Need advice for abs! :)

[RedWolf77]

Hello all!

So I do Muay Thai 3 times a week, stairclimbing, jogging.. I'm around 120lbs and overall toned..but ab area needs some help. I'm not achieving some definition..but most in the top part of the abs. I had a baby last October so it's taken me a while to get back to a decent size. Any tips on getting abs into rockin' shape? I've always had a boyish shape so I'm not looking for a miracle waist. I just want solid abs and to get rid of the fat.

Any suggestions are highly appreciated!

[nemo1991]

It looks like you got your cardio sorted out with the Muay Thai, jogging and all that. I assume you do abs work right? If you haven't, well here's a site that has good abs exercises: http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And if you haven't heard of pilates, google that and try it out if u want.

Now the diet which is the most important part, I'm not sure on how much you know about it + I'm not an expert, so I don't know what tips to give that you'll find useful, but I guess I'll just say some general stuff in terms of losing fat:
- You need a calorie deficit in order to burn fat, so you need to eat below your maintenance calories.
- Don't eat too low calories othewise your metabolism will slow down and your body will enter starvation mode and will store fat.
- Eat frequently (5 to 6 meals) for the same reason in the point above.
- You'll need to cut out the simple carbs as they will promote too much of an insulin spike which can trigger glucose to be stored in fat cells...which you don't want.
- Eat healthy balanced meals (I don't know too much about this and how much carbs and all that you're meant to be eating, so I'll just leave it as "healthy balanced meal".
- Your breakfast should probably be your biggest meal of the day as that will get your metabolism going fast.

Those are a few things I guess, hope it helps. If you already know this sorta stuff, great! Good luck and hope you achieve your goals.

[gethotabs]

Hi,

Maybe you should watch your diet too. You might be too focused on your workouts that you forget you also need to maintain a balance diet. Try to eat natural foods like garlic, onions, apples, berries etc. These help your body reject fat or eliminate toxins.

[JamesJK]

Do total-body exercises like squats, lunges, push up's, dips, shoulder presses. These increase your metabolism which means you'll burn calories for longer and see your abs sooner. Do interval training for you cardio (go hard for 30sec, rest 1 min x 10) - this will stimulate your body to actively seek out fat stores.

Regards, James.
James2_[email protected]

[ultimatehlth]

Hey REDWOLF,

I used to work in Arcadia. You already got great advice from the other responders just wanted to stress 2 things, one is the importance of doing high intensity training (30 minutes max) workouts and second following a low glycemic diet. Both have proven to be far more effective at abdominal fat loss than low fat and moderately paced exercise.

[Boss Man]

He posted 3 times nearly a year ago, so he may come back and read this, but don't hold your breath Ult

Just saying, not being rude .

[quickabs]

He posted 3 times nearly a year ago, so he may come back and read this, but don't hold your breath Ult

Just saying, not being rude .

Even if the OP doesn't come back, there's still valuable information in this thread for anyone searching for information about ab workouts. With that said, here are a few more tips for anyone trying to get great abs...

As nemo and James already mentioned, cardio and a full-body workout are very important for lowering your body fat %, which is the only way to reveal your six pack. For most people, the six pack is hiding behind a layer of fat so until that fat is burned, it'll always be hidden. As part of your full-body workout, you should be doing at least one exercise to work your abs. Contrary to what most people seem to believe, this one exercise should NOT be crunches or sit-ups. Both of those exercises are inefficient compared to more effective ab exercises such as the Bicycle Maneuver, Captain's Chair, Plank, etc.

Another important topic that other responders have touched on is your ab diet. nemo gave a number of solid tips so I won't repeat them; I'll simply expand on a few of those tips. First, you really want to make sure you're eating lean proteins (e.g., chicken) and plenty of fiber (e.g., whole-grain bread). Almonds are also a great source of protein. You'll also want to drink a lot of water (at least 8 8-ounce glasses a day) and avoid carbonated (and alcoholic) drinks. This helps you stay hydrated, and it also helps remove your body's toxins.

Finally, don't go overboard with the ab exercises. Many people work their abs every single day, and they never give their bodies a chance to recover. A better strategy is to work your abs really hard one day, and then, take the next day off (or do cardio on that day). This will help you avoid overtraining, which will ultimately help you attain faster results.

For even more ab tips, check out blog: http://quickabsblog.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;