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I'd like a six pack. Help me please.

ShelfLife

Clive Wilson
I am one of those people that has something of an on / off relationship with the gym, so depending on what time of my life you catch me I will be either looking like Pee-Wee Herman (minus the sexual deviancy) or reasonably toned. So after a 3 or so year hiatus, I've decided to go back to the gym to pump some iron. A few months later and and my biceps and chest are are showing reasonable progress.

I have never really been the sort to do any sit ups or general cardio stuff, and tend to stick to the weights and push ups. I have always justified this on the basis that I play 5 a side twice a week and so get my cardio work done on the pitch. I am (or at least was) naturally slim so have never really had much 'belly bother' despite not eating particularly well. However, I am not as young as I used to be (in my early thirties now) and have been noticing that the excess belly fat is becoming a little harder to shift.

Do any of you have any useful tips for achieving a nice, flat(ish) stomach fairly quickly? Obviously it would be nice to have abs which look like the moulds on the bat suit but I'd settle for reasonably firm / flat. I have had look on the net, but there appear to be a thousand different opinions out there - though I am thinking to start with jogging for 30 minutes twice a week and reducing the amount of sugary and fatty foods I eat.

I would be especially keen to hear from any walking 'before and after' success stories that there may be on this forum:)
 
Oops, I've only just spotted the 'how to lose weight' thread. Perhaps I'll find what I'm looking for on there.
 
It's you don't bother with sit-ups, they're brick anyway. Unless you do them on a decline bench with a weight - only then are they any good.
 
Count calories. If you're looking for abs (<10% body fat) there is really no way around it. You need a good diet, just cutting out this or that food likely won't be enough. Try to make sure you hit your macronutrient goals of protein, carbs and fat and stay under your maintenance calories.

Remember, abs are built in the kitchen. You can have the biggest ab muscles in the world but without a good diet they will be forever hidden underneath fat.

Bodybuilding.com is the place to go for good advice in all areas tbh. I found this guide helpful http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981
 
Don't even bother mate - it will be shedloads of work then you'll get bored and lose it all in 4 weeks.

Only superfreaky gym obsessives have visible abs.

Birds don't like it anyway, it's a sign of extreme body consciousness, gym obsession which is unnatural but due to media pressure, men think it is reasonably normal to have a six pack.

It isn't.
 
Count calories. If you're looking for abs (<10% body fat) there is really no way around it. You need a good diet, just cutting out this or that food likely won't be enough. Try to make sure you hit your macronutrient goals of protein, carbs and fat and stay under your maintenance calories.

Remember, abs are built in the kitchen. You can have the biggest ab muscles in the world but without a good diet they will be forever hidden underneath fat.

Bodybuilding.com is the place to go for good advice in all areas tbh. I found this guide helpful http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981

'macronutrients'...jesus that's a new one one me. Thanks mate, that looks like a pretty useful link and I'll have proper read of it later. I guess what I'm after is something of a halfway house. I know I'm unlikely to achieve the chiselled midriff of a greek GHod unless I put myself on a proper spartan, coordinated and disciplined regimen (or do a Lance Armstrong).

The trouble is, I am not sure I have a) the patience, b) the self-control and c) the time for something as rigorous as that. What I am really looking for is is means of maintaining a decent all over physique through the 'casual' workout sessions that a full time working / family life will allow.
 
Don't even bother mate - it will be shedloads of work then you'll get bored and lose it all in 4 weeks.

Only superfreaky gym obsessives have visible abs.

Birds don't like it anyway, it's a sign of extreme body consciousness, gym obsession which is unnatural but due to media pressure, men think it is reasonably normal to have a six pack.

It isn't.

The six pack reference was kind of tongue in cheek, though I do wonder whether it is possible to achieve one through minimal effort as I have heard some suggest. More a case of trying to keep the belly fat as controlled as possible....I suspect the simple answer is watching what you eat but was curious as to whether there was anything that I could incorporate into my relatively casual workout regime that may help.
 
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The trouble is, I am not sure I have a) the patience, b) the self-control and c) the time for something as rigorous as that. What I am really looking for is is means of maintaining a decent all over physique through the 'casual' workout sessions that a full time working / family life will allow.

As with everything, you get back what you put in. If you half arse it, expect half arsed results.

I hit the gym 4 times a week and rarely spend more than an hour there doing weights. I time my rest between sets to help that because I was having too much rest beforehand. I rarely do cardio at the gym, I much prefer playing sport.

I find once I get in to a routine it's easy. I cook up a batch of 1kg chicken with 350g bacon, cut off the fat and chop it all up to have with in sandwiches. If I ever feel the temptation to eat some take out (I live next door to a kebab shop) I just throw some in a slice of toast and it makes it easier. Find what works for you, after a couple weeks you'll find yourself making the healthy choice automatically.
 
Richie's comments are spot on here, mate - your diet is half the exercise done.

In addition to what he's mentioned - reduce you alcohol intake (ideally it should be eliminated all-together but that is very hard to achieve and unrealistic in many cases) - perhaps limit it to weekends and special occasions. Cut out sugars (especially processed ones) and most importantly - trans fats - WokkieD posted an excellent link on that in the 'not being fat' thread.

There are a few exercise you can do on the pull-up bar which can help you strenghten your core/abs (did help me quite a bit)

- leg pulls-ups - hang down from the bar 'loose' for about 5-6 seconds and then slowly start bending your knees towards your chest, then hold for another 5-6 seconds. Release down slowly. Do 5 reps of 3 - 3 times a week - you'll see a difference soon. It's mighty hard at first! If it's too difficult at first - try 3 reps of 3 - 5 times a week.

- leg raises - same as above but instead of bending your knees towards your chest - keep your legs straight and lift up (ending up at roughly 90 degrees relative to your back)

The pull-up bar is a wonderfull tool, mate - I'd suggest investigating those (there are others too). And remeber - drink plenty of water - 2-3 litres/day minimum - you don't want any unecessary water retention in your body.
 
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Don't even bother mate - it will be shedloads of work then you'll get bored and lose it all in 4 weeks.

Only superfreaky gym obsessives have visible abs.

Birds don't like it anyway, it's a sign of extreme body consciousness, gym obsession which is unnatural but due to media pressure, men think it is reasonably normal to have a six pack.

It isn't.
Normal is boring. On the flip side, it shows that you look after your body and are quite athletic. Although in saying that, I don't have a six pack - as I have around 13% body fat due to being on a bulking phase.

Next summer though :)
 
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The six pack reference was kind of tongue in cheek, though I do wonder whether it is possible to achieve one through minimal effort as I have heard some suggest. More a case of trying to keep the belly fat as controlled as possible....I suspect the simple answer is watching what you eat but was curious as to whether there was anything that I could incorporate into my relatively casual workout regime that may help.
As someone else said - if you put in minimal effort, that's what you'll get out of it. Unless you sniff countless grams of plant food, that might help!
 
The point on alcohol is a good one - switching from lager to Jack & Diet Coke made a big difference for me. Watch your bar bills though, you'll probably end up getting twice as many rounds in as it goes down so quickly.
 
250px-Corona-6Pack.JPG
 
In terms of exercises, make sure squats and deadlifts are staples as part of your routine. I find I struggle to make gains in strength without them in my routine. They will do much, much more for your core than sit ups too. Start light and work your way up, and always make sure you are using proper form.
 
70% diet, 30% gym.

Eat decent food, cut down on alcohol, go running, play football, do crunches. Cut down the body fat and they will show.. exercise and they will be become more defined.
 
Top tips chaps. Thank you. Whilst much of it is what I expected, its nice to have confirmation from more seasoned campaigners. I think I'm going to start with reducing the amount of crap I eat and then look to incorporate more cardio into my workout sessions. I'm not much of a drinker anyway, so alcohol reduction shouldn't be much of an issue. It will be more a case of cutting out the fizzies, sweets and fatty stuff.
 
In terms of exercises, make sure squats and deadlifts are staples as part of your routine. I find I struggle to make gains in strength without them in my routine. They will do much, much more for your core than sit ups too. Start light and work your way up, and always make sure you are using proper form.

Stupid question but what are dead lifts? Is it just squats whilst carrying weights?
 
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