Hey guys, does anyone know how the mens health and mens fitness guys get so lean and how lean they actually are? Im pretty damn lean now but cant get rid of the buldge in my lower abdomen and was just wondering.
Printable View
Hey guys, does anyone know how the mens health and mens fitness guys get so lean and how lean they actually are? Im pretty damn lean now but cant get rid of the buldge in my lower abdomen and was just wondering.
the guys on the cover of mens health go through the same stuff getting ready for a photo shoot that bodybuilders do prepping for a contest (not quite as extreme, of course). many of them go lo-carb, and by the time the shoot comes around are severely dehydrated (yeah, some have admitted they use diuretics). To think that one could have the abs/shreddedness of a mens health model 24-7 is delusional.. it'd be like trying to look as cut, vascular, and shredded as Mr. O on the big night all day every day... it just isnt possible.
Yeah, but im really close, i need to post some pics. It the buldge in my lower belly that kills me, what the heck is it? Its like im really bloated all the time or that i have fat inside my abdominal cavity, there is not there to pinch on the surface at all...it hard and tight. Its like my lower intestines are twice as big as they sould be or someting.
What's a diruetic? just a normal laxitive or something more?
Thanks for the reply
Well i went ahead and took some photos at work today durring lunch, you can see the buldge im talking about in the last photo
[url]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38468[/url]
What are you talking about?!!! You're there. You have abs I would kill for. I'm sure you could get bigger if you wanted to but your pretty close to perfect from Mens Health mag standards.
You're probably being too hard on yourself... most of us are.
Sad fact is, unless you're naturally extremely lean (and that's very few of us), low single digit bf is extremely hard to maintain, not to mention, not very healthy. Your abs look great. You can try to get your bf lower again and see if that helps, but the "bulge" you're worried about may be genetic, and you can't fix that. You can't spot reduce either.
Diuretics (herbal supplements or prescritpion drugs) force your body to excrete water and are used in contest prep, but using them regularily is unsafe. Good luck!
Must be a flaw in your mirror, because I can't find one on your abs!
thanks guys, gymstud2002, you may be right, but it was gone when i was at 5% about 2 months ago, i have been really constipated too which i just realized and im sure that makes it worse.
Im really tensing my belly and that really helps too. I have to find out why im constipated.
Seen you your pics man and lookin really good. Perhaps your diet is lacking a bit of fibre causing constipation and your intestines are bloated. If your not passing stools and are constipated there could well be a build up down there. Add some bran/prunes or figs into your diet and it'll maybe shift the crap that's queued up in the lower area.
Kendo
Can you give some information on your routine? Weightlifting, and cardio? Also your diet. Is it the same foods everyday?
Water intake?
Maybe you just added some size to your ab muscles in the past few months? No question, you look fantastic.
How is it the more effort you put into bodybuilding, the less satisfied you are with your body?
Kendo, thanks, well i get tons of fiber every day, i eat tons of spinich, salad and brocolli. I have had a problem with constipation for about 3 months now and its really buggin me
gbhtn, lift M-F
M - Chest
T - Legs
W - Back
Th - Tri's, Traps, Shoulders
F - Bi's, Calf's, Forearms
about 1.5 hrs a day, different abs everyday, play hockey 3 times a week for cardio.
I eat 5 times a day and i eat TONS of spinich, salad, brocolli...a little oatmeal and ground flax seed, between 35-45g's of protein per meal from tuna, chicken, egg whites, salmon, and turkey. I have had a lot of trouble with my tummy for about 3 months. Wheat bran KILLS me stops me up sooo bad. I read that book "Eat Right For Your Type" which profiles diets and blood type, im an O type and it says that Whole wheat can be a big problem for O types, so i have cut out whole wheat and have opted for high fiber veggies and oatmeal. But yes, i eat much the same every day. I drink between 1.5 and 2 gallons a day...seriously. I also eat moderate amounts of olive oil and i take Udi's EFA.
buzz, HAAAHAAHAAA!!! no kidding!
You are doing a great job! The results of your hard training show. The only possible thing that I can see that may give you that extra little edge is perhaps adding a bit extra cardio.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Great job!
DT:
You're really looking good, and take a bow, but I know that doesn't matter when you're "all bound up". I have had the same problem for most of my life. If you haven't already done so, go see a Gastroenterologist to see if there isn't a medical reason for your recent constipaption. Like the other guys said, continue with your high water intake, fibrous carbs and vegies, etc. Have you changed protein powders recently?
As far as your abs go..........you look terrific, and the "bulge" you mention may be the constipaption thing affecting how YOU see things. Many bodybuilding competitors, a few days before a show, will take diuretics like Taraxatone or some form of Dandelion powder to squeeze every last drop of water from the skin so that the skin wraps around the muscle to show it off. This is where many guys (and gals) get to that 4-5% bodyfat. It IS NOT healthy for more than a couple days at best. The image that you appear to want to achieve is comparative to a moment in time when the camera catches one of these guys ripped, shredded and water depleted..................just to show the 6 pack.
Although admirable on many fronts as we all know, it's just not real, healthy or sustainable for the long run.
As I see it, your 1st priority is to get checked out medically. If all is OK, then you can try some of the things we've all mentioned.
Good luck, bro. Hang tough!!
Max Madman, thanks! I have opted to stop taking any protein supps for real food with the exception of my post workout shake of 8oz grape or orange juice and 30g's of sportspharma promax. Eating real food seems to REALLY help with hunger. Rather then throwing back a 400cal protein shake at 2pm (which makes me more hungry), i put back 350 cals of spinich, olive oil, and 30g's of salmon or chicken instead...and all i can think is DAMN IM FULL, especially since ive already had 2 very simliar meal already.
Well, i just quit drinking coffee and all caffenated drinks or foods, I wonder if that has something to do with it. MAN THAT WAS TOUGH, I was a damn mess for like 3 days....really irritable, fatigued, headache. I had to take a couple of sips of coffee when the headaches got really bad.
Have you read that book "Eat Right For Your Type"?
Thanks for the help
Do you eat raw spinach or spinach from a can? I can eat the raw stuff but the stuff out of the can is a no go. I am trying to copy your diet very closely now. I have high blood pressure and the doc has ordred me to lose some weight. Also how do you prepare your salmon? thanks
Yeah, i only eat uncooked raw spinich and i usually get the salmon in a can. If i get raw salmon, i wrap in in foil with some olive oil and lemon and cook it on the grill. Good luck, let me know how it goes.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by dtdionne [/i]
[B]Max Madman, thanks! I have opted to stop taking any protein supps for real food with the exception of my post workout shake of 8oz grape or orange juice and 30g's of sportspharma promax. Eating real food seems to REALLY help with hunger. Rather then throwing back a 400cal protein shake at 2pm (which makes me more hungry), i put back 350 cals of spinich, olive oil, and 30g's of salmon or chicken instead...and all i can think is DAMN IM FULL, especially since ive already had 2 very simliar meal already.
Well, i just quit drinking coffee and all caffenated drinks or foods, I wonder if that has something to do with it. MAN THAT WAS TOUGH, I was a damn mess for like 3 days....really irritable, fatigued, headache. I had to take a couple of sips of coffee when the headaches got really bad.
Have you read that book "Eat Right For Your Type"?
Thanks for the help [/B][/QUOTE]
For weening yoruself off of coffee try excedrine for the headaches... it has some caffienne in it, but not nearly as much as coffee. it has just enough to assuage teh headaches
Jon
DT
Excellent job you did there! What a shape! And you really shouldn't be complaining about your abs, most of us would kill to be like you! But I guess being a bodybuilder means never being satisfied!
I agree with you, eating real food is far better than having protein shakes. I see you don't mention cottage cheese in your list of proteins. Are you avoiding dairy products?
About vegetables, have you tried radishes ? As they contain lots of water (and fibers) , they make chicken or turkey seem less dry! Another combination I like is tuna and grapefruit! it tastes great!
You look like a Men's Fitness model to me. I would know, too -- I tell my husband that I look through his Men's Health magazine more than he does! Of course, however, I'm married to my favorite eye candy. :)
dtdionne
Yo your in IT and not drinking programmer h20: coffee.
LOL. Recently did the same. went from putting the cup under the dripper to zero cups. Did not get any headaches, just drove me crazy since I love the smell of fresh coffee.