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2003/10/01, 01:08 PM
OK, the abs are showing and I've gotten BF to 11% or 12%. My problem ts that my stomach sticks out. If I go shirtless, they look good but I can't show up to work half nekid. The powers that be have no sense of humor sometimes. I have a grip in the diet thing and I use resistance in my ab workout. How do I flatten the damn things out?????
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2003/10/01, 01:11 PM
Keep dieting smart.
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Great people never want it easier, they just want to be better!
Ron
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2003/10/02, 11:42 AM
maybe you are bulking them up more than necessary? Work on girdle strengthening exercises like the plank and the vacuum, that may help tighten things up. Could you be bloated for any reason, sometimes your intestines can be irritated and bloated and cause your stomach to bulge out.
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Challenge + Consistency = Results
\"You do or you do not. There is no try.\" - Yoda
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2003/10/02, 12:20 PM
asimmer, Do I need a Doc to tell me if its intestinal? What are plank and vacuum exercises. How do I know if I am bulking up too much? I do crunches & twisting crunches with 15 lb dumbell 3x20, lower ab exercises 3x20 with 5 lb ankle weights.
These I usually do twice a week with 4 or 5 movements I do vary the exercises per FT plus I use cable crunches and some others plfittness told me about. I am using the FT advanced level.
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2003/10/02, 03:08 PM
I think both asimmer and bb1fit have said that atleast one ab session a week should be without resistance to help with flattening. Is that right?
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~Victoria~
...There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.--Beverly Sills
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2003/10/02, 03:31 PM
Simmer, is the plank where you are on your toes and forearms with your back straight? I have no idea what the vacuum is!!
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Gramma
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2003/10/04, 11:29 AM
yes, the plank is where you are on your forearms and toes and you hold your abdominals and back rigid to stay in a straight line. You can also do this on your hands, like the start of a push-up. You can also do side bridges.
The vacuum is an old bodybuilding exercise to tighten up your waistline while posing.
Here is a description from The New Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
"To practice vacuums, get down on your hands and knees, blow out all your breath, and suck in your abdominals as much as you can. Hold this for 20-30 seconds, relax for a few moments, and then try it again two or three times.
The next step is to practice your vacuum in a kneeling position. Kneel upright with your hands on your knees and try to hold a vacuum as long as you can.
Doing a seated vacuum is more difficult still. But once you can hold a vacuum in a seated position without any problem, you will be able to practice holding a vacuum while standing and doing a variety of poses."
Do you feel like you are bloated, is your stomach distended? Are you very gassy, bo you have regualr BMs and are they 'normal'? All of these things can indicate intestinal distress. One waY TO TELL IF YOU ARE ELIMINATING FOOD IS TO EAT BEETS IN THE MORNING AND SEE HOW LONG IT IS BEFORE THEY COME OUT THE OTHER END (SORRY, THAT IS GROSS, BUT IT IS ONE WAY TO KNOW HOW FAST YOU ARE ELIMINATING) Shoot, I hit the caps lock, sorry.
ry doing half of your weekly ab workouts with no weight - just going for burn-out sets for endurance. You don't always want to go heavy and build size in your midsection, it can make your middle thicker.
My friend Tom has the most amazing, defined abdominals (especially at 2-3% bodyfat) and when I asked him what he does for his abs he laughed and said, you know, I can't remember the last time I specifically trained abdominals.
Remember, your abs are working to stabilize during everything else you do.
Another great way to train your abs for endurance and function is kickboxing. See if your gym has a cardio kickboxing class and try to recruit your abs thruoghout the entire class. It is a good non-crunch workout for all your core muscles.
Good luck!
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Challenge + Consistency = Results
"You do or you do not. There is no try." - Yoda
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2003/10/04, 11:45 AM
Darn it. I typed out a whole paragraph and then got disconnected. In the above quoted book, there is a whole paragraph talikng about how you recruit your abs and obliques when you do heavy work like squats and that most bodybuilders, big or small, don't need to add weight to their abdominal routine because they get stressed enough in your other workouts.
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