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8% BF and no abs...

muscleupcrohn said:
For one, I haven’t seen a picture. I said it’s possible if you store body fat in a VERY abnormal way. But without seeing a picture, how can anyone even attempt to answer your question when you only give them half the information?
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I told Whiskey in a previous post that I got the test done on my last cut a few months ago, I’m currently bulking. Just looking for info for my next cut.
 
saderboy80 said:
Hey guys please let me know if I’m in the right section. Never posted in this section before.

So to get right to it a few months ago I got my BF measured using the BODPOD done by a professional in a research lab and had a BF level of 8.1% (still have the print off sheet) at 163lbs. Yet I still did NOT have abs. BMR was 1777 Cal.

24yrs old and 5’9 1/2”

I obviously hold most of my fat in my abdominal area. What am I doing wrong and how can I get a aesthetic set of abs? The obvious answer would be lose more fat but any other tips?

Should I resort to fat burners? Topical fat burners? Working out abdominals more? Lower cortisol or estrogen? Increase test (natty supps)?

Thanks in advance!!
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Cable crunches with a rope. Knees on ground rep pre infringement of your face extreme up and sorry it to the ground slowly go back up. Do those till you cant. Jog in place as fast as you can till you can't and when your on three mill if your on the tree mill really focus on flexing the abs and being stable in your run. Try to run fast. Also try Roman chair situps. focusing on flexing the abs. Just my thoughts everyone is different.
 
117codyawebb said:
Cable crunches with a rope. Knees on ground rep pre infringement of your face extreme up and sorry it to the ground slowly go back up. Do those till you cant. Jog in place as fast as you can till you can't and when your on three mill if your on the tree mill really focus on flexing the abs and being stable in your run. Try to run fast. Also try Roman chair situps. focusing on flexing the abs. Just my thoughts everyone is different.
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I have no idea wtf I was trying to post last night i was tired let's try that again.. knees on the ground, shoulders just below the jaw angled toward the ground. Elbows bent with a secure tight grip on the ropes slam the bottom of your fists down as hard as you can. don't rest, as soon as you hit the ground allow the mention to build up in your abs then slowly go back up and slam down again. Repeat until your unable to do so. Sorry guys
 
It's very simple to lose bodyfat. High protein, high carbs (OR) high fat. As far as getting abs I highly prefer high fat diet with omega 3s mainly because carbs bloat you. I don't suggest keto but I suggest a low carb diet high fat and high protein and taking carbs the first half of the day.

Another extremely important thing is to drink water as this will make you less bloated. People argue differently in Europe and the US but 3-4 litres or around a gallon is plenty for the average person.
 
You could be holding some water in that area. Look at a topical dryer product lipo-6-defining-gel.
 
Chados said:
It's very simple to lose bodyfat. High protein, high carbs (OR) high fat. As far as getting abs I highly prefer high fat diet with omega 3s mainly because carbs bloat you. I don't suggest keto but I suggest a low carb diet high fat and high protein and taking carbs the first half of the day.

Another extremely important thing is to drink water as this will make you less bloated. People argue differently in Europe and the US but 3-4 litres or around a gallon is plenty for the average person.
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Thank-you for the advice! It is greatly appreciated!
 
Not the answer anyone wants to hear but genetics. Look at some professional competitors and the difference in their abs. Some, even when competition lean, don’t have that washboard 6 pack but rather more of a 4 pack look. Compare a few semi pro level competitors and look at the visual difference in their abs.

Genetics also play a role where you store fat the most.

With out a pic of you there is no way to tell what’s going on....
 
MM11 said:
Not the answer anyone wants to hear but genetics. Look at some professional competitors and the difference in their abs. Some, even when competition lean, don’t have that washboard 6 pack but rather more of a 4 pack look. Compare a few semi pro level competitors and look at the visual difference in their abs.

Genetics also play a role where you store fat the most.

With out a pic of you there is no way to tell what’s going on....
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A 4 pack is still visible abs. Literally no visible abs at 8% body fat is an anomaly, unless they’re not actually at 8% BF.
 
I worked with a guy who had almost no fat on him face sunk in veins where everywhere and could see every bit of his spine. Yet he had a gut. Just remember guys say no to meth.
 
Still don't understand why you have no picture. I get you have none lying around but go to your bathroom mirror, take picture with phone, post picture...

We will wait...
 
Good comment about visible abs, I was thinking 6 pack for some reason. Without seeing a picture I can only offer reckless speculation. I am not calling out or judging others advice at all!! I just don’t think we have the information we need to generate our answers. I can throw out some ideas...
- liposuction / extreme weight loss with excess skin?
- too skinny / very small frame
- visable abs flexed or unflexed
- is he wearing a shirt? (Sarcasm, this doesn’t help anyone, sorry... unless it’s true)
- not actually 8%
- genetics
- needs more muscle
- water bloat?


Metaphor:
“Why won’t my pen ink show up on paper. The pen works (confirmed) and it’s regular paper (confirmed). Also how do I fix?

Think how crazy we could dig in with reasons and solutions when the problem is that it’s a white ink pen on white paper....

If that doesn’t make sense. Ignore me, I think differently than others... works for me, makes me good at my job, but most people just think I am strange...
 
This is me in June . Ive competed in six competitions and have yet to see deep cut rippling abs. Somethings are much more genetic than others. That said if you really, really want to I know you can. It will be unordinary difficult and may take years upon years.

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That said, I wasn't in good enough condition to really be competitive for my class, in this competition so there's still hope for me.
 
John Smeton said:
This is me in June . Ive competed in six competitions and have yet to see deep cut rippling abs. Somethings are much more genetic than others. That said if you really, really want to I know you can. It will be unordinary difficult and may take years upon years.

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That said, I wasn't in good enough condition to really be competitive for my class, in this competition so there's still hope for me.
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I wouldn’t say they’re not visible though. And most of your poses seem to be less focused on crunching down your abs and more of an almost semi-vacuum style that doesn’t really lend itself to deep ab separation well IMO.
 
muscleupcrohn said:
8% body fat doesn’t count when you have less than 8% body muscle my man.
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Lol, just pointing out it’s possible bro. I sincerely hope this isn’t the reason op has no visible abs though........if a stiff breeze blows you over then no abs is the least of your concerns
 
MM11 said:
Good comment about visible abs, I was thinking 6 pack for some reason. Without seeing a picture I can only offer reckless speculation. I am not calling out or judging others advice at all!! I just don’t think we have the information we need to generate our answers. I can throw out some ideas...
- liposuction / extreme weight loss with excess skin?
- too skinny / very small frame
- visable abs flexed or unflexed
- is he wearing a shirt? (Sarcasm, this doesn’t help anyone, sorry... unless it’s true)
- not actually 8%
- genetics
- needs more muscle
- water bloat?


Metaphor:
“Why won’t my pen ink show up on paper. The pen works (confirmed) and it’s regular paper (confirmed). Also how do I fix?

Think how crazy we could dig in with reasons and solutions when the problem is that it’s a white ink pen on white paper....

If that doesn’t make sense. Ignore me, I think differently than others... works for me, makes me good at my job, but most people just think I am strange...
Click to expand...

I don’t believe I was too skinny or too tall (5’10”) and whispy. Definitely 8%BF as evidenced by the bod pod (gold standard).
 
Wobmarvel said:
Still don't understand why you have no picture. I get you have none lying around but go to your bathroom mirror, take picture with phone, post picture...

We will wait...
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Because I am no longer 8% BF. I am bulking and trying to acquire information for my next cut.
 
muscleupcrohn said:
I wouldn’t say they’re not visible though. And most of your poses seem to be less focused on crunching down your abs and more of an almost semi-vacuum style that doesn’t really lend itself to deep ab separation well IMO.
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Yeah , its a continuing learning, by posing over and over and seeing what looks best on you and the help of an outside eye.

saderboy80 said:
Because I am no longer 8% BF. I am bulking and trying to acquire information for my next cut.
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Very understandable, that's the best way to add muscle from year to year. Got to gain some body-fat make muscle gains. After a certain point, additional fat doesnt help muscle, and actually bad for it, causing insulin sensitive to decline, and its much more difficult to get it off .
 
saderboy80 said:
I don’t believe I was too skinny or too tall (5’10”) and whispy. Definitely 8%BF as evidenced by the bod pod (gold standard).
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Do you hold all your fat on your stomach? So you could be at 8% overall BF, but have less body fat everywhere else and more on your stomach?
 
John Smeton said:
Yeah , its a continuing learning, by posing over and over and seeing what looks best on you and the help of an outside eye.



Very understandable, that's the best way to add muscle from year to year. Got to gain some body-fat make muscle gains. After a certain point, additional fat doesnt help muscle, and actually bad for it, causing insulin sensitive to decline, and its much more difficult to get it off .
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Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t saying your posing was bad by any stretch, just that it wasn’t geared towards showing maximal ab separation.
 
muscleupcrohn said:
Do you hold all your fat on your stomach? So you could be at 8% overall BF, but have less body fat everywhere else and more on your stomach?
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In my opinion I do, yes. For example: you can see the separation of the different vastus’ of the quads (so good leg definition), smaller calves (need work) but can see veins throughout and good definition, decent bicep/tricep separation and definition (can see bicep insertions) veins extending from forearm to shoulder, upper chest has quite a few veins (hexagon-shaped like Orgo Chem), lower chest holds some fat, stomach holds some fat, and lower back has the trademark “Christmas tree”.

I realize that sounds very conceited, but is that helpful at all?
 
saderboy80 said:
In my opinion I do, yes. For example: you can see the separation of the different vastus’ of the quads (so good leg definition), smaller calves (need work) but can see veins throughout and good definition, decent bicep/tricep separation and definition (can see bicep insertions) veins extending from forearm to shoulder, upper chest has quite a few veins (hexagon-shaped like Orgo Chem), lower chest holds some fat, stomach holds some fat, and lower back has the trademark “Christmas tree”.

I realize that sounds very conceited, but is that helpful at all?
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At 8% BF, you should have great separation and definition EVERYWHERE. And depending on your size you should see some decent “striations” on your delts/chest/quads as well.

And I can’t see any of your claims, as you haven’t posted any pics lol.
 
This is me at around 8 percent body fat. For comparative purposes it’s not a bad place to start Invalid Link Removed
 

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5”10 135 lbs in those photos. Bulking now so I’m 145 lbs currently and pale lol. I’m 145 lbs In This pic Invalid Link Removed
 
BEAST73 said:
Looking Great Bro!!
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Thanks you too! I had to actually cut out cardio for a few months because I could not gain any weight. Ready for the summer shred again so I can get tan. Hoping i can improve even further on this next cut. How? I’m not so sure. That’s the best I’ve ever looked. But I was miserable because of how hungry I was all the time. I kept that ripped look for about 6 months before starting a very lean bulk
 
BEAST73 said:
Looking Great Bro!! What’s your waistline measurement?
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My waistline in those first two photos was a staggering 24 1//2 inches. At that point veins were rippling out of my abs. Honestly my parents thought I was too thin and worried about my health to a degree.
 
BlockBuilder said:
Thanks you too! I had to actually cut out cardio for a few months because I could not gain any weight. Ready for the summer shred again so I can get tan. Hoping i can improve even further on this next cut. How? I’m not so sure. That’s the best I’ve ever looked. But I was miserable because of how hungry I was all the time. I kept that ripped look for about 6 months before starting a very lean bulk
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Your conditioning was as solid as one could reasonably want. So I’d say aim for similar leanness with more mass? More size on your chest at that level of leanness would really pop.
 
Dont have enough muscle mass for sure.. I'm 5'9 and bulked up to 215 and cut down and my abs begin to pop around 180lbs, shredded at 170~175
 
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