Getting Abs on PH

weirddude

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Getting Abs on PH

i have been trying for 10 years of and on to get a "6 pak" While I have 8% body fat, they just don't show. IMO having abs are the ultimate goal.

So when i plan to use PH to bulk up a bit all over, shall i especially concentrate on my abs, or am i just not genetically dispositioned to get them? Maybe they are there all along, but I have JUST ENOUGH body fat to cover them? How do I know if this is the case?

opps, i guess this is 2 questions then.
 

weirddude

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Oh, and i had the pinch caliber test to get that body fat percentage. Hope that helps. I can do about 50 situps only before burn sets in, and i still shake a tiny bit only sometimes depending on angle i am hitting them. maybe i am just not as strong as i think i am.
 

UNDERTAKER

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please please do me a favor and wait until your like 200 or more before worrying about abs. At your height and weight you should be bulking. IM0 abs have alot to do with genes. At 8% if you dont have abs, your not gonna get them. Sorry dude (I cant get them either)
 

Oatmeal_King

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Agreement with undertaker here, it is a genetic thing. Mine are popping out at greater than 10%.

Two other things: calipers can be quite unreliable as well. Try to use the 9 site formula and have an experienced operator.

Secondly, bodyfat is the key to abs showing, but it sounds like your training may be off as well.

Do weighted crunches with sets of 6-8 reps (to failure possibly) to gain mass just like with any other bodypart. **** situps and other personal trainer style horseshit. Doing 50 situps will train you to do 50 situps and not much else.

Good luck.
 

TryinToGetBIG

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I wish I could get abs aswell..... :sad:
 

boomr

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i have to agree on the genetic idea. I have been lucky...I am about 13 to 14 % now, but have been as low as 7% for a long time. Even at my current percent, I can clearly see 6 abs (sorta flexed) and not bad unflexed. I can really see the 4th set when I am really lean. I have always had good abs, and I know I have had some weight (fat) at times, so genetics is a big factor in my eyes.
 
chrisrico

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Yeah, not to pile more misery on you dude, but I think abs, just like calves, can be regulated by genetics quite a bit. I've never worked much on my abs but like boomr, I've got massive definition and development. I've got about a 35 inch waist right now but you can still see my abs big time. I'm wondering if training on an ab machine with heavy resistance might not help you? Not sure if the abs are more fast twitch or slow twich fibers....anyone?
 
sikdogg

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I also agree about genetics but we can't forget about hard work. You have to work abs just like any other muscle. You can't expect your abs to pop out from doing a set of 50 crunches. You gotta get real bro. If you want a big chest would you do just regular pushups?? prolly not so why do you think you can do that with your abs??

Get on a slant board, grab a 25-35lb plate, and get working.
 

copper2002

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Do weighted crunches with sets of 6-8 reps (to failure possibly) to gain mass just like with any other bodypart. **** situps and other personal trainer style horseshit. Doing 50 situps will train you to do 50 situps and not much else.
You should be able to feel the outline of your abs no what what bf% you are, unless its 30%+. Doing 10 sets of 20 reps or 200-300 abs exercise reps won't do **** for developing your abs. Also, doing them 3-5 times a week is worthless. Once a week is fine, twice at most.

All I've done for the last year has been 4 sets of 10-12 reps weighted, 3 times every 2 weeks on average. Since then I've developed extremely well.
 

glenihan

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weightless crunches are ABSOLUTELY pointless .. use weight .. do weighted rope crunches or put a dumbell on your chest and do incline crunches to develop the muscle .. then diet and cario will make the abs show

you want a defined chest .. are you gonna do push ups until you're blue in the face? **** no .. you lift heavy weights then you have proper diet and cardio to get rid of any fat
 
BigVrunga

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I agree with everyone here - train abs just like any other muscle group.
 

boomr

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yes, weighted ab work made a huge difference for me when I started them a long time ago. I noticed good growth and definition over trying to rep them out.
 

djv

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yes, weighted ab work made a huge difference for me when I started them a long time ago. I noticed good growth and definition over trying to rep them out.
I would concur with the weighted rope crunches advice. I also saw great definition and a "pop" effect when I went to the weighted training.

Hanging leg raises with a twist do great for the obliques for myself. I'm at about 6% so you still have to have it all in check no matter how you train.
 
motiv8er

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I like to train my abs in two different styles- 1) Fast light repetative motion 2) Weighted strength movements of high intesity and lower reps. One trick I find most helpful is doing cardio first occasionly, it means it gets done. Doing abs after cardio, priorities for summer if you will. If I overtrain any body part, it is my abs. Close to 3 thirty minute sessions a week. I tend to walk around constantly feeling the new "layers" of muscle hardening. The biggest thing I try to incorperate is variety.

This is a good summer topic. :cheers:
 
BigVrunga

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Ugh - you guys make me jealous!! So hard to get that cardio in after bulking for so long! Ive gotta whip my own ass here and get on that treadmill!:)

BV
 
Jim Mills

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I'm 40 years old and never once seen my AB's...... About 5-6 months ago I started to diet and also started doing crunches, reverse crunches, weighted cable crunches and also knee UP's three days a week.... Only missed one or two days in the last six months... It became a habit. I also use a treadmill twice a week in the morning for 30 minutes @ 4 mph....... Today I have a very noticeable six pack..... When the light is hitting my AB's the right way, you can really see them.... Not sure but I think my two whey protein shakes a day help.... I'm doing 3 sets, 25 reps for each .... I think now that I have them, I'm going to cut down to twice a week.
 
BigVrunga

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Oh Ive got good abs - just not very defined with my 15% BF. I can see them, but I need to get down around 9-10% before I look they way I want to.
 

TheTom

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I never had abs until I started heavy heavy deadlifting, now I can see the outline of them at almost any bodyfat (well within reason).
 
Syr

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please please do me a favor and wait until your like 200 or more before worrying about abs. At your height and weight you should be bulking. IM0 abs have alot to do with genes. At 8% if you dont have abs, your not gonna get them. Sorry dude (I cant get them either)
Well, there are many skinny guys with a 6pack.

BTW, ABS are 1st genetics and 2nd training and 3rd abdominal fat. Heavy weighted training like other muscles is the way to go. With one slight exception: ABS recover faster and so u can train them 2 or 3 times a week.
BTW, I believe everyone could have some visible at low BF%, but for us genetically not predisponed, its HARD.
 

Redeemer

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I second, or third the opinion about weighted crunches. Also, there is never a better time to start doing them that if you are bulking.
 

TheTom

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Well, there are many skinny guys with a 6pack.

BTW, ABS are 1st genetics and 2nd training and 3rd abdominal fat. Heavy weighted training like other muscles is the way to go. With one slight exception: ABS recover faster and so u can train them 2 or 3 times a week.
BTW, I believe everyone could have some visible at low BF%, but for us genetically not predisponed, its HARD.
Abdominal Muscles don't recover any faster than any of your other muscles.
 
BigVrunga

BigVrunga

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Best results Ive seen for abs so far have been with alternating sets of weighted incline situps and hanging leg raises.

BV
 
Pioneer

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Ugh - you guys make me jealous!! So hard to get that cardio in after bulking for so long! Ive gotta whip my own ass here and get on that treadmill!:)

BV
i believe cardio is preformed better when doing it outside. you feel like youre going somewhere and i never feel as tired when outside. treadmill burns me out and i cant control the speed as well as i want to when im outside.

i think you would get mroe modivation if you went outside. IMHO
 
BigMattTx

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This is OT but hey sikdogg, I see where you got your name.

When I look at your avatar, I just think "thats sick, dog!"
 
hamper19

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ok use weights as everyone said. Which reminds me i need to do a serious ab workout today. I thought I did yesterday, but feel nothing.

I do crunches on a roman chair with a 45 lb plate on my chest. that should work. I have pretty good abs, well I know they are there anyway. Once i started hitting them with weights years ago they grew a lot! Back then i was doing weighted crunches on the decline bench..i like the chair better. You can do all kinds of twisting and ****.

h19
 
BigVrunga

BigVrunga

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i believe cardio is preformed better when doing it outside. you feel like youre going somewhere and i never feel as tired when outside. treadmill burns me out and i cant control the speed as well as i want to when im outside.

i think you would get mroe modivation if you went outside. IMHO
Thanks bro. Since that last post Ive stepped it up quite a bit. Im going to start running on my lunch break - ideally I'd like to get in 5-6 30 minute sessions a week. Right now Im doing about 3. The fat is comming off, but SLOWLY.

Although I'd rather loose a consistent .25% a week than burn fat faster and loose an ounce of LBM.

BV
 
Pioneer

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the use of sprinting is also a good fat burner, id try to mix it up. sounds like you have good modivation though and it will continue to pay off, so good luck to you.
 
Syr

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Abdominal Muscles don't recover any faster than any of your other muscles.
lack of precision in my sentence. abs recovers faster than musles with (mostly) different fibre types.
i could be wrong (and the authors i've read too), but i felt shorter lasting doms after abs work that almost any other muscle. And i did trained em hard with weights.
 
JonesersRX7

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The genetic cop out bull sh!t is pathetic.

I never used to have lower abs untill I started doing hanging straight leg raises and reverse crunches with a 10lb dumbell. If something isn't working try something else. As already stated start doing weighted movements on all ab exercices.

You are lean but if you don't have any muscle under the fat... well.. there won't be any muscle to show!
 
hamper19

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I think genetics will play a part as to the shape, thickness, and overall end result as far as looks go
 
JonesersRX7

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I think genetics will play a part as to the shape, thickness, and overall end result as far as looks go
Of course... you see guys with abs that are parallel and then some that are shifted up or thicker... but to say that "I can't get abs because of my genes".. well it's just not true.
 
BigMattTx

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^^ agreed. Genetics may make it a bit tougher to get good definition but theres alwayss a way.
 

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