Looking to get a "six pack"

[Sand_Hill]

I was prompted by the other diet thread to ask how I can achieve this. I am about 5'11 or so and weigh 145 lbs. or so. Although this is mostly muscle, I really would like to get rid of the stomach fat I have, and get a "six pack."

 

 

 

My Current Diet:

 

Breakfast:

 

Cereal, milk, coffee, water. Calories: 300 or so

 

 

 

Lunch:

 

Ham and turkey Sandwich w/ lettuce and tomato, skim milk, small salad. Guess calories: 600 or so

 

 

 

Dinner:

 

Varies. For example, tonight I had Salmon, a sweet potato, garlic bread, and broccoli with carrots. Maybe 700 calories tops?

 

 

 

The real issue here is that I don't have much time for exercising. I get up at six, leave for school at 6:30am, come home from school at 3:00pm, and do homework until 9:00pm or so. I used to be able to get up at 5:00am and run, but I just can't anymore. :?

 

 

 

So, any suggestions?

[Maulmachine]

I would try to get in 15 minutes a day on a few different machines that work on various core muscles along with your abs.

[RichieMcD]

IMO if you're not toned then don't bother with a 6 pack, it just makes you look extremely skinny instead of muscly. If you have thin arms (little muscle basically) then don't bother until you get toned up as you'll just look very skinny. Same can be said about Pecs, your Pecs quite often can be what makes a 6 pack skinny or sexy (muscly)

 

 

 

If you are toned then a mix of ab crunches and cardio is your best mix for getting a 6 pack as strenuous cardio will strip the fat and ab crunches will build up the 6 pack.

 

 

 

Diet seems pretty good, nice mix of carbohydrates, proteins and very little amount of saturated fat.

[champion]

Yeah, I think the exercise part is big. It'd be pretty hard to get a six-pack by just eating differently. Just try and find any time you have and, as mentioned, try a few different machines to see what works.

[Sand_Hill]

I would try to get in 15 minutes a day on a few different machines that work on various core muscles along with your abs.

 

Thing is, I live in a rural area and don't have a way to get to a gym within my time constraints (nearest one is 30 minutes away) is there a feasible way to do this without machines? I have some free weights in my basement that I use once in a while lol.

 

 

 

@kranked: Good point. I'm a medium size; arms and pecs are pretty good size (at least that's what the gf says); although as they say, "bigger is better." I guess I'd better get to work on that.

 

 

 

Thanks for the advice guys!

[Darksavior69]

At your weight and height you're almost certainly better off gaining muscle than you are trying to cut down your body fat.

 

 

 

You're also for the most part better off using free weights at home than you are using machines at the gym. Since you're a beginner and don't have access to a gym I would suggest this weight lifting routine http://newbie-fitness.blogspot.com/2007 ... d-5x5.html. The only problem is that without access to a squat rack you won't be able to squat any serious amounts of weight.

[purfishx]

Pssh, this thread made me and my fat belly feel bad.

[Rebdragon]

Rule 12a-i of muscle growth: If you only think about the rewards/results, you're not going to make it. That is a total motivation killer. You need to be focused on the workout itself, not something you're going to possibly get a year or two from that point.

 

 

 

As for all the diet BS, as long as you get the minimum amount of protein muscle growth is pretty much all about the workout. Not going to failure is a much, much larger factor than how much bread you ate today. You're 5'11, weigh 145, and you're a teenager (I presume). For the love of God, technically speaking you're a twig (who, as the name suggests, should focus much more on the workout then the diet). Don't worry about all this diet BS, eat. Just make sure to eat enough and you'll be good.

 

 

 

As a suggestion for making more time to lift, stay at school two hours late and spend it doing homework. You will work, at minimum, four times faster than you do at home. You'll be home at five/six and have the rest of the night for fun+workout later (this works for me 'cause I lift at night).

 

 

 

kranked, I pray to god that I'm just misunderstanding the ambiguity of your words.

 

IMO if you're not toned then don't bother with a 6 pack, it just makes you look extremely skinny instead of muscly.

 

A six pack comes after basic toning. Telling someone not to get a six pack if they aren't toned is like telling someone not to eat cheese before they try swiss. Well duh. It's physically impossible to do one before the other.

 

 

 

Same can be said about Pecs, your Pecs quite often can be what makes a 6 pack skinny or sexy (muscly)

 

Do you even know what a six pack is? MUSCLE. If you have a good six pack you have a good amount of muscle. Unless you're below two percent body fat, you aren't going to see someone's pack unless they've been workin' on it.

 

 

 

It sounds like you're confusing a thin, flat stomach with a six pack. They're kind of different mate. If you aren't confusing them, then, well, I will hand you twenty dollars, in person, if you can find a female for me who says that a six pack is not "sexy" (which I don't want to stress though- again, do not workout for the goal, you won't make it).

 

 

 

If you have thin arms (little muscle basically) then don't bother until you get toned up as you'll just look very skinny.

 

Telling someone not to lose weight just because they don't have huge muscles is a terrible idea. Don't try and gain muscle before you lose the weight- do both at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

So, my basic advice? Unless you're the kind of person who really sticks to their goals, thinking the word "six pack" a lot probably isn't a good idea (think about the number of people who really want a six pack and then think about the number that actually have one. Big ratio, ain't it?). Go to the gym and think about ways to make the exercise itself enjoyable and worthwhile. If you don't you might not stick to it long enough to see this through. You know, like over a year minimum if you're intense and devoted enough.

 

 

 

Oh ya, and don't turn into me. I've got a six pack, but it's unbalanced with the rest of my body (I don't believe I've broken 150 benching yet). I'm toned overall, got about 8% body fat, but regardless I'm unbalanced. If you're going to workout, workout everything. You're going to regret it later if you don't, having to play catch-up, like those geniuses with them tiny legs and big biceps.

 

 

 

Balance is the key :mrgreen: .

[Faux]

you dont really need a gym if you just wanna work out your abs

 

 

 

look up crunches, dragonflags, leg raises

[eggzs]

BENCH MOAR

[Sand_Hill]

[hide=]

Rule 12a-i of muscle growth: If you only think about the rewards/results, you're not going to make it. That is a total motivation killer. You need to be focused on the workout itself, not something you're going to possibly get a year or two from that point.

 

 

 

As for all the diet BS, as long as you get the minimum amount of protein muscle growth is pretty much all about the workout. Not going to failure is a much, much larger factor than how much bread you ate today. You're 5'11, weigh 145, and you're a teenager (I presume). For the love of God, technically speaking you're a twig (who, as the name suggests, should focus much more on the workout then the diet). Don't worry about all this diet BS, eat. Just make sure to eat enough and you'll be good.

 

 

 

As a suggestion for making more time to lift, stay at school two hours late and spend it doing homework. You will work, at minimum, four times faster than you do at home. You'll be home at five/six and have the rest of the night for fun+workout later (this works for me 'cause I lift at night).

 

 

 

kranked, I pray to god that I'm just misunderstanding the ambiguity of your words.

 

IMO if you're not toned then don't bother with a 6 pack, it just makes you look extremely skinny instead of muscly.

 

A six pack comes after basic toning. Telling someone not to get a six pack if they aren't toned is like telling someone not to eat cheese before they try swiss. Well duh. It's physically impossible to do one before the other.

 

 

 

Same can be said about Pecs, your Pecs quite often can be what makes a 6 pack skinny or sexy (muscly)

 

Do you even know what a six pack is? MUSCLE. If you have a good six pack you have a good amount of muscle. Unless you're below two percent body fat, you aren't going to see someone's pack unless they've been workin' on it.

 

 

 

It sounds like you're confusing a thin, flat stomach with a six pack. They're kind of different mate. If you aren't confusing them, then, well, I will hand you twenty dollars, in person, if you can find a female for me who says that a six pack is not "sexy" (which I don't want to stress though- again, do not workout for the goal, you won't make it).

 

 

 

If you have thin arms (little muscle basically) then don't bother until you get toned up as you'll just look very skinny.

 

Telling someone not to lose weight just because they don't have huge muscles is a terrible idea. Don't try and gain muscle before you lose the weight- do both at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

So, my basic advice? Unless you're the kind of person who really sticks to their goals, thinking the word "six pack" a lot probably isn't a good idea (think about the number of people who really want a six pack and then think about the number that actually have one. Big ratio, ain't it?). Go to the gym and think about ways to make the exercise itself enjoyable and worthwhile. If you don't you might not stick to it long enough to see this through. You know, like over a year minimum if you're intense and devoted enough.

 

 

 

Oh ya, and don't turn into me. I've got a six pack, but it's unbalanced with the rest of my body (I don't believe I've broken 150 benching yet). I'm toned overall, got about 8% body fat, but regardless I'm unbalanced. If you're going to workout, workout everything. You're going to regret it later if you don't, having to play catch-up, like those geniuses with them tiny legs and big biceps.

 

 

 

Balance is the key :mrgreen: .

[/hide]

 

 

 

I am so grateful that you spent this much time posting for lil old me! lol. I'm actually saving this post for later motivation and reference. Thanks bro! It really means a lot to me.

[Laura]

I use to get up on our drying bars outside and hang upside down doing sit ups. Though I don't think I could stand getting a six pack, I think it would look a touch odd.

[pureprayer]

 

A six pack comes after basic toning. Telling someone not to get a six pack if they aren't toned is like telling someone not to eat cheese before they try swiss. Well duh. It's physically impossible to do one before the other.

 

 

 

Actaully you can be really small and un-toned and have a "six-pack". If have a little of abs and are anorexic they wont be firm but its a six-pack

[EdgedThesis]

Instead of looking at the aesthetics of a six-pack, think of the awesomeness of mobility provided by your core muscles.

 

 

 

This is what I do: A mix of leg-lifts, crunches (don't do sit-ups), the bicycle, and a bunch of variations of the plank.

 

 

 

The plank is a great one, it gets you shaking and sweating like crazy. It gives you great balance and stability later on, as well.

 

 

 

Always mix stuff up, or you'll end up hitting a plateau. With the plank, I improved times from 2 minutes to 7 minutes, but I hit a peak where I died if I tried any longer.

 

 

 

Look up variations of different exercises so that this problem doesn't occur to you.

 

 

 

I also believe that a 6-pack is dependent on organization of cartilage on your stomach. I have an eight-pack, but I think this is a genetic fluke, since I don't generate near as much power as some gymnasts I've seen without one.

 

 

 

So don't look at the 'style' aspect of your abdominal muscles. Go with 'function'.

[deloriagod]

What you need for a 6-pack: 12% body fat or lower, good ab muscles

 

 

 

Basically you need plenty of cardio (try to hit 30 minutes of running every other day) and plenty of crunches, leg lifts, and other abdominal exercises. Make sure you have a healthy diet (don't cut your calories way down, just make sure you burn your calories) and you should be set. And as Reb said, don't focus on your goal, focus on individual workouts.

 

 

 

Edit: I forgot to put emphasis on the 12% body fat or less. Basically, you can have amazing abs but that doesn't stop your stomach from having a nice layer of fat over those abs. I mean I have abs under my fat, I just don't have the initiative to start running. But also make you sure don't go below 6% body fat otherwise it starts to get bad on your heart.

[I_am_Geed]

ab work really helps, a few crunches/situps a day is quick (really quick) and it help build up there.

[Rebdragon]

you dont really need a gym if you just wanna work out your abs

 

 

 

look up crunches, dragonflags, leg raises

 

And I suggested against that (based on my own body build), although it is personal preference so I can't really say that you're making a bad suggestion. If you really don't care about anything but your core, he is right; most ab exercises don't require any equipment at all. Just sayin', don't leave the rest of your body behind, or you will end up like me in a year.

[pennywise]

 

A six pack comes after basic toning. Telling someone not to get a six pack if they aren't toned is like telling someone not to eat cheese before they try swiss. Well duh. It's physically impossible to do one before the other.

 

 

 

Actaully you can be really small and un-toned and have a "six-pack". If have a little of abs and are anorexic they wont be firm but its a six-pack

 

 

 

 

 

That's just because the person has a low BF%

[Wongtong]

I use to get up on our drying bars outside and hang upside down doing sit ups. Though I don't think I could stand getting a six pack, I think it would look a touch odd.

 

Sounds.. quite fun actually.

 

 

 

Good luck on the abs/toning up Sand_Hill.

[Boris5000]

Hope you do acheive this 6-pack.

 

 

 

Well what can I say, I'm under weight, I eat alot. But I don't put anything on.

 

I used to be very skinny like 2 years ago, where you could see a full set of ribs and I looked rather odd. But I've been slowly filling out, and the ribs are only half as visable - yay me!

 

 

 

I don't think as 6 pack is that necessairy really... I'm happy with a flat stomach.

 

 

 

BTW - I'm 6ft weighing 55 kg :? I don't have an eating problem, just a small stomach.

[nickeley102]

come home from school at 3:00pm, and do homework until 9:00pm or so.

 

So, any suggestions?

 

6 hours of homewrek is your first lie. play sport

[dragoonson]

I've had a six pack since I was 12,I think.Mainly because I was so thin,any muscle over my stomach would show up.I did maybe 30 sit ups and push ups a day,before getting ready for school.It barely takes 5 minutes if you're good,maybe 15 tops.

[deloriagod]

I've had a six pack since I was 12,I think.Mainly because I was so thin,any muscle over my stomach would show up.I did maybe 30 sit ups and push ups a day,before getting ready for school.It barely takes 5 minutes if you're good,maybe 15 tops.

 

 

 

Those are some crazy times you've got there haha. It should take a max of a minute for crunches unless you're purposely doing them slowly and holding them. Same goes for push ups.

[Boris5000]

I've had a six pack since I was 12,I think.Mainly because I was so thin,any muscle over my stomach would show up.I did maybe 30 sit ups and push ups a day,before getting ready for school.It barely takes 5 minutes if you're good,maybe 15 tops.

 

 

 

Those are some crazy times you've got there haha. It should take a max of a minute for crunches unless you're purposely doing them slowly and holding them. Same goes for push ups.

 

 

 

Lie alert :twss:

 

Yeah Deloria is right, It doesn't take no more than 5 mins unless you are slow.

[dragoonson]

I was twelve,I ate half a bowl of rice and 2-3 slices of meat for every meal.I weighed less than 25 kilos and was just above 125cm.Even I was surprised at the number I could do.