Help?

M

mel_lovey

0
I know I'm not fat, not even close, but I have no definition in my tummy! I've been working on it for the past 3 1/2 weeks, but it doesn't seem like I'm getting anywhere. My routine is pretty much running 30 min 3 days a week, ab pilates twice a week, yoga once, and 50 controlled situps a day (25 regular, the others split side to side). Am I not doing enough? Also, should I aim to lower my body fat rather than gain muscle?
Stats:
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 106
BMI: 20
BF%: 20%


Sorry that it's not a very good pic, something's up with my camera. Oh, and ignore the mess in the background please :p
 
lmao, that's not a mess!

your routine sounds great, and I'm assuming that since you HAVE a good routine, you are eating clean, right?

if so, maybe all you need to do is increase your time spent on cardio by a little bit, 15 mins even. The ab exercises will help add the muscle mass to the abs, but the BF% is what will determine whether they can be seen.

exercise wise you are doing fine, although maybe you could change it to reflect more of a typical routine. By that I mean, you could do 3 sets of crunches/situps, but with each set add like 5 lbs. Your abs are just like any other muscle, the need to be worked in order for them to grow.

Other than that I really don't see anything that can be changed. Sorry if that doesn't help too much. Whatever you do, keep at it, just because you don't see results yet, doesn't mean you won't soon.

good luck, and don't let yourself get too discouraged :)
 
First off mel, I would not train my abs everday. You didn't mention your diet, that is where your abs are defined. Do you weight train at all, if you can add some muscle to your frame, your body becomes more of a fat burning machine.
 
OOP! i sooo didn't notice the every day part...that's a definite thing to avoid. as i said, ... "same as any other muscle" ... your abs can also be overtrained
 
Thanks, I appreciate the comments!

I eat "clean", I suppose- mostly vegetables and fruits, whole grains, some meat, lots of soy... the occasional sugary treat :D I try to limit it to once a week though. Oh, and I lowered my sodium intake not too long ago- I noticed some nice changes in the bloat department because of that.

How do I add weight to situps? Like, hold weights onto my chest or out in front of me? I've never really thought about it before, but I'll definitely try it!

Should I rest my abs every other day? Or rest for two days in a row after a strength session?

OOh, and one other question (this is general, not really ab-focused): Are you supposed to feel really sore for a day or two after a workout, or is that a sign that you strained too much? And what about if you aren't sore at all? The last time I did a pilates workout, it felt difficult while I was in the middle of it, be the next day I wasn't sore at all! Is that a sign that I need to step it up?

I'm going to try adding an extra 15-20 minutes to the cardio, to see if I notice any improvement. My BF% did go down though- 19 now, as opposed to when I first measured a month ago.
 
mel ...I personally think 2 days of ab work a week is enough. That's JMO. As far as weighted sit-ups go, you can hold a weight against your chest or out in front of you, your preference. If you've never done it, it may be easier to start by holding it against your chest. As far as being sore after a workout ... not being sore doesn't mean you didn't have a good or effective workout. Being too sore means you probably went overboard some, even worse maybe hurt yourself. Congrats on lowering your body fat
 
Thanks ;o) I was getting kind of worried when I wasn't sore after what I thought was a good workout- now I'm feelin' better though!

I'll take your advice and do two days a week of intense ab workouts, maybe that'll help out ? I'm hoping... :rolleyes:
 
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