When I cut I end up having a brick instead of abs, seems like all my body fat is stored right in my abdomen. I've worked my abs more than any muscle since I've began working out years ago.
That pic is from my last cut about a month before I stopped at 147 lbs. I cut down, to 142 by the end. But it was a 4 month cut first two months I experimented with keto but ended up eating way too many calories so really only 2 months with good macros. I'm 20 and I weight 165 and I'm 5'9. I just started another cut two weeks ago at 171. I can't be that low of a body fat, percentage if there's no definition there I read. I just figured Im the type that needs to get down, to about 8% before I really see them.Your very low on body-fat based on images, how long have you been cutting to look like that?
also whats your age, weight, and height.
seems genetic from appearance and not due to excess fat.
I do EVERYTHING. Leg lifts, crunches, sit ups, Russian twists, hanging leg lifts over head, bicycle kicks, planks, body saws, ab roller, windshield wipers, mountain climbers, cable crunches, flutter kicks, v ups, plank arm reaches, etc... also I hit all the ab machines on as high weight as I can I hit at the end of my routine for muscle hypertrophy.Holy vascularity. You're a roadmap dude! What type of ab exercises are you doing? What's your ab routine look like?
That pic is from my last cut about a month before I stopped at 147 lbs. I cut down, to 142 by the end. But it was a 4 month cut first two months I experimented with keto but ended up eating way too many calories so really only 2 months with good macros. I'm 20 and I weight 165 and I'm 5'9. I just started another cut two weeks ago at 171. I can't be that low of a body fat, percentage if there's no definition there I read. I just figured Im the type that needs to get down, to about 8% before I really see them.
How often do you do all this? Also, it may seem rather obvious, but do you have a good mind-muscle connection with your abs? Can you focus on really flexing them when you're working them, and also just flexing them in general, perhaps in slightly different ways? It may be an issue of properly flexing/posing, although genetics likely plays a role here too. You're very lean in both pictures.I do EVERYTHING. Leg lifts, crunches, sit ups, Russian twists, hanging leg lifts over head, bicycle kicks, planks, body saws, ab roller, windshield wipers, mountain climbers, cable crunches, flutter kicks, v ups, plank arm reaches, etc... also I hit all the ab machines on as high weight as I can I hit at the end of my routine for muscle hypertrophy.
+ 1 to this, I used to train them much more, in the past and mixed high volume with bodyweight and low volume and high weight e.g. weighted crunches flat, and on incline bench. I have found that they improve through heavy squatting and get enough indirect work through my other workouts. also I agree that the more developed they are the more they show at higher body fat levels within reason.I wouldn't do abs every day. I'm at a substantially higher bf% than you, but my abs are very visible because they're so big/deep. The best I found for that when starting out were crunches with the rope handle on the cable machine and crunches on a decline bench holding a plate or dumbbell. Treat them like calves -- you can work them a bit more than other muscle groups, but they're still a muscle group and need time to rest and grow.
I honestly don't do any direct ab work now and just heavy compound lifts has been more than enough to keep them in good shape.
I've been vascular since I've started lifting it's just my genetics luckily, however they screwed me on abs lol. That was the reason for my last bulk then the cycle of the m1t it didn't seem to change anything in my abdominal muscles I only noticed a large change in my upper trap and lower lat muscles.Just curious, what supplements are you taking? I rarely see vascularity like that on people who aren't chemically enhanced in some way.
I think you just need to add more mass. Abs are both a matter of low bodyfat but also muscle development. I would focus on adding 15-20 lbs of muscle through a high calorie diet and getting stronger on the big compound movements (squats, bench, deads or rack deads)... these will develop thickness in your abs as well. And I would do ab training with heavy weights and lower reps, 2x a week at most.
After you bulk and you've gained a lot of strength and a solid 10-15 lbs. of muscle and then cut, I'd be surprised if you didn't have more prominent abs.
No that was before I did anything at all just whey, suprisingly creatine, and fish oil. Ive had people ask me if I'm juicing at the gym and I just laugh and say do you see how small I am? I weigh less than 160 lbs hahaha no I'm not juicing. That pic is from October I started talking other sups just this January. Other than clear muscle, I started taking end of November.Were you on anything (M1t etc) or any OTC supplements when that pic was taken? I'm just saying I don't usually see that type of vascularity on someone who isn't chemically enhanced somehow. Really just asking more out of curiosity.
I can't believe no one has told you to do TCF vacuums trust and believe that will give you the definition you want. It the oldest bodybuilding trick in the bookWhen I cut I end up having a brick instead of abs, seems like all my body fat is stored right in my abdomen. I've worked my abs more than any muscle since I've began working out years ago. View attachment 147314
How're things going?I've been vascular since I've started lifting it's just my genetics luckily, however they screwed me on abs lol. That was the reason for my last bulk then the cycle of the m1t it didn't seem to change anything in my abdominal muscles I only noticed a large change in my upper trap and lower lat muscles.
Does doing TCF vacuums increase vascularity? I thought Artemus dolgin does it because he prefers the aestheticI can't believe no one has told you to do TCF vacuums trust and believe that will give you the definition you want. It the oldest bodybuilding trick in the book
Bro your abs are under developed. You need to hit them with weight.When I cut I end up having a brick instead of abs, seems like all my body fat is stored right in my abdomen. I've worked my abs more than any muscle since I've began working out years ago. View attachment 147314
Some people (very rarely) are born without the ab shapesBro your abs are under developed. You need to hit them with weight.