Getting a sixpack

[Pony Princess]

I've pretty much done this now. Weight varies from 81-82kg and have pretty decent abs, despite not doing a lot of working out. As someone said, it has required a complete lifestyle change which I'll have to stick to if I'm to maintain it, but the hardest part is done now.

 

The most relevant pieces of advice (to me anyway) have been to cut out the bread / spuds etc and buy the convict conditioning book. Thanks GF!

 

Post a pic of your abs please. I'm doing research.

[Tommy Lawrence]

The Offy's a good place.

[fowlerisgod]

Abs are so easy to get if you do it right. I am a Personal Trainer in a local gym and the amount of people I get asking me 'how can I get a six pack?' is shocking.

 

Food is the most important thing. If you eat right, you will be defined so much quicker. I have cut out so much crap in my diet just to make sure I get more definition and the improvement is surprising. If you have a high level of body fat, abs aren't the same. You can see them if you tense, sure. But to get that proper definition, you HAVE to have a good diet.

 

I have only been fully qualified as a PT and working in a gym for the past 6 months or so and before then, I had a really awful diet. I have always been a slim build and I have a fast metabolism so for me, food wasn't an issue. I train 4 times a week or so and I have changed my diet over the past couple of months and have seen a lot of improvement in all areas. It's not about having 5 fruit and veg a day and skipping meals. It's having a good balanced diet.

[Alan Sex]

[Anny Road]

Anyone any experience of ECA stack. I am usually totally against things like this but have tried it for a week and am amazed.

[Elite]

Never really bothered, just use a calorie deficit but I have never been 'cut' so to speak, I imagibe it will aid in getting under 10 percent.

[Charles Penrose]

Where have you got the stack mate? I'm using it in a few months time and will be buying the component parts in boots. It's only meant to give you about a 10 percent boost in fat loss though isn't it?

[Anny Road]

I've always been the same Elite. Always thought of it as bollocks and no need. problem is at the moment I am doing heavy lifting and can't be arsed with cardio. Couldn't do it even if I wanted to to be honest.

3 x per week squats and a deficit knocks the shite out of you. Trouble is my weight does not seem to want to shift at all.

Charles, mate gave me a couple of packs of chesteeze 18mg ephedrine. (about £3 on amazon) take two day and my normal coffee 1/2 an aspirin and I've dropped 7lbs in a week.

Too quick for me but means I can up my cals a touch and give me a bit more energy for the gym.

I'm only doing 2 weeks then see what happens.

[Tom R]

Word of caution, Anny, mate. Consistently not doing ANY cardio whilst lifting heavy weights over long periods of time can and will kill you in the end.

 

You aren't getting any healthier. At all. You're just getting bigger, your heart stays the same but has to work much harder to power your added bulk and eventually you will die.

 

Daft.

[Tom R]

This is probably exactly the reason you struggle to drop any weight/fat.

 

Your body is basically holding on to everything it can to keep it alive. Not good mate. Seriously.

[Anny Road]

Can't do it even if I wanted to Tom. My legs are fucked most of the time. In a good way. I'm trying to lose weight but maintain any tiny amount of muscle I may have and get rid of the fat. Cardio usually works but not possible just now. Im still eating about 2500 cals per day and it is so sloowww. Any less cals and I would not be able to lift

[Unrighteous]

Word of caution, Anny, mate. Consistently not doing ANY cardio whilst lifting heavy weights over long periods of time can and will kill you in the end.

 

You aren't getting any healthier. At all. You're just getting bigger, your heart stays the same but has to work much harder to power your added bulk and eventually you will die.

 

Daft.

 

This is probably exactly the reason you struggle to drop any weight/fat.

 

Your body is basically holding on to everything it can to keep it alive. Not good mate. Seriously.

 

Bwahahahahahaahahahaahahaahahahaahahaaaa!!!!!!

 

"STRONG MUSCLES MAKE A MORE EFFICIENT HEART

Weight training lowers cholesterol levels, slightly decreases blood pressure (BP), reduces body weight and fat stores, and improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. And, in contrast to what many doctors tell their patients, regular weight training, over a period of months, improves cardiac function by reducing heart rate and BP responses during lifting of heavy loads.

 

"Weight training makes the heart more efficient. Because the muscles are stronger, any given load now represents a lower percentage of one's maximum capacity. As a result, you have a lower heart rate, and lower blood pressure, and since those are the two primary factors that determine demands on the heart, you have lower cardiac demands. Stronger muscles translate into less effort to lift any given load,""

[Elite]

Can't do it even if I wanted to Tom. My legs are fucked most of the time. In a good way. I'm trying to lose weight but maintain any tiny amount of muscle I may have and get rid of the fat. Cardio usually works but not possible just now. Im still eating about 2500 cals per day and it is so sloowww. Any less cals and I would not be able to lift

 

 

Slow is good. Patience is one of the most needed things in getting a good body. I am bulking at the moment and have gained a bit of a belly, its killing me even though i have been tracking calories but I know once I start to cut around christmas I will have a good physique for next summer.

[Tom R]

Hmm. Is it hurting because of the lifting you're doing? Squats etc?

if so you really ought to try alternating cardio/lifting on different days. If you can't do the next day, then have a rest day, but it really is very important mate. Not for how you look, but for your heart.

The strain you place your heart under when you lift should never be underestimated. Just because it may not be doing 120bpm doesn't mean your heart isn't working super-hard. Pumping blood in to your muscles when they're under strain is when you're heart is actually working hardest.

 

try swimming, rowing and cycling if you can't run then mate. I have a fucked up knee, which rules out running etc, but I can work up a right sweat in the pool or the rower without impact. Worth a shout?

 

Even walking hard up and down the pool is awesome cardio.

[Tom R]

Bwahahahahahaahahahaahahaahahahaahahaaaa!!!!!!

 

"STRONG MUSCLES MAKE A MORE EFFICIENT HEART

Weight training lowers cholesterol levels, slightly decreases blood pressure (BP), reduces body weight and fat stores, and improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. And, in contrast to what many doctors tell their patients, regular weight training, over a period of months, improves cardiac function by reducing heart rate and BP responses during lifting of heavy loads.

 

"Weight training makes the heart more efficient. Because the muscles are stronger, any given load now represents a lower percentage of one's maximum capacity. As a result, you have a lower heart rate, and lower blood pressure, and since those are the two primary factors that determine demands on the heart, you have lower cardiac demands. Stronger muscles translate into less effort to lift any given load,""

 

 

Mate, history is littered with big men with small, weak hearts dropping dead.

your heart is a muscle too, and it needs to be worked.

 

Added bulk with no cardio is bad, bad news. Ask any Doctor.

[Unrighteous]

Hmm. Is it hurting because of the lifting you're doing? Squats etc?

if so you really ought to try alternating cardio/lifting on different days. If you can't do the next day, then have a rest day, but it really is very important mate. Not for how you look, but for your heart.

The strain you place your heart under when you lift should never be underestimated. Just because it may not be doing 120bpm doesn't mean your heart isn't working super-hard. Pumping blood in to your muscles when they're under strain is when you're heart is actually working hardest.

 

try swimming, rowing and cycling if you can't run then mate. I have a fucked up knee, which rules out running etc, but I can work up a right sweat in the pool or the rower without impact. Worth a shout?

 

Even walking hard up and down the pool is awesome cardio.

 

You do realize that at like 70-80% of your 1 Rep Max --- You're not putting your heart under any 'threatening' strain unless you're a over 45, overweight, smoker, that hasn't a regular exercise program/etc.

 

Of course, that threat is the same for running, biking, swimming, etc. for someone in that state.

[Unrighteous]

Added bulk with no cardio is bad, bad news. Ask any Doctor.

 

Absolutely proven incorrect(unless by bulk-- you mean pure fat), and is really, really outdated information, Tom.

[Pureblood]

Is that girl with the hula hoop a doctor? I'll ask her.

[Unrighteous]

Is that girl with the hula hoop a doctor? I'll ask her.

 

She's a head nurse.

[Anny Road]

Tom, I'm sore because I am twatting myself. It is kind of the idea. Don't underestimate the body's power to adapt. Previously I did squats once a week and was walking like Charlie Chaplin for about 4 days Now I do them every three days. (mon thu sun) and it is amazing how much you can recover and get stronger. Trouble is in order to recover and continue to do it I need loads of grub which is not great for weight loss. I had been stuck for about 3/4 weeks.

 

Whilst this is perfectly normal I thought I would give ECA stack a quick go. Bang 7lb gone in a week. Not that this is a permanent situation but if it breaks my plateau I'm happy.

[stevebaby]

The transformation that only takes a few minutes

An illuminating article about getting a sixpack.

 

I don't have a weight problem, although my weight was starting to creep up a few years ago. I stopped driving a car whenever possible and working in an office. I have a pretty active lifestyle and I mostly eat healthy food now.

IMHO, if you want to lose weight you need to change the way you live completely by incorporating exercise into your daily life. Crash diets don't work and will probably end up putting weight on.

It's interesting how much modern life and sedentary jobs have affected us. Roman soldiers were quite capable of marching 40 miles a day while carrying armour, weapons, tools and supplies, day after day, and still be able to build temporary fortifications at night and standing guard. Most of our Anglo-Saxon farming forebears would put modern professional athletes to shame in terms of fitness and strength.