Is it possible? A little about me: Im 43, 6'2", presently 215.
Im not a bodybuilder, but these forums are chock full of information so I thought I would ask some of you in my same age group. My workout is P90x. I am working out 7 days a week, the 3 weight weight workouts (P90x standard) + 2 cardio workouts (Plyometrics and Kenpo) and then days of basketball (2 hrs each). Every other friday I will have an off day, usually at the expense of the kenpo workout.
I been doing this for the past couple of years but was forced to take a few months off due to thyroid cancer. I gained like 30 lbs, but am feeling pretty good again - just need to drop those pounds and get back into form - although I never achieved the 6pack I wanted (got close but never could shed all the fat off my belly).
According to the eating plan, I need to eat 3000 cals a day (300g protein, 300g carbs, 66g fat). I cant says I hit those marks, probably closer to 2400 cals or less.
So can some of you who have achieved a nice looking 6pack beyond 40 tell me what I need to do, or change or just keep doing until it happens?
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04-18-2013, 08:48 AM #1
Still possible to get 6 pack abs at 43 years old?
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04-18-2013, 08:50 AM #2
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04-18-2013, 08:51 AM #3
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04-18-2013, 09:58 AM #4
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04-18-2013, 10:54 AM #5
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04-18-2013, 11:34 AM #6
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04-18-2013, 11:59 AM #7
If you look at the members here, you'll find tons over 40 with crazy abs. Some in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s. Why the focus on just abs? P90x is a tough conditioning workout. You may gain a little strength, but mostly it's for losing weight. That said, you have to do the P90x diet to the letter. If you don't, it's not P90x. The diet itself was fine when I did it. It got really, really boring eating the same thing every day. I did it that way so I wouldn't have to recalculate every single day. I lost @ 20lbs on it.
Regarding your question, to have abs, you have to get rid of the fat. Since fat loss isn't selective, you must lose it everywhere, and usually the last place to lose it is your belly.
If you don't want to follow the P90x diet, then you need to weigh, track and record all consumption and shoot for at least a 2-300 calorie a day deficit until the desired abs are achieved.B: 285
S: 375
D: 555
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04-18-2013, 12:27 PM #8
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04-18-2013, 12:32 PM #9
- Join Date: Feb 2012
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I don't know dru he seemed to gain a lot of mass with it.
Inb4 hulks riding the bike. It's totally possible to shed 100lbs of fat and put on 200lbs of lean muscle natty. And he's always had rage issues, you would too if you had to deal with donkey all day.
Oh ya and yes it is possible OP. do some reading, get your diet in order and IMO ditch the P90X for some free weights and a good programIt's not your beliefs that make you a better person, it's your behavior.
"If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems and a b1tch ain't 1" JayZ
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04-18-2013, 12:37 PM #10
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04-18-2013, 12:47 PM #11
- Join Date: May 2012
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<---------55, Got my first visible abs at 54yo
You dont need all that cardio, but if you like it, do it. It wont hurt. But(in my expeirance) you need to do at least 3 days of heavy weight training a week.
A day of push with heavy compounds,
A day of pulls, heavy compounds,
A day of legs, heavy compounds,
you need some decent muscle mass to be able to pull off a good look when you are lean enough for your abs to show. <10% body fat = sickly looking skinny old man if you dont have a good muscle base.
I dont think you need 300g of protein, but if you want that much its fine as long as you meet your minimum macro requirments, but you might want to up your fats a little.
Read the stickies in the nutrition section and figure out your calorie requirements and eat 10 to 20 percent below maintenace.
(sorry, my spell check is not working today for some reason)
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04-18-2013, 12:59 PM #12
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04-18-2013, 01:01 PM #13
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04-18-2013, 01:20 PM #14
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04-18-2013, 01:22 PM #15
- Join Date: Feb 2012
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http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981 read this thread it will help with a lot of your nutrition questions, figure out how many cals you should be eating along with your macro requirments (how much protein/carbs/fat). If your not weighing, and measuring all your food, start.
As for carbs, potato, yam, sweet potato, bread, rice, pasta and oatmeal. None are the devil IMO it's the amount that will kill you and thats why you shouold be tracking
and yes wsm I have to agree, you are impressiveIt's not your beliefs that make you a better person, it's your behavior.
"If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems and a b1tch ain't 1" JayZ
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04-18-2013, 01:33 PM #16
thanks sparky, I will check that thread out.
As for your carb suggestions, Im assuming whole wheat bread and pasta will be better? I love rice, but just the white jasmine rice, cant stand the brown stuff though. Things like wheat thins are good as long as not going over the carb daily limit?
What kind of snacks are your favorite go to snacks?
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04-18-2013, 01:51 PM #17
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I do try and do whole wheat bread and I eat the blended pasta, I'm cutting for contest right now and I still eat white rice. There are guys on these forums that eat ice cream and pizza on a cut (moderation being the key). Read up on IIFYM (if it fits your macros) basic premise is to figure out how many cals a day you need to maintain your bodyweight, consume a min of 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight and a min of .4g of fat per lb after that fill up the rest of your cals however you like. I don't go crazy with my extra cals and eat just pizza or chocolate but a little indulgence now and then is fine. but once again read that thread (a lot better explanation than I could ever give) and track, track track
EDIT: forgot to mention once you've figured out your maintenance cut 10-20% to lose weight add 10-20 to gain, adjust as neccesary but give it some time to see results not just day to day swingsIt's not your beliefs that make you a better person, it's your behavior.
"If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems and a b1tch ain't 1" JayZ
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04-18-2013, 02:12 PM #18
I am going to get going on tracking for sure. Does it matter WHEN I hit my macros during the day? or if I eat an hour before I go to bed? Im not really trying to bulk or cut, just slowly lean out and put on a bit of lean muscle at the same time. Trying to show a 6 pack in july but not dropping so much weight that I look skinny. Im 215 lbs, so I am probably not in danger of that, haha.
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04-18-2013, 02:19 PM #19
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timing meals isn't important, they're are a lot of different ways people do it on here, some do intermittent fasting some eat every 2-3hrs but more important is hitting your daily requirements. remember 1-2lbs a week is a really good rate of loss. as far as losing fat and putting on muscle at the same time. You may be able to do it as a newb with newbie gains but it probably won't be drastic, my recomendation is to focus on fat loss first, set a deficit in your cals and pick a starting strength weight program. Set yourself a long term and a few short term goals, re-evaluate as you go.
It's not your beliefs that make you a better person, it's your behavior.
"If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems and a b1tch ain't 1" JayZ
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04-18-2013, 03:32 PM #20
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I did it with no cardio at age 44. You should focus on a correct for you diet, a good training routine and enough rest to recover properly through the week. Like stated above you need some decent muscle mass to look good with sixpack at our age. I still look a little sickly at 9/10% BF, but I am working on building more mass to look healthier. IMO doing too much cardio hurts you more than helps you. Some cardio is fine, but hitting it hard 7 days per week will not allow your body to recover and you will burn muscle along with fat. I would also suggest that you lower the carbs/protien slightly and up the fats some, just be sure to get good fats like olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, avacado's etc. Good luck and keep us posted on your sucess.
Eric
PR's
squat 335x1
benchpress 245x1
DB Benchpress 100'sx6
Bent over rows 245x8
deadlifts 445x1
Military press 130x6
Chin-ups BW+100x2
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=144259741 My workout journal
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04-18-2013, 07:22 PM #21
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Thank you, but much respect to you for stepping on stage, I don't have the balls for that.
Thanks.
What Frozensparky, EB68 and Drudixon posted pretty much sums up my nutrition, I think they are spot on. I use IIFYM. My protein is 190 to 220g a day and fats 70g and then eat what ever for the rest of my calorie budget for the day. I don't try to maintain a weight, I eat 3000 cal a day to slow "bulk" until I feel like I'm looking too soft in the mirror. Then "cut" at 2400 cal until I feel like I'm looking too flat.
Like others already suggested, if I was where you are, I would drop fat until I started to look too thin and then slowly start to build up calories from there and add some size..But you need to lift heavy while cutting. Your body needs to think it needs to hold onto the muscle you have. Heavy stimulus will help spare muscle as the fat comes off, and of course will be needed to add muscle when you start eating at surplus.
For as supplements, I only use protein powders to help hit my protein requirements, creatine, fish oil and a multi.Last edited by wsm9808; 04-18-2013 at 08:28 PM.
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04-18-2013, 08:25 PM #22
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04-18-2013, 10:23 PM #23
- Join Date: Feb 2013
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Good news: We all have six pack abs. Every single one of us.
Bad news: If you cant see six pack abs, that means they are hidden underneath fat
Solution: Strip away fat, and you will see six pack abs
Prognosis: even at 43 you are capable of stripping away fat and revealing abs, however most wont because the are unwilling to cut the calories and eat the diet needed to get rid of enough fat to make a difference.
It's all on your mind and dedication. Not your age.
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04-19-2013, 01:35 AM #24
- Join Date: Aug 2012
- Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 59
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I have been trying now for six months to get a six pack, i am 48 and i have dropped my weight from 154lbs to 136lbs during this time, i can feel the muscles, but still no show, a little more body fat to go, not easy, thought i would have seen them a month ago.
Can it be done? yes! the photos on this forum testify to that and that is what has encouraged me to keep on going,
I am doing this by following the Allpro beginners routine and diet, that has helped me to build a bid of muscle (noob gains). so as has been said, drop the body fat is the key. and lift.
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04-19-2013, 02:22 AM #25
- Join Date: Nov 2012
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i am 50 years old..and trying to cut to get my abs to show well..but i have really failed to do so in a year of training cutting..the top ones showed..briefly...but have disappeared now even though im still cutting..
im only 155 pounds..ant 5ft 11"
i cannot bulk ..even though ive tried..just get a fat bloated tummy...so ive decided to be lean..rather than bulked...but its still relativly unsuccesful...
whats the next step...i can see my ab plate..and the top abs only because there on my ribs ...
why is it so hard for some of us...?
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04-19-2013, 02:47 AM #26
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04-19-2013, 04:32 AM #27
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04-19-2013, 04:43 AM #28
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04-19-2013, 12:56 PM #29
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04-20-2013, 01:56 PM #30
I did it at 45. Loosing fat is the main thing but it sure doesn't hurt to actually hit your abs with the weights too. I do decline situps with a 55lb dumbbell in each hand and hit the crunch machine about 3x per week. I do a few extra things like the roman chair and cable crunches too. Anyway it is mostly dropping the fat. I still have some loose skin around my middle but dropped a lot of fat to get to 10% and if you look at my profile and see where I started you can definitely do it if I did.
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