body.

The Nutrients are an essential factor in the diet; however, the law of energy balance within the DIET, is the ultimate KING while the Nutrients can play in some decisions made within the body.

Do yourself a favor, figure out your MT line, adjust off of this, eat well balanced spaced out meals (DONT EVER starve YOURSELF), AND listen to your body for the results.

While you are trying to figure out your body, IT WILL PAY YOU BACK, I promise. You have to learn to MASTER yourself to become the master of weight loss for YOURSELF.

You have the composition to bring more definition---just from the pic....you can see the abs.........NOW GET THE DIET RIGHT.........Adjust your training program........AND ROCKET IT OFF like a FRICKEN JET!


Best regards CHILLEN
Click to expand...


Man doing the numbers for diet and mixing all these different things is way over my head!

But I will tell you this, I eat every 2 hours...5-6 maybe 7 meals a day!
Very strict as well! 4-5 shakes a day as well too...
Sometimes i let myself enjoy tasty foods on the weekends.
But for the most part I am eating what I should be eating.

I just eat sensable, no measuring or any of that. Its way over my head and it will take more for me to figure out than worth my time IMO.

I am 183 LBS 10.4% B/F 6ft tall 26 years old.

I eat oatmeal and a protien shake and a banana at 830am
chicken and a backed patato at 1030am
tuna on wheat bread at 1230pm
most likely chicken again 230pm
steak and a protien shake 430pm
gym at 6pm
shake post workout
egg whites or chicken 830pmr so

I usally have flax seed oil in my shakes
i eat a handful of almonds after every meal or so.
I take cla 2 times a day
multi vitamin

I workout 4-5 times maybe 6 times a week!

NO cardio, I really dont wanna get thin thin so I am trying to do this without cardio.

Let me know where I should be adding stuff in!

I am very picky with foods! So its hard to add certain things!
I could add in some wheat pasta! or brown rice!
 
To get the abs to show, the bottom line is: A FUNCTION OF DESIRE AND WANT.......THEY ARE HARD TO GET!

Your gonna have to want it, and want it bad!

What I am trying to say.........its in the HEAD......its primarily a mental game with yourself.........learning your weakness, and having a plan to overcome these, and use the strengths you have to overcome these weaknesses.

Learn yourself.....master yourself......and the abs are yours, BRO!


Best regards as always


Chillen
 
Once you figure your diet.....and back off a healthy margin. Include a full body workout program. The abs SHOULD NOT be the staple, but only part of the overal equation to lead you to your goal.

However, I want to add, that when you do your ab work. Make these progressive in nature as well. Add weight to your ab routine on the second Set----once the first set-reaches the example of 25R.

For example

1st set: 25r no weight
2nd set: add 2 1/2 or 5lbs
3rd set: same weight
repeat this the next workout but instead use the same weight used in the 1 set, and continue.

When first set reaches 25r again, add weight, and so on and so forth.

If Abs and Squat are scheduled the same day......Do Squats FIRST. Give all the power to the squat, we dont want the torso worked before this BEAST of a movement. Then in the training schedule you had set, you can do abs after.

Let the DIET WORK FOR YOU. YOU have to be meticulous, young man. I cant stress this enough. Some may disagree with me on this, but I believe it to be true.
 
CLA: Conjugated Linoeic Acid

Its a mixture of Sats, Poly and unsatruated fats.





==========================================================
Good advice is below. Diet pills dont work. Save your money and invest time and effort into yourself, and you will be rewarded a thousand times more than the money spent on diet pills:

They are making claims that this could assist in fat loss, but this is what I have said before on pills (LOL):

The Magic Pill:

There is a magic (fat burner) pill:

One walks in their...Magic Pillbox....everyday.

Its you and the body.

And, every time you continue your diet and exercise, you take one pill out of the box toward your goal.

Yes, there is a magic pill. Its you. And, you walk within it everyday.

Chillen
==================================================
An opposite Thought:

A Poison Pillbox

One walks in this Pillbox......everyday.

Every time you make an excuse to not exercise (when scheduled) or inappropriately cheat on the diet, you take one pill from this box against your goal

Yes, there is a poison Pillbox, and you walk in this everyday you make an inappropriate choice when dealing with the natural human impulses of the body.

Answer: Be the Magic Pill.

Chillen
=========================================================
You can be friend or foe to yourself and sometimes both. Think about it. The truest form of wisdom is learning to deal with yourself.


I promise, it wont be CLA that gets the work done. Its the diet deficit that will.

With this said, the fats in this product are some good fats for the diet; however, with this said, its the laws of energy balance that holds true and always will. If you take in a surplus of calories in more than your body needs, your going to gain weight, and CLA will not assist you ONE I-ODA.......in losing weight.
 
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+REP JonL,,,,,,,,,,

a goodwill push, my forum friend. Keep worken' it......

and one more thing:


ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Jon how do you look from the front in a relaxed pose? Interested in seeing the torso area relaxed really if possible. Cheers dude and keep at it!!
 
YEA! WE ROCK HIS ASS!

We try to Rock you because you Knock and and want to Talk the Walk
Tick Tock you wanna Rock and you are gonna be the building Block against the Clock and this is no "Buncho-Crock".

You ROCK and because you have the treasury Stock!


ROCK THE HELL ON!
 
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