Abs do not look defined after working out

[scarymovie]

Why are the abs, unlike other muscles, do not look more defined after working out compared to before working out on them?

[SouthernLord]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

Why are the abs, unlike other muscles, do not look more defined after working out compared to before working out on them?

because you're fat

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by SouthernLord

because you're fat

so you mean they should look more defined after working out? i thought this happened to everyone. thanks mate for ur quick reply.

[SouthernLord]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

so you mean they should look more defined after working out? i thought this happened to everyone. thanks mate for ur quick reply.

They are likely not defined, because your body fat is too high. My abs are visible at around 15% bf but to get them really to stand out I have to diet my ass off to 9-10%.

It's not a matter of doing a few sets of crunches as much as it is getting your diet and cardio together. Unless you have a natural skinny build.

[SixPakAbz]

I agree I believe that you could seen abs better after a workout, how about doing more cardio?

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by SouthernLord

They are likely not defined, because your body fat is too high. My abs are visible at around 15% bf but to get them really to stand out I have to diet my ass off to 9-10%.

It's not a matter of doing a few sets of crunches as much as it is getting your diet and cardio together. Unless you have a natural skinny build.

I understood what you r trying to say, but I actually meant that is it normal that abs do not look defined after working out. eg, if someone who has less than 10% bodyfat, and after workout, will his abs not look more defined than before working out?

[ucfmatt]

Do you mean immediately after working out? For example after working shoulders/chest/back etc. those muscles look fuller and more defined right at the end of your workout.

You don't see much improvement in your abs immediately after doing them b/c (if you're like most people) you have more fat there than other areas of your body. Even if they do get pumped/defined you won't be able to see them better until you cut down.

[SixPakAbz]

Originally Posted by SouthernLord

They are likely not defined, because your body fat is too high. My abs are visible at around 15% bf but to get them really to stand out I have to diet my ass off to 9-10%.

It's not a matter of doing a few sets of crunches as much as it is getting your diet and cardio together. Unless you have a natural skinny build.

Dude if you can see your abs at 15% you'd be shredded at 8%.

[W8isGR8]

I have the same problem

I believe it could have something to due with increades cortisol while working out, which leads to water retention and bloating(i believe dave palumbo touched on this). I also know that when I I get hot my skin tends to swell as well.

[SouthernLord]

Originally Posted by SixPakAbz

Dude if you can see your abs at 15% you'd be shredded at 8%.

Yeah bro. My abs are thick from training them heavy when I was into PL. It's so hard for me to maintain 8-10% for very long though. i generally feel like death and my joints ache when I'm that lean. I'm happy at 12-15%

[chazzy1864]

OP, I'm guessing becuase you drink water during your workout. So your stomach might be a little bloated.

Also, most of my muscles don't look more defined after working out. They look bigger, and fuller. But often times they look less defined.

[ddarrah]

Seems for me even at 10 percent, my abs are not all that cut out either. could that just be from not doing enought ab exercises?

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by chazzy1864

OP, I'm guessing becuase you drink water during your workout. So your stomach might be a little bloated.

Also, most of my muscles don't look more defined after working out. They look bigger, and fuller. But often times they look less defined.

Exactly, my abs look thicker after working out but not as defined compared to before working out? is this normal or is that anything wrong?

[chazzy1864]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

Exactly, my abs look thicker after working out but not as defined compared to before working out? is this normal or is that anything wrong?

well if it doesn't hurt me, then I tend to think reactions/responses from my body are normal. So I'm going to go with normal.

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by chazzy1864

well if it doesn't hurt me, then I tend to think reactions/responses from my body are normal. So I'm going to go with normal.

True...erm...anyway chazzy, your display pic looks kinda creepy...

[chazzy1864]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

True...erm...anyway chazzy, your display pic looks kinda creepy...

Why thank you.


But yeah, I couldn't say with certainty if it is normal or not, but I am pretty sure it is normal. I wouldn't worry about it.

[scarymovie]

anyway guys, please share your abs workout programs.

[W8isGR8]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

anyway guys, please share your abs workout programs.

lulz

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by W8isGR8

lulz

what does that suppose to mean?

[W8isGR8]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

what does that suppose to mean?

Ab training is a joke


Every 13 year old with low bodyfat has abs. It's the only muscle group you're pretty much born with that you never have to do anything to. Just don't be fat.

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by W8isGR8

Ab training is a joke


Every 13 year old with low bodyfat has abs. It's the only muscle group you're pretty much born with that you never have to do anything to. Just don't be fat.

Few months ago, I thought this way, mate. After I posted this
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...1&postcount=23 , I heard that if there isn't any abs training but only killing those fats, I will end up having a flat tummy.

[W8isGR8]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

I heard that if there isn't any abs training but only killing those fats, I will end up having a flat tummy.

wut?

[chazzy1864]

Originally Posted by W8isGR8

Ab training is a joke


Every 13 year old with low bodyfat has abs. It's the only muscle group you're pretty much born with that you never have to do anything to. Just don't be fat.

I won't agree with that.

I do believe many take it to an extreme, or think that if they only do ab work, then they'll have a good stomach, whatever.

But ab training on top of a regular workout program, I thikn produces a better looking stomach. I used to only do the heavy compounds, and kept a low body fat. I had a decent looking six pack. It never really improved. Finally changed a split to include regular ab work, and my stomach definitely improved with it's appearance.

You don't need ab training, as having a low body fat, and indirectly working it, will get you a six pack. However, I think the difference between a decent/good stomach and a very good/great stomach is the direct work.

Just like direct arm work. Sure you can get decent arms, with the big compounds, but......

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by chazzy1864

I won't agree with that.

I do believe many take it to an extreme, or think that if they only do ab work, then they'll have a good stomach, whatever.

But ab training on top of a regular workout program, I thikn produces a better looking stomach. I used to only do the heavy compounds, and kept a low body fat. I had a decent looking six pack. It never really improved. Finally changed a split to include regular ab work, and my stomach definitely improved with it's appearance.

You don't need ab training, as having a low body fat, and indirectly working it, will get you a six pack. However, I think the difference between a decent/good stomach and a very good/great stomach is the direct work.

Just like direct arm work. Sure you can get decent arms, with the big compounds, but......

So mate, what do you do for abs?

[chazzy1864]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

So mate, what do you do for abs?

I tend to superset ab work with shoulders. My favorite exercises are:
weighted decline sit up
ab crunch machine
roman chair knee raises

Then since leg day was pretty much on its own day, so I was supersetting obliques with my leg sets, to give me something to do between my leg sets. So I was doing weighted and unweighted broom stick twists and side bends.

[scarymovie]

Originally Posted by chazzy1864

I tend to superset ab work with shoulders. My favorite exercises are:
weighted decline sit up
ab crunch machine
roman chair knee raises

Then since leg day was pretty much on its own day, so I was supersetting obliques with my leg sets, to give me something to do between my leg sets. So I was doing weighted and unweighted broom stick twists and side bends.

you do abs in between sets? that sounds like a good idea. 1 more qns, how much to do? eg. 3 sets of each workout with 20 reps???

[W8isGR8]

Originally Posted by chazzy1864

Just like direct arm work. Sure you can get decent arms, with the big compounds, but......

Not the same.

With arms you're looking to add size to all muscles. Are you trying to add size to abs and obliques? Obviously not, so then what are you doing, "toning"? "Etching in detail"? Well you obviously can't do those either. So what exactly is getting accomplished by training abs?

[W8isGR8]

Here's a pic when my abs looked the best.




Which just so happened to be when my bodyfat was lowest.....

[chazzy1864]

Originally Posted by scarymovie

you do abs in between sets? that sounds like a good idea. 1 more qns, how much to do? eg. 3 sets of each workout with 20 reps???

My split would make many people scream "overtraining". With the ab exercises, I trained in the 6-15 range. The first 3 sets 6-8, 2nd exercise, generally 8-10, and the last one was 10-15.

The obliques were light weight, and much higher reps. It was mainly something to keep me moving, and occupy my mind while I waited for my next leg set. But most I was using was a 17lb thin barbell, and would do the broomstick twists, and about halfway through my workout, I'd switch to a broomstick, to continue doing the same thing.

Originally Posted by W8isGR8

Not the same.

With arms you're looking to add size to all muscles. Are you trying to add size to abs and obliques? Obviously not, so then what are you doing, "toning"? "Etching in detail"? Well you obviously can't do those either. So what exactly is getting accomplished by training abs?

I'd say with any isolation exercises, it is to do more "etching in detail". Ask all the compound only parrots on here, you can get pretty big arms with no major direct arm work. However, there is a huge difference in an arm that has been made big by rows and bench press only, and one that has used a variety of tricep and bicep isolations. One looks mukch better formed, more cut, etc.

Originally Posted by W8isGR8

Here's a pic when my abs looked the best.

[IMG]http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/4218/1465192orig.jpg[IMG]
Which just so happened to be when my bodyfat was lowest.....

No offense what so ever, but IMO your abs are about "decent". Like my avatar/progress pics were from when I did no direct ab work. I would classify them as decent. Maybe above average. My body fat was low, and I hit them via indirect work, thru heavy compounds.

When I got to iraq, I went to a modified upper/lower split and included a bit of ab work, but it usually got cast aside as I got fatigued. My stomach didn't really change. When I finally went to my double 3 day split, with ab work on W/S and Obliques on T/F, my stomach improved a lot. The abs themselves, bulged a bit more, but not real bulky. Most of the stomach tightened up at least.

Right now while back in the states, I don't have the gym/split I did just before I left Iraq. While my BF is still pretty low, and I have a 6 pack, I am missing how my stomach used to look.

Just in my opinion my stomach definitely looked much better after focusing some effort on it.

[buckeye7]

i skipped a little bit so this might have been mentioned, but to the OP, I know what you mean. Whenever I work abs, they do not appear better, unlike other muscles, when you work them, they are pumped and appear better because of the blood that is flowing.